All aboard! More Brantford residents riding city buses

More Brantford residents are using the bus to get around town.

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Figures compiled by the city show there were 2,569,529 riders in 2023 eclipsing the 2019 pre-COVID ridership figure of 1,975,681.

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There were, by way of comparison, 1,414,853 riders in 2022, 1,011,157 in 2021 and 1,176,561 in 2020.

“Brantford Transit introduced 20-minute service in September 2023, which resulted in a significant increase in monthly ridership, particularly among students with a monthly average increase of 50 per cent compared to 2019,” Mike Spicer, the city’s director of fleet and transit services , said in a statement.

The ridership figures were provided by city officials following a Jan. 15 estimates committee meeting.

The estimates committee is working on the 2024 budget and transit was one of several topics to be discussed.

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At the start of the meeting, advisors were given an analysis of budget surveys conducted over the last three years. The analysis aims to provide councilors and city officials emerging trends in the community.

The analysis found that support for increased spending on transit services has grown by just over 17 per cent over the past three years.

“I found it interesting in the budget survey that there is support for transit services,” Mayor Kevin Davis said during the meeting. “Certainly, I hear anecdotally from businesses and individuals in the community about the transit system.”

Transit, Davis said, has become “a necessary critically” service and ridership has grown substantially following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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There have been occasions when buses have been full and city transit officials have, when possible, added an extra bus on a route to accommodate riders.

The increase in ridership prompted the city to look at ways to revamp and improve the transit system.
The initiative, dubbed Moving Forward, was launched in November 2023. It seeks to come up with ways to better serve a growing community.

Plans call for improved transit service to the northwest industrial area, home to some of the city’s biggest industries including the North American headquarters for Ferrero. The area includes a residential neighborhood.

The city’s draft 2024 operating budget calls for spending of $8,380,431, up 9.35 per cent from $7,663,821 in 2023.

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Meanwhile, this year’s budget survey, conducted in December 2023, attracted 414 participants. Those who participated in the survey are divided over tax increases.

Half supported increasing taxes slightly or significantly to maintain or increase services. The other half supported cutting services to maintain or lower tax levels.

Just over half of those who participated supported spending money on infrastructure now rather than later.

Responding to a question about priorities, there was opposition to additional funding for Brantford Police Service and support for additional funding for homelessness and downtown revitalization.

According to the survey there is mixed support for a new sports and entertainment center and bike lanes.

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The city’s 2024 budget calls for spending of just over $130 million, representing a 4.99 per cent increase over 2023. The increase translates into a residential property tax increase of $9.74 a month or $116.83 a year for the average home owner.

However, those figures are likely to go up because they only cover the costs controlled by the city. The cost of outside organizations, including the Brant County Health Unit and Brantford Police Service, among others, will be added to the property tax bill in the coming weeks.

Budget deliberations continue Wednesday afternoon.

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