The city put its revamped bus routes and schedules into play on July 1, but not all riders appear satisfied with the changes. 

Service to several areas, including Riverdale and Copper Ridge, has been improved, the city says, and a new service has been provided for Valleyview residents. 

Additional buses during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours have been added for riders commuting from Riverdale, Yukon University and the city’s airport to downtown and back. 

“The transit route and schedule changes that were introduced this week are the second of two phases of changes that the city initiated last year to improve transit services,” said city spokesman Matthew Cameron.

“The first phase was introduced on July 1, 2023,” he noted. That included improving routes 101, 201 and 401 with additional peak-time services, supported by three additional buses.

The changes that kicked in nine days ago were the final phase of the plans.

The buses now run seven days a week, and holidays, with additional late-night services. 

The changes were made to improve the transit system, which experienced “record-breaking” transit ridership, Cameron said. 

“May 2024 set an all-time high with more than 89,000 rides taken throughout the month, breaking the previous record of 86,374 rides in April 2024,” he said. 

The city is modernizing the transit system based on public feedback with a focus on improving convenience, efficiency and accessibility, he added. 

The exact number of participants in the city’s survey has not been disclosed. 

The system’s improved efficiency has saved the city $375,000, Cameron said. 

“This money has been reinvested into transit services for things like peak-time and late-night transit services,” he added. 

The city has shared the changes on its social media pages, but not all the replies are positive. 

“Now I need to take a 50-minute bus ride to get downtown from Takhini, which is about the same time it takes to walk there,” reads one of the comments by Samuel Zaworotko. 

“Maybe consult your riders first on what they are looking for instead of constantly changing these schedules we rely on.” 

The Yukon Star asked Cameron about the public comments.

“With respect to the new transit routes and schedules, I’m not sure I agree that the public are against them, though I understand some people have expressed dissatisfaction,” he said in an emailed response.

“The new routes and schedules were informed by public input and are intended to provide more reliable, timely, and efficient transit service to a greater number of riders.”