As officials present budget proposals to city councillors, Winnipeg Transit revealed it didn’t bring in as much money this year as expected. In 2024, transit restored ridership levels to 95 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers. However, in 2025 the number dipped to 89 per cent – a drop of about six percentage points. Transit said it anticipated some of this decline would be from the major transit overhaul rolled out this past summer. However, transit notes, the number started dipping at the end of last year before the changes came into place. Bjorn Radstrom, manager of service development for Winnipeg Transit, said officials anticipated that after the launch of the new network it would take riders a while to adjust, with some opting out of the transit system altogether. “There’s going to be a bit of a lag until people who have better service, who can start taking the bus, before they realize that it’s there, they give it a shot and they try it out,” he said. “This is exactly what we were expecting.” Janice Lukes, the public works committee chair, said she suspects safety concerns could be a factor in the decline. To combat this issue, Winnipeg police officers have increased their presence on buses.
