Public transit coming to northwestern N.B.

Another New Brunswick city will soon have its own public transit system.

The City of Edmundston, along with nearby Madawaska First Nation and Haut-Madawaska, to the north, announced a regional transit system for the city and surrounding areas at a news conference Wednesday.

The service, called FlexGo, would have three components to start; a traditional fixed-route bus system, a taxi bus service and a para-transit service.

The bus service aims to offer service between Haut-Madawaska and Edmundston, a drive of about 33 kilometres, three times a day. It will cost $5.

According to the FlexGo website, route information will be posted on Dec. 1.

Shift - NB10:20Edmundston Transit

Communities in the northwest have been working on an accessible public transit system for a number of years. Now the funding is in place, and the project is a go. We'll find out what the system will look like, and how long before the rubber hits the road.

Funding for the service is coming from all three levels of government, with the federal government providing the bulk of it, about $1.4 million. The province and municipalities are chipping in $179,000 and $177,000, respectively.

The money will be used to buy a bus, four minivans and transit-related infrastructure such as bike racks and bus shelters, the announcement said.

Olivier Baril, a transportation consultant with the Northwest Regional Service Commission, said the public transport system will make a big difference for the growing region.

"It's going to really address some transportation needs in different parts of the population, something that is just not present right now," said Baril. 

"There is vehicle sharings and there is community transportation, but it just doesn't fit the same need."

With Wednesday's announcement, Campbellton and Bathurst are the only New Brunswick cities without some form of public transportation.

While Edmundston's bus service will roll out in the new year in full, the city will be gathering data to determine if it has the number of buses and stops right and will adjust accordingly.

Stephanie Beaulieu, the commission's transportation co-ordinator, said input from the public is also important.

"We are going to adapt our service and we want to hear from the people," said Beaulieu.

"As you start the system, there's always tweaks that need to be done and that's what that period is going to be for," said Baril.

Baril said even though the service has only been announced, he's already heard a lot of excitement.

"Such a positive vibe, a lot of feedback, which means people are involved, which means it's a hot topic," Baril said.

For him, he said, the success of the new service will come down ultimately to its reliability.

"People need to change their travel habits and in order to do that, they need to be confident that the service is reliable and there when they need it to be there when it's supposed to be there," said Baril.

The new bus service will launch on Feb. 3.