Team 1-d Solution.mp4

By Aalam, Anthony, Pratham and Tyler

Summary

Problem Statement

The population of Winnipeg is growing and is expected to reach a million within the next 20 years [1]. However, Winnipeg has many major infrastructure issues that need to be resolved. Winnipeg authority is investing in important infrastructure and services like public busing, to support the growing, thriving, and modern city. Currently, many of the regular users' needs are not satisfied with the bus system in Winnipeg due to late arrivals, less frequency and connectivity, overcrowding, and on top of that the current route is designed for an older map of Winnipeg. To combat this glaring issue, a complete redesign of the bus system is needed to improve the reliability of the system, as well as the daily user experience, cost-effectively and sustainably.

Proposed Solution

To enhance the reliability and connectivity of Winnipeg’s public transit system, our team’s proposed solutions include implementing dedicated bus lanes and dynamic routing along one of the mainline Winnipeg, the route connecting downtown and the University of Manitoba. Dedicated bus lanes will improve on-time performance by providing exclusive lanes for buses, which helps reduce congestion and travel times. Dynamic routing will optimize bus service across the city, catering to varying passenger demand in real time. The main stakeholders, including public transit users, private vehicle commuters affected by the dedicated bus lanes, and government/transit agencies providing funding and services, will benefit from improved transit efficiency and reliability. This targeted implementation between downtown and the university aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solutions in a key corridor, paving the way for potential expansion across the city.

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Figure 1: Impact vs. effort plot used to compare potential solutions.

Practical Humility Clause

We recognize the potential challenges in the implementation of the proposed solution for Winnipeg’s bus transit. Some uncertainties may arise due to factors such as,

  1. Stakeholder Opposition: Personal vehicle users and businesses may resist dedicated bus lanes due to concerns about parking and traffic flow.
  2. Changing Urban Conditions: Rapid urban development, construction projects, or shifts in traffic patterns may necessitate frequent updates to bus routes and infrastructure.
  3. Varying Public Perceptions: Different demographic groups may disagree due to their backgrounds, causing problems with the solutions' acceptance or implementation.

Engagement and consultation with stakeholders, investment in robust infrastructure and quality control to ensure reliable data, timely monitoring of urban development and traffic patterns and targeted communication strategies to educate the public about the rationale and benefits of dedicated bus lanes and dynamic routing can be used to address these uncertainties.

By proactively addressing uncertainties related to stakeholder opposition, data reliability, urban conditions, and public perceptions, the successful implementation of dedicated bus lanes and dynamic routing can significantly improve the reliability and safety of Winnipeg's public transit system.