T3 increasing frequency on some Charlottetown bus routes, especially at peak times

T3 Transit is adding more buses and consolidating some Charlottetown routes as it moves to simplify the transit network map.

The company says the changes were based on advice from a consultant's report commissioned by city councillors and delivered in April. They include:

• Route 1: Adding four extra buses during peak weekday hours.
• Routes 2, 3 and 23: Running every half hour during peak weekday hours, and hourly during off-peak and on Saturdays.

The consolidation of routes will make for a much simpler transit map, with only eight routes instead of 13, though all the same locations will be covered.

For example, North River Road will now be served by one bus, Route 2, instead of four. Previously, buses travelling north were labelled Route 2 and southbound buses were called Route 2A. In addition, routes 3 and 3A, which previously ran on North River Road, will now focus on Sherwood-Parkdale and be consolidated as Route 3.

The route changes will come into effect on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Some changes are already in place. For example, updated technology now allows riders to use Google and Apple map apps to track the next buses approaching them and estimate how long they will take to arrive.

The changes are the first to come out of the consultant's report, which is intended to guide transit in the city for the next decade, said Anna Keenan, the sustainable transportation officer for the City of Charlottetown.

"Over time, we have this 10-year plan, and we will see improvements to those other routes as well. But we really want to get the core of the network to be as clear as possible and as reliable as possible. And so that's what our focus is with these changes," Keenan said. 

Mike Cassidy, operator of T3 Transit and Maritime Bus, said the changes will help heading into the busiest season for bus use. 

"The record-setting days are always sometime in September or sometime in October," he said Tuesday. "Last year the record day was 6,500 passenger fares in one day in Charlottetown alone, and we're expecting this year that we're going to be above 7,000."