SASKATOON TRANSIT INCREASES ACCESSIBILITY FOR RIDERS

In partnership with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, as part of an ongoing effort to increase accessibility and provide riders with improved service, Saskatoon Transit is pleased to announce Automatic Announcements on City buses. This automated service provides a verbal announcement and visual cue of an upcoming bus stop, ensuring that riders do not miss their destination.

“Transit needs to be accessible to all,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “Working with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission has helped us to identify ways to increase accessibility for riders. Automated Announcements benefit visually impaired riders, new residents who don’t know the city yet, students venturing out on their own for the first time, senior citizens who require assistance, or day-to-day riders who want another way to be notified of their stop.”

Currently, the system is active on over 95 per cent of the buses on regular routes, encompassing over 1,500 stops and landmarks throughout the City. A planned future enhancement to the Automated Announcements service is the addition of adjoining connections, which will make it even easier for new and experienced Saskatoon Transit riders to reach their destinations.

“Saskatoon Transit has demonstrated a significant commitment to providing accessible transit services to the citizens of Saskatoon with the addition of an Automated Announcement system,” said David Arnot, Chief Commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. “The Commission was pleased to collaborate with Saskatoon Transit on this project, and we remain ready to provide proactive assistance to them as they work to improve the overall accessibility of bus services.”

Additional accessibility features on all new buses include:

• A front kneeling system that allows the bus to lower to curb height for devices such as baby strollers;
• An extendable flip-up ramp to ease boarding of wheelchairs and walkers;
• Extra wide entrance areas that make it easier to navigate into and out of the bus;
• A mobility area with flip-up seats and floor anchors to secure mobility devices;
• A light and colour scheme designed to assist visually impaired riders; and
• Digital signage that displays stop locations and stop requests to ensure hearing impaired riders are aware of important destinations.

“Accessibility is essential to our customers’ satisfaction,” says McDonald. “As well, we remain committed to working with community groups and our stakeholders to make sure we will continue to provide the citizens of Saskatoon with the transit service that meets their needs.”

For more information about Saskatoon Transit, visit transit.saskatoon.ca or follow @StoonTransit on Twitter. You can also plan your route in advance using any of the following tools: Saskatoon Transit Trip Planner, Google Transit Trip Planner, or the Transit App on your mobile device.