Transportation
CONTACT INFO & HOURS
ӰƬÉç Transportation Department
P: 204.669.0202
transportation@retsd.mb.ca
Dispatch hours: 6 a.m.–4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday
Other department hours: 8 a.m.–4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday
WELCOME
ӰƬÉç School Division has one of the largest transportation departments in Manitoba, operating 82 school buses and safely transporting an average of 4,000 students over 1.3 million km each year in both urban and rural areas. That's like driving from Winnipeg to the moon... more than three times!
TRANSPORTATION UPDATE FOR PARENTS
We hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. This memo is being sent out regarding the upcoming school year. Our new software, RouteFinder, was implemented to find efficiencies in the ӰƬÉç transportation system. The program has done just that, and we have identified areas to improve while taking the steps necessary to achieve the best outcome for the division. We have changed or amalgamated many stops to become more efficient while still adhering to ӰƬÉç policies and procedures.
We anticipate these updates will not be what everyone has been used to in previous years, however, we want every student to be successful during this time of change. The transportation department will be here to provide support throughout the process starting with this communication including the Q&A’s below outlining important points for common questions. Theses answers remain in line with ӰƬÉç policies.
Q&A INFORMATION
1. Why has my student’s bus and/or stop location changed?
The division is now using new routing software to find efficiencies for all our routes and changes have been made to improve operation.
2. This new stop seems to be (too) far from our home for my student to walk?
All stops have been carefully checked to ensure that every student does not exceed the for walk to stop distances, which is a maximum of 800 Meters. (Applies to All Grade Levels)
3. Can I request changes to my student’s stop?
You can contact the Transportation Office, but we are unable to consider any requests until the end of September/beginning of October.
REMINDER
We also want to remind parents about our new StopFinder App, which will be the best way to receive your student’s new busing information. Please check your email for your StopFinder invitation and download the free app from Google Play or Apple App Store.If your Invitation has expired, please contact the Transportation Office at 204-669-0202 or transportation@retsd.mb.ca to have your invite resubmitted. For more information, please visit our Transportation webpage.
All new route information will be available on the StopFinder App starting on Monday, Aug 26th, 2024. Please be aware that no specific route data will be available for parents prior to this date as we are still making changes and updating information throughout the summer, and we want to provide everyone with the most accurate information possible. We will be sending out another communication reminder closer to the startup date.
Thank you all for your support of our transportation system overhaul and we look forward to seeing all students again in September. Enjoy the rest of your time off!
SCHOOLMESSENGER & X (TWITTER)
Our transportation department uses SchoolMessenger to deliver texts and emails about bus delays, route cancellations, and cancellations due to extreme weather. These messages will go directly to the child’s primary contact with a cellphone number and email address in the system. So, ensure your information is up to date with your child(ren)’s school(s), with a cellphone number and email address for the primary contact.
The transportation department also provides these notifications on their X (Twitter) account—you can follow them at . For those without an X (Twitter) account, these tweets are automatically posted at "Transportation Notifications (Bus Delays)" in the sidebar on the left-hand side of this page.
EXTREME WEATHER PROCEDURES
Sometimes, severe weather causes the transportation department to cancel buses. If buses are cancelled, you will receive a text and email through SchoolMessenger and a cancellation alert will appear at the top of the home page of this website. If the transportation department has not posted a cancellation alert by 7:15 a.m., buses are running. If transportation is cancelled in the morning, this cancellation will apply for the entire day.
The general rule is if the actual temperature at —as posted by Environment Canada at about 6:10 a.m.—reaches or exceeds -35°C or the wind chill reaches or exceeds -45°C, the transportation department will cancel buses for the entire day, but schools usually remain open. All metro Winnipeg school divisions follow one system based on these rules.
Major radio stations and local television stations will also announce busing cancellations. They usually broadcast this information about every 15 minutes.
