Saskatoon’s bus rapid transit is getting a new name

A new transit system designed to change the way people get around Saskatoon is starting to take shape.

Councilors on the city’s governance and priorities committee this week offered enthusiastic and unanimous support for “Link,” the new name and branding for the long-awaited bus rapid transit system the city has been building toward.

“Everything is very interesting. I love it,” Cynthia Block said shortly after the name was revealed to committee members.

The city hired an outside consulting firm to come up with the name after nearly three years of work that included consultations with various groups, transit users and workers.

“It’s not every day that administration gets the opportunity to come up with a name and visual identity for new infrastructure that will surely transform the city’s transportation network and benefit everyone in Saskatoon,” Carla Blumers, director of communications and public engagement for the city. , said.

Councilors were also given the latest update on the $250 million project after the final round of funding was secured last month.

Discussions for a bus rapid transit system began in 2016, and the project was officially approved in 2019.

The new addition to Saskatoon Transit aims to increase the number of buses along key routes. These buses will also stop less often to reach destinations much faster than a typical transit bus.

Construction will begin this summer with 14 stations. Another 30 stations will be added next year as the city finally has work started on all 88 stations by 2027. Above-ground components such as shelters and signaling will put the finishing touches on the program before the Link debuts in 2028 .

The city has been testing transit signal priority since January at a number of intersections on BRT lines.

Dedicated BRT lanes will be added on College Drive near the University of Saskatchewan and First Avenue. Fiber optic cable will be installed to allow traffic signals to prioritize buses.

The bus shopping center on 23rd Street will be removed as part of the changes.

“Citizens will see the benefits of investing in bus rapid transit before 2028,” Mayor Charlie Clark said after Wednesday’s committee. “Our traffic systems will become more modern and efficient and we will use smart technology. We will have more buses on the roads.”

However, Clark hoped to see Link welcome students in 2026, as the administration intended in 2021.

“It’s disappointing that full implementation won’t happen until 2028, but there will be a lot of work in the meantime that citizens can benefit from,” he said.

However, not all major obstacles have been removed.

The city approved $60 million for the purchase of new buses. The city is buying 10 40-foot buses and 10 60-foot articulated buses for $23.8 million.

The administration originally intended to purchase another 35 electric buses with the remaining $36.2 million, but Terry Schmidt, the city’s general manager of transportation, told councilors that simply won’t be possible with inflation and the impact of COVID on the project.

Section 4 Con. Troy Davies said the potential cost increases made him “extremely nervous”.

“It can’t be paid in installments. And that’s the bottom line. I know that’s something I wouldn’t support moving forward,” Davies said.

“But I think there will be an opportunity with both the levels of government and the future grants that will come along that will be able to do that.

Schmidt said city staff will come back with a recommendation on how to adjust the bus acquisition budget once a report is completed this summer.