The False Service Increases

As part of the September 2008 service changes, ETS has "added" 3 new super-express routes to NAIT. Route 95 from Southgate, 97 from Mill Woods and 98 from West Edmonton Mall. ETS is bragging about how service to NAIT will be improved with these "new" routes. The problem is that these aren't new services. These 3 routes already existed, albeit as "school special" routes. The only change is that these routes are now numbered in the regular route series. To claim these as new services is misleading, as no actual service increase has occurred. Similarly, it is claimed that route 1 has several new trips between Downtown and West Edmonton Mall in the midday. Again, these trips already existed, but were operated as a "school special" route, which was signed up as a regular route 1. That opens up a whole other issue, where ETS makes overload/extra trips on a lot of routes officially "school specials" instead of the regular route.
Beyond that, these routes will do little to actually improve service to NAIT. Each of the routes only has two AM and PM trips. And the trips are both around the same time, meaning these routes only serve people travelling at one particular time. Compare that to the routes running out of the University, which operate from the start of rush hour right through to the end.
Overall, these three new NAIT routes gives ETS something to brag about (and will doubtless be brought up when negotiations for a U-Pass at NAIT begin), while doing nothing to improve service.