Wave Transit reassessing bus routes, seeking public input

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Less than a year after implementing changes that aimed to improve bus routes in Wilmington, Wave Transit is reevaluating its routes again.

For riders like Jana Cervantes, WAVE is important because she uses it to get around the city, as she can’t drive due to a brain injury.

But even after Reimagine WAVE Transit changed bus routes throughout the city back in January, she said there are still issues with the service.

“Their changes, they keep taking what’s available to the people who need to ride the bus, and it’s become almost confusing,” Cervantes said. “We don’t need a 50-minute service, and we don’t need 5 buses that go to the hospital.”

Since January, WAVE has also noticed some issues.

“There’s just some pinch points and some things that didn’t quite go to plan.”

Routes being affected include several that travel along College Road, especially during afternoon rush hour.

On Wednesday evening, the first public hearing for several proposed changes to four routes was held at the Forden Bus Station, located off Cando Street.

Residents were encouraged to come out to learn about the changes and provide additional feedback.

WAVE public relations manager Brianna D’Itri said the proposals aim to reduce travel times and make the routes more efficient.

“These would be some service adjustments to fix some of those issues with on-time performance, so late buses, and adding some service back into areas where customers have been asking and have been wanting it,” D’Itri said.

However, Cervantes said that new routes won’t address the various issues WAVE is trying to resolve.

“The four bus systems that they’re talking about changing is based on it being late, the bus being late. Where the buses are going to continue to be late because traffic is going to continue to be bad in the city. But until we get more people riding the bus and it’s a user-friendly, efficient system, they’re going to end up with the same problem over and over and over again.”

D’Itri added that there isn’t an exact date for when these changes might go into effect.

And there are plans for more public hearings like the one held on Wednesday, but dates for those have also not yet been determined.