So far the debate over rapid transit in Winnipeg has largely focused around three options; bus rapid transit (BRT), light rail transit (LRT) and do nothing.

But there’s a fourth way.

It’s not as sexy as the $600 million BRT option and there are no ribbons for politicians to cut. However, it will help meet the same objectives advocated by proponents of other rapid transit options; reduced transit commute times between the south end of Pembina Highway and the downtown area, and less pollution.

In fact, this fourth option was actually what the city of Winnipeg had originally planned years ago before the politicians decided to go with the first phase of the rapid transit corridor. The idea is called “active transit signal priority” (ATSP) and it involves putting little transponders on busses that send signals back and forth with upcoming traffic lights. The signals tell traffic lights to be green when the bus arrives. This helps busses eliminate wait times at red lights. As a result, busses could drive up and down Pembina Highway much faster than they can now.

Winnipeg wouldn’t be the first city to implement such technology; it’s already used all over the world. According to a report by the University of Maryland, the technology is used in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, across the United States, Europe, Japan, India and other countries.

The University of Maryland report notes that Los Angeles saw a reduction in travel times for passengers by 19-25 per cent and an increase in ridership by a third. The report also notes that Vancouver saw a 23 per cent switch in usage from cars to busses along one of their ATSP routes.

Fortunately for taxpayers the technology is inexpensive. Four years ago, when the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a donation-based taxpayers watchdog group, pushed this idea we spoke to someone with Los Angeles’s transit department and learned they had implemented this technology at 211 intersections for just $8 million.

Thus, Winnipeg could do all of Pembina Highway for a couple million dollars. In fact, you could use this technology not just on Pembina Highway, but along other major thoroughfares such as Portage Ave, Regent, Main Street, St. Mary’s and Henderson Highway for a relatively low cost compared with the city’s $600 million BRT plan.

To really help busses commute along Pembina Highway, the city could even make the curb lane a dedicated bus lane up until the point it joins the existing rapid transit corridor.

At the same time, the city could take the $600 million it needs for its BRT plan and use it to build things like underpasses and overpasses along Pembina to improve traffic flow for both busses and cars.

Some of the savings could be used for the Waverly Underpass and fixing up existing roads.

So what’s keeping such a cost-effective idea like this from taking shape in Winnipeg? Probably leadership. With an election this fall, maybe it’s time to start asking candidates for the mayor’s chair and council if they’re ready to start trying cost-effective ideas from other cities? Or are they too just looking for ribbons to cut?

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