Big changes recommended in P.E.I. capital region transit system report

There could be some big changes coming to the transit system in the capital region which includes Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall.

The consulting firm Left Turn Right Turn presenting its findings on consulting with the public on the transit strategic plan at a special meeting of council Tuesday evening. The company conducted two surveys with about 400 people responding to each.There were also public consultation sessions in all three municipalities.

"Eighty one per cent of non-transit riders today, that we heard from, would actually consider moving to transit as their primary mode if it was improved " said Evan Brown, transit innovator with Left Turn Right Turn.

"Barriers for current riders that we heard from, the top three were frequency, hours of operation and service coverage. Moreover, only 23 per cent of folks we heard from reported the current transit service in the 2023 transit network worked good or better for them."

There are currently 11 routes in the capital region with eight of them centred in Charlottetown, and only one operating past 6:45 p.m.

The 170-page Left Turn Right Turn report proposed an improved transit network by 2034, with streamlined routes, more buses serving Queen Elizabeth Hospital, direct service to the Charlottetown Airport, and an extended the East Royalty route.

"Then there is introduction of a new service model which is on demand transit, which is meant to be demand responsive in areas that have burgeoning ridership or are maybe a little bit more rural," Brown said.

If the recommendations are implemented ridership could go up about 175 per cent in the capital region over the next 10 years, Brown said.

What the consultants presented was a 10-year strategic plan, but some parts of it could begin to be implemented this summer, said Anna Keenan, sustainable transportation officer with the City of Charlottetown.

"First of all is improvement to the downtown terminal, so this is where the buses pull up right in front of the Confederation Centre," Keenan said.

That work would include creating a dedicated bus lane along Grafton Street.

"Already this summer we'll be able to take some steps toward that, which will dramatically improve safety for pedestrians and riders and the efficiency of boarding at that stop. It will also make the stop better for drivers because buses will be able to pull out of the car lane and into a dedicated bus zone," Keenan said. 

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown asked during the council meeting if that meant all parking along Grafton Street by the Confederation Centre would be eliminated.

"I'm sure that you can agree with the number of people who use that spot everyday that to shift 14 parking spots for a few thousand people everyday is worthwhile," Keenan said.

Bus stop standards

Another thing being looked at is bus shelters.

"Across the capital region we have more than 400 stops about 50 of which have shelters," Keenan said.

"The strategic plan recommends establishing really clear design standards for each bus stop so we can have a standard for safely accessibility, signage, ease of navigation so you can find a schedule and know where the bus is going at each stop."

Right now some stops aren't spaced well with some routes having multiple stops on "every block" and others are spaced too far apart, she said.

T3 Transit, owned by the Capital Area Transit Coordinating Committee, is currently operated under contract by Trius Transit.

CBC News contacted Trius Transit but no one was made available to comment on the strategic plan.

Left Turn Right Turn will also present its findings to both Stratford and Cornwall councils over the next two weeks.

In order for the plan to start it needs to be approved by all three municipalities.