Transportation
CONTACT INFO & HOURS
ÌÇÐÄVlog Transportation Department
P: 204.669.0202
transportation@retsd.mb.ca
Dispatch hours: 6 a.m.–4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday
Office hours: 8 a.m.–4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday
WELCOME
River East Transcona 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!
UPDATE FOR PARENTS
Our new software, RouteFinder, was implemented to find efficiencies in the ÌÇÐÄVlog 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 ÌÇÐÄVlog 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 and the Q&A section below (the answers are in line with ÌÇÐÄVlog policies).
STOP CHANGES FAQ
1. Why has my child’s bus and/or stop location changed?
The division is 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 child to walk.
All stops have been carefully checked to ensure they do not exceed the for walk-to-stop distances, which is a maximum of 800 m (this applies to all grade levels).
3. Can I request changes to my child’s stop?
You can contact the transportation department; however, we are unable to consider any requests until the end of September or beginning of October.
STOPFINDER
We want to remind parents about our StopFinder App, which is the best way to receive your child’s busing information. Please check your email for your StopFinder invitation and download the free app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. If your invitation has expired, please contact the transportation department at 204.669.0202 or transportation@retsd.mb.ca to have it resent.
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 on the "Transportation Notifications (Bus Delays)" webpage, which can be found 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.
