City buses could be making some express runs through Riverdale this fall.

In an update to city council at Monday evening's meeting, Chris Sorg, a local businessman who's a member of the transit task force, said the group is looking at a possible pilot project that would see express service offered in Riverdale during the system's busiest hours.

The project would likely be offered for four to six months.

Sorg pointed out there's been an interest expressed in having more frequent service, rather than the current 70-minute wait during non-peak hours, and 35-minute schedule during peak periods in the day.

'Obviously, the effect of increased frequency is something we would like to test,' Sorg said. 'And that would be achieved by expressing the routes during the peak periods in Riverdale.'

Having a pilot project would be consistent with the incremental approach the task force, which was formed to come up with ideas on how to improve transit, wants to take.

'We think it is important to actually demonstrate to council that significant increases in ridership are possible by running a pilot in a small area,' he said.

'In the short term, it could derive some possible increased revenue for the city if the pilot's successful, which would be a positive thing.'

It would also demonstrate the task force has moved beyond the 'talking stage,' he said.

The task force sees the largest potential for ridership boosts in Riverdale, Sorg told council.

'The fact that the local community association and the school councils are willing to participate in fact, they've already been participating to some degree we think is important,' he said.

Having the pilot in Riverdale could be done without impacting the schedule, it was also pointed out.

'This is not really the case with any of the other routes,' he said.

The pilot would also look at acceptable walking distances to a bus stop and the effect of a strategic marketing campaign on the service, Sorg said.

'We think that it's not just a matter of the changes that we're making here,' he said. 'It's also effectively communicating the changes to the public while we're doing it.'

There could also be incentives to using transit such as a bus pass, prices or events.

Sorg pointed to a survey done by the territory in 1999 and 2000 on how employees get to work. It showed 56.2 per cent said either more frequent or more direct express service would be an incentive to consider using the bus.

With an update on the task force's work provided every three months, Sorg said, the more formal proposal for a pilot project will likely come forward in late June for council's consideration.

If the city opted to go ahead with the plan, it could potentially be started in time for the school year, for between four and six months.

As Coun. Bev Buckway pointed out though, often when a pilot project is started, it's difficult to take that away.

She asked how the task force would evaluate how the project is working over the four to six months it could be in place.

'I think we have to be extremely careful in any pilot that we recommend or that you agree to support,' Sorg said.

'Once these things get started, it's awfully hard to stop them, but I think what we're really looking for is we're looking for significant increases in ridership.'

The pilot in Riverdale would not mean any new buses being introduced or any major structural changes to the bus system, he stressed.

The major change would be frequency. There could also eventually be the addition of some services such as extending evening hours of service or a downtown loop.

'All of these things, of course, cost money, and we recognize that,' he said.

The pilot project would provide an opportunity to look at a very small area and with small incremental changes.

'What we're trying to do is design the best possible pilot project that we can come up with that's going to have the greatest impact on ridership,' he said. 'Really, that's the key. If we can do that, then we have a basis to move forward.'

If some of the smaller initiatives work, it will likely involve increasing the budget to do that. If, for example, extended evening service is needed to get Whitehorse residents to and from the Jeux du Canada Games Centre, it would mean more funding would be needed.

'And there'll be a lot of decisions like that, but we hope that if we've learned some things along the way that you'll have revenue to go with the expense.'

Before coming up with a more formal plan for a pilot project, task force members will climb aboard the Riverdale buses to interview riders to make sure that there's nothing proposed that would cause a decrease in ridership.

A survey will also be accessible on-line and will be distributed to some of the larger employers in town for employees.

Coun. Jan Stick suggested retailers selling bus tickets also be given the survey to hand out to those purchasing transit passes and tickets.