Edmonton Transit Service is undergoing a slew of changes in 2021. Transit users saw fare hikes come into effect at the start of February, and later that month the department welcomed a new branch manager, Carrie Hotton-MacDonald.
One of the biggest changes is the redesign of the bus network that will come into effect on April 25. The new design will close many bus stops, open a few new ones, and also introduces on-demand shuttle buses to replace regular buses in some residential areas.
According to City of Edmonton data, 380 new stops will be created, mostly in developing areas around the edges of the city. Meanwhile, 1,653 stops are closing across the city, though some are in areas that will be instead served by on-demand transit.
While not everyone is happy with the cuts, city officials have said the network changes will focus on high-use routes, prioritizing frequency over walking distance to the nearest bus stop. Hotton-MacDonald told Taproot's Speaking Municipally that part of the idea is to simplify the network in order to build on it later.