Ditching the car: how some Islanders are saving on transportation

With her bike helmet firmly in place and her bag securely attached to the front of her bike, Heathyr Francis heads to work on a blustery December day. 

The Charlottetown resident is planning on spending a whole year biking wherever she needs to go. 

Francis got rid of her car, and started biking as her main form of transportation this summer. 

So far, she figures she's saved about $10,000. 

She said she knows biking in the winter can be tricky, especially as it gets darker so much earlier. 

"Normally I give up on biking around this time of year when it starts to get icy and precipitation gets really cold," she said. 

"I purchased snow tires for my bike, which cost nearly as much as snow tires for my car." 

Francis also takes the bus regularly, and has been using the bus bike racks. 

She made the decision to switch to two wheels when gas prices started increasing, and she was looking for ways to save. 

But Francis said biking has other benefits besides saving cash. She's hearing and seeing things she didn't before. 

"I get to see a lot more daylight, I'm more connected with nature, so I notice when different birds are moving through the city, and it just makes you feel a little bit more connected," she said. "You're much more in the moment."  

It's about more than saving money 

Dan MacQueen from MacQueen's Bike Shop in Charlottetown said he's talked to a few people who plan to do the same thing. 

"They feel better each day commuting on the bike — not only because they're saving money, but they get the energy benefits of cycling," he said. 

MacQueen said anyone can do it, as long as they can get comfortable and feel safe. He said as bike lanes improve, he believes more people will be biking year-round. 

But he knows it's not something everyone can do.

"Not everybody can risk a fall or afford all the winter gear that you need," he said. 

From a handful to dozens on the bus 

Cassie Burhoe is trying something new too. 

She's travelling from Souris to Charlottetown and back four times per week using the rural bus service. 

Burhoe said she's noticed lots more people are doing the same. When she started, there would be a handful of people on an 18-passenger bus. Now, there are around 30 fellow passengers on a coach. 

"It's important because of the cost of gas going up. It's what's going to allow Islanders to get around the Island. It just requires a bit of a mental shift in how you get from point A to B.

"You know global warming continues to be big.... I think it's important we all try to do this as much as possible," she said. 

Burhoe hasn't done the math on how much she's saved, but thinks it's quite a bit. 

"I kept wondering where all my money was going and then I realized: 'Oh, inflation!' You know it's sad, but that's the reality we're living in.... I think these services like the bus are a good way to adapt to the rising costs," she said. 

Burhoe said she tells others about the rural bus service, because she wants it to catch on and grow. 

Bus pass 'phenomenal value'

Ann Cudmore rides the bus five days a week from Hunter River to Charlottetown and back. She says the $10 per month for seniors has been helping her save money — and she's saving on parking too. 

"It's phenomenal value. I think it's really nice the subsidy is there and I think as things start to get more expensive, more and more people will be taking the bus."

Cudmore estimates taking the bus is saving her $50 to $60 per week.