Winnipeg bus shelters hit hard by vandalism this year

Winnipeg Transit is getting hit hard with vandalism this year, with the glass on some bus shelters smashed and shattered just days after being replaced.

While it doesn't have specific numbers on the vandalism incidents, Winnipeg Transit said it is experiencing a 'high rate' of vandalism this year.

"At certain sites, we are seeing glass damaged again one or two days after replacement," Megan Benedictson, a communications officer with Winnipeg Transit, told CTV News in an email.

She said the issue is widespread, but said the vandalism tends to happen in sprees on roads with multiple bus stops such as Pembina Highway, Portage Avenue, Main Street, Osborne Street, St. Mary’s Road, and Dakota Street.

The vandalism has already cost the city more than $232,000 this year to repair the glass and other infrastructure that has been targeted. This cost has already far exceeded the dollars spent on repairs in 2021 by around $22,000.

"Due to the sheer number of replacement glass panes we have been required to order due to frequent vandalism and ongoing supply chain issues, our supplier is having difficulty fulfilling our orders in a timely manner," Benedictson said. "We continue to work diligently with our supplier to replace damaged glass as quickly as possible."