Transit Commission member Donna Reardon says no one likes to cut any bus routes but Saint John Transit has to come in on budget by the end of the year and can’t afford to run buses where they’re not being used. She concedes when bus service is reduced, ridership also goes down, calling it a death spiral.
Reardon says public transit in Saint John is a 10 million dollar a year operation and Common Council expects 5 million of that to come from ridership.
Reardon, who’s also a member of Common Council, says she hears complaints from people who tell her they see buses on city streets that are virtually empty and her response is for them to start using the bus.
She adds things do change so the cuts in service just announcement may not be permanent and there could be enhancements to bus routes that are busier depending on the data that’s collected.
