CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — By the year 2034, transit in the capital city area could look a lot different.
Charlottetown, Cornwall and Stratford have been developing an expanded public transport system, working with Left Turn Right Turn and surveying 800 residents.
Now, Left Turn Right Turn, a transit consultant group based in Toronto, and Anna Keenan, who is Charlottetown’s sustainable transportation officer, have a proposal for the three communities that make up T3 Transit.
Wider service, longer hours and more frequency are the long-term goals and the top needs of residents in the area.
Related stories
Surveys showed 81 per cent of people who don’t use transit would take the bus if the system improved to meet their needs, said Evan Brown, transit innovator with Left Turn Right Turn, at council’s April 24 special meeting.
“Only 23 per cent of folks that we heard from reported that the current transit service in the 2023 transit network worked good or better for them.” – Evan Brown
“Only 23 per cent of folks that we heard from reported that the current transit service in the 2023 transit network worked good or better for them.”
Goals
Under the new plan, there would be less overlap of routes, more connections to the airport and hospital and on-demand service in parts of Cornwall and Stratford.
-
Readers can look through the transit plan online.
Frequency and timing are another question. All but one route end service at 6:45 p.m., so the plan stretches these hours earlier and later in the day, along with adding more days of operation, Brown said.
“Saturday service is currently limited, and Sunday service is relegated again only to Route 1. So, that means there is no options for transit service on the weekend to areas of East Royalty, Winsloe or the airport.”
Quick wins
The presentation looks 10 years ahead, but Keenan said there are some “quick wins” the municipalities can achieve this summer.
First, Charlottetown can look to improve its downtown terminal by creating a bus lane in front of the Confederation Centre.
“This summer, we’ll be able to take some steps towards that which will dramatically improve safety for pedestrians and riders and efficiency of boarding at that stop,” Keenan said. “It will also make that stop better for drivers because buses will be able to pull out of the car lane and into a dedicated bus zone.”
Along with these concerns, the plan includes new bus depots and improved stops.
While the city has about 400 bus stops, only 50 have shelters. Some stops are also placed inconsistently, with gaps in some areas and stops on every block in others.
“The strategic plan recommends establishing really clear design standards for the bus stops,” Keenan said.
Contract
All of this comes with a proposal for changes to the contract between the municipalities and operator, Trius, Keenan said.
One move would be to have Trius do only operation and maintenance, while the capital area transit committee would do planning, management and communications.
-
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add saltwire.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
Another change would be to have the municipalities collect fare revenues directly, instead of it going through the operator, as it does currently. This is called a fee-for-service model, Keenan said.
This added income would offset the higher operating costs of a larger system. The presenters estimate those operating costs to rise from $2.6 million per year to $10.2 million per year, but $4.1 million in revenue would bring the net operating cost to $6.2 million total.
Capital costs are estimated at $6 million per year to achieve the growth, but most of this would be funded by government partners, Keenan said.
“For this year of about $7 million in cost that’s being invested, $6.88 million is funded.”
Questions
A few people at the meeting had questions.
Mayor Philip Brown asked about plans for the depot along Grafton Street and whether this would remove parking spaces.
Keenan said it would mean removing about 20 total spaces in the long term, but only some would go right away. Earlier in the presentation, she noted more than 1,000 people on 26 buses use the stop before 9 a.m. on weekdays.
“With the number of people who are using that stop every day, that to shift 14 parking spots for a few thousand people every day is worthwhile,” she said in answer to Brown.
Coun. Terry Bernard, who chairs the committee that oversees transit, asked about collaboration with the current operator.
Keenan said Trius has been involved in the process, and it is open to renegotiating the arrangement with the city.
The end of the presentation outlined the next steps, including endorsement by the three councils, regular reports to municipal staff and regular reviews, including an update in five years.
Cornwall CAO Kevin Coady said on April 29 that the town’s council expected to hear the presentation at its May 1 municipal and emergency services committee.
Wendy Watts, community and business engagement manager for Stratford, said the town will have its presentation on May 8.
Logan MacLean is a municipal reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at logan.macLean@theguardian.pe.ca and followed on X @loganmaclean94.
