Metrobus: the good, the bad, and the ugly

I came to St. John’s over 18 years ago to start my new job at Memorial University. I moved here from The Netherlands, where buses, trams and trains are common — so I took reliable public transportation for granted. As a result, I was shocked to experience the lack of such infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial capital.

Over the years I have used various modes of transportation to move about the city at all times of the year. When I first moved to town I didn’t own a car, so I walked everywhere, except on days the rain was falling horizontally. In the summer and fall I cycle as well. On bad weather days I would take the bus—which was typically about 15 minutes late—and found the service pretty basic. With limited routes, you couldn’t even catch a Metrobus to the airport, which I found baffling. Eventually I got a car and started driving instead of taking the bus on bad weather days. But in recent months I have become an avid Metrobus rider again. 

This gap in my ridership offers a clear vantage point for observing how things have changed in the interim. I also spent several months last year in Vancouver, where I used the SkyTrain system and buses almost daily. When I returned to St. John’s in the fall, I found obvious differences between what I experienced in Vancouver and the services here.

On Metrobus buses, for instance, riders aren’t alerted about approaching stops, either visually (as in digitally, at the front of the bus) or audibly through a verbal announcement. In most cities, subway, bus and train stops are indicated both visually and audibly, and not just for the benefit of visually- or hearing-impaired riders. I rely on those prompts whenever I’m in an unfamiliar place, as I’m sure others do. What must it be like for a visually-impaired person? How do they know when they are nearing their stop? What about those new to the city, both residents and tourists? Must everyone rely on a smartphone? What if they don’t have one? 

I wrote to Metrobus General Manager Judy Powell about this issue, and she informed me that a stop announcement system is coming in 2025. “We hope it will be operational by the end of June and will include both audible and visual announcements,” she said. My guess is that the upgrades are timed to be in place for the Canada Games in August. Although a positive development for Metrobus, I wonder why it took so long to make this simple upgrade; it gives the impression that the city cares more about its image to visitors than about serving its own residents.

Other recent investments have improved Metrobus services in important ways. At the end of 2024, the provincial and federal governments announced funding to add 17 more electric and hybrid buses to the Metrobus fleet. That brought the total number of these types of new vehicles to 25, as eight new hybrid buses were announced in April 2023 and three are already operating. 

The City of St. John’s recognizes that ridership has increased sharply since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, up approximately 58 per cent from pre-pandemic statistics. At least in part due to this growth, St. John’s City Council increased funding to Metrobus by $598,000 in its 2025 budget. Mayor Danny Breen said the rising cost of living is likely a factor in increased bus use, but previous investments to make transit more convenient have no doubt also helped. “People live in a city where they feel they can work, where they can raise a family, and where they feel they belong,” he said. “And transit systems help with that belonging and letting people operate within the community.” 

Since I began riding Metrobus, it has been made more accessible in several meaningful ways, including through the addition of new routes. The new route to and from the St. John’s International Airport, for instance, allows workers and air travellers access to their flights for just $2.50, offering an alternative to the $25-30 taxi or ride-sharing fares. The pending stop announcement system also promises to further increase accessibility, and as a bonus to reduce stress for riders. 

For all these enhancements, there is still room for improvement. I was struck by the lack of services during the 2024 holiday season. On New Year’s Eve, for example, services ended at 6 p.m. Given the rates of heavy alcohol consumption on that day, we would all benefit if people could travel by bus rather than compete for taxi and Uber services, or even worse, put themselves and others in harm’s way by getting behind the wheel. In sharp contrast, not only did Vancouver’s TransLink services run from 5 p.m. on December 31 until 5 a.m. on January 1, they were free of charge! If it truly wants residents to have a feeling of belonging, St. John’s should follow this example and increase services during this time of year. 

Many city residents were rudely reminded of how quickly access to Metrobus can be restricted in winter, when we experienced our first significant snowfall of the season. Clearing roads for drivers in St. John’s is always prioritized over sidewalk snow clearing, and it seems bus stops are last on the list. I’m used to walking on the roads until the sidewalks are cleared, but mostly in the downtown area where cars usually travel at slower speeds.

On Feb. 11, about 24 hours after the snow had stopped falling, I walked to a bus stop on Torbay Road. It was a harrowing experience. The bus shelter was completely buried in snow and the sidewalk leading to it had not been cleared. People waiting for the bus at this heavy and high-speed traffic area were forced to stand on snow mounds. The walk to the stop was stressful enough, but the thought of slipping off a mound of snow and into the path of a passing vehicle was even worse. For those with disabilities, this inaccessibility often leads to a loss of autonomy every winter.

The next day—two days after the heavy snowfall—I waited for a bus on King’s Bridge Road at a stop that services three routes. When a bus for one route (not mine) arrived, I had to step onto the snowbank to avoid it, then wait on the road behind the bus until mine arrived. Stuck breathing in the exhaust fumes (oh how I wished it was one of the new electric buses), the situation is extremely dangerous for anyone, but particularly for disabled riders. It is unacceptable. A crew of one or two people could easily shovel out a small space for riders to safely wait for their buses to arrive; if I’d had a shovel with me, I could have done the job myself in just a few minutes. 

The City and Metrobus must work together to ensure riders are not exposed to these perilous conditions. Considering the City is under budget for snow clearing so far this season, it could hire additional staff to clear snow from bus stops. Clearing bus stops should be a priority every year, regardless of the amount of snow that falls, and a portion of the annual budget should be dedicated for this purpose. 

As someone returning to Metrobus after many years, I see that clear strides have been made to enhance services, including new routes, plans to introduce an announcement system, and the addition of electric and hybrid vehicles to the fleet. I commend these. However, at this time of year, the ridership can’t ignore an ugly reality. When we cannot even access a bus stop safely, in stark contrast to Mayor Breen’s comments, the message to us is that perhaps we don’t truly belong after all.   

Have an idea you want to pitch? Reach out to Making Connections editors Robin Whitaker and Elizabeth Yeoman here or email us at transportation AT theindependent DOT ca.