A candidate in Windsor's Ward 2 byelection wants to know what riders think of the big changes introduced this week by Transit Windsor.
Nick Amlin stopped by the West End Transit Terminal on Friday morning to speak with riders directly, but his campaign has also released an online survey to gather the public's reaction.
Generally, Amlin said many of the comments were positive, but he had some notes, especially about the way the rollout was communicated.
"Very little information was provided unless you were looking specifically for it," said Amlin. "I don't think Transit Windsor really pushed it hard enough, explaining the changes and how they're going to affect you."
"They changed the route numbers, but the buses don't have the old route and the new route [numbers]. I think there should have been a transitional period where they explained which route is turning into what -- more than a single post on social media about it," continued Amlin.
He'll be at the terminal again on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Amlin hopes to get a broad range of perspectives from riders who rely on transit at different times of the day.
"Transit is a lifeline for many people in our community," he said. "With the recent service upgrades, it's important that we hear directly from riders about what's working and where improvements can be made."
If he's elected, Amlin plans to present his findings to the council, whether he serves on the Transit Committee or not.
"It's how I can inform the committee about what people need to be fixed, and not just listening to the same echo chamber of voices, which don't always necessarily hit the mark," he said.
Amlin is running against nine other candidates in the October 28 byelection. They are Helmi Charif, Frazier Fathers, Brian Green, Tecumseh MacGuigan, Sam Romano, Krystalynn Singh, Patrick Sutherland, Cynthia Ann Van Vrouwreff, and Mo Zafar.