Sault transit revamp draws rider backlash

The new "Sault Loops" transit system has left some riders frustrated, despite city officials touting improved efficiency and shorter wait times.

It has been roughly one month since the City of Sault Ste. Marie implemented its first major transit route overhaul since 2018 and while officials point to efficiency gains, some riders say the new system has left them waiting longer and walking farther.

The city says the new ‘Sault Loops’ network consolidates routes and directs all buses through a northern transfer hub, eliminating the requirement for passengers to travel downtown if that is not their final destination. Transit manager Robin Miners told CTV News the change was driven by community consultation, with the city hearing from roughly 500 residents before the routes were finalized.

“The number one thing that we heard from folks was they wanted increased frequency in their service,” Miners said.

“They also wanted the routes to be a little bit more direct – that was number two on their list – and number three that we heard the most is that passengers wanted us to get rid of the on-demand service.”

The city says it has cut wait times for key destinations from 30 minutes to 15 minutes by reallocating resources to high-demand areas. Miners acknowledged that service has been reduced in some parts of the city.

“In the far west end, in the far east end of the city, we actually have lower service demand,” Miners said.

“We use the same amount of resources and we just reallocated them a little bit differently. Those areas that had low passenger ridership got a little bit less service than those areas that have higher demand.”

Efficiency claims disputed

Emma Ude, who launched an online petition called ‘Stop Sault Loops,’ said she collected more than 800 signatures from transit users.

“If three per cent of the population is using the bus system, and that’s like, roughly 2,400 people and I had over 800 people sign my petition, that’s over a third of your user base that is unhappy,” Ude said.

Ude said her own commuting experience has worsened under the new system. She now has to walk farther from her home to reach a bus stop, and transfers have become less convenient because buses no longer congregate at the terminal at the same time.

“Usually if you are getting off of the bus at the terminal, all the other buses were going to congregate at the same time,” Ude said, recalling the previous schedule.

“So, if you got off, then it was usually about five or 10 minutes.”

She said she has experienced waits of up to 20 minutes at the terminal for a connecting bus and disputed the city’s claim that key destination wait times have been cut to 15 minutes.

“That has not been the case,” Ude said.

“It’s still a 30-minute wait for each bus to get to a stop.”

Ude also raised concerns about reduced access for vulnerable riders, including elderly residents at Manitou Park who she said must now walk one kilometre to the nearest bus stop.

“I want to know what they are doing to help the people who, because of this change, no longer have access to the bus system,” she said.

City monitoring feedback for future adjustments

Miners said the city is recording all feedback — positive and negative.

“The big thing with this new network is that we’re recording every piece of feedback that we get … so that we can review it as we hit certain milestones,” Miners said.

“We can say, hey, this is where our passengers are really struggling. Here’s where we’re doing well. We might need to make some adjustments.”

The city said the first review is planned for the fall, when post-secondary students return, followed by another in March to assess winter impacts.

Miners encouraged riders who are experiencing long waits to reach out to the city for trip-planning assistance.

“We found a lot of passengers just need a little bit extra help navigating the new network,” she said.

“A lot of the time we’re able to find efficiencies in the route that they’re using and we can say, you know what? It’s actually easier for you to take this route and you’ll get to work a lot quicker.”

Riders can submit feedback through the transit tab on the city’s website.

Ude said the city needs to invest more seriously in public transit overall.

“This is something that the city definitely needs to invest more in, because it’s such an important part of people’s lives,” she said.

“It’s how they’re able to get to work every day. You know, and we shouldn’t make it, so people get so discouraged that they have to go get a car.”