Statistics after the first month of the new city transit schedule indicate a substantial increase in the number of riders, members of city council were told Tuesday.

Matthew Grant, the city's manager of public relations, said there was an 18.6 per cent increase in revenue during July compared to the same month last year.

It's what city manager Dennis Shewfelt described at Tuesday's luncheon meeting as pleasantly surprising.

Normally, there's been a drop in ridership whenever the transit schedule has changed, he said.

Shewfelt said he would have been happy to break even with this shift in schedules, suggesting an increase is good, real good.

City council has invested several hundred thousand dollars in the new schedule. It's hoping to entice more residents to ride the bus by designing what's been called a friendlier and more frequent schedule.

In July 2010, the city took in $57,551, compared to $68,284 last month, according to the city's numbers.

For all of 2010, the city transit generated sales of $1.47 million, which Grant maintains was about 50 per cent of what it cost to provide the service.

Grant told council members and senior city staff how the final planning stages are coming together for a five-week campaign beginning Sept. 15 aimed at bolstering the volume of passengers using the transit system.

Research so far indicates the new schedule is being well received, he said.

"We're finding once they get on it, they really like it.”

The emphasis, Grant said, is to get people to take that first bus ride.

The consultant is putting the finishing touches on the campaign, he said. Those measures will include forming a relationship with the business community to develop promotional ideas beneficial to both parties.

The city, for instance, is looking at a two-for-one deal where passengers will receive a second pass to encourage a friend to ride along with them.

Grant said the information gathered through a variety of surveys has identified the 20- to 30-year-old female population as a target market because it's that segment which is already sitting on the fence, with one foot on the bus.

The campaign is looking to promote time on the transit as "My time,” a time when riders are free from their work, free from their commitments at home, and free to read or do what they want during the ride, council heard.

There's the pitch "Bike Down, Bus Home,” referring to the ability of passengers to ride the bus with their bikes strapped to the outside.

Coun. Ranj Pillai recommended Grant and company look at what can be done to provide a wireless connection to the Internet for passengers.

The PR manager said providing Internet access is on the table for consideration, but won't be ready as a selling feature in time for the upcoming campaign.

Pillai also mentioned he's heard the federal funding from the Department of Immigration coming down the pipe to partner with the city to promote transit use among the city's new residents from other countries.

Many of the new immigrants, the councillor suggested, are already accustomed to public transit as a way of life.

Both Pillai and Coun. Florence Roberts expressed their desire to expand the transit services even more.

"If you want to get people committed to using the transit, you have to make it available,” Pillai said Tuesday.

Added Roberts: "I would really like to see transit expanded to seven days a week, until 10 o'clock at night.”

By Chuck Tobin

Star Reporter