Bridgewater's much-anticipated public transit system hits the road
Emma Smith | CBC News | Posted: October 14, 2017 5:44 PM | Last Updated: October 14, 2017
More than 1,200 riders used the service during the first 2 weeks, says the mayor
The Town of Bridgewater's new bus has been picking up passengers for just three weeks, but there's already hope that the long-awaited transit system could change the small South Shore community for the better.
The single bus system launched Sept. 25, thanks partly to Halifax Regional Municipality's donation of two Metro X buses it no longer used.
In the first two weeks, about 1,250 riders used the service, according to Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell.
"My heart kind of jumps when I see it driving around town," he said. "The entire community is talking about it, and in a positive way."
Mitchell calls the initial ridership exceptional, but the real test won't begin until Monday when the free trial ends. The fare will be $2 or $1.50 for students with identification, and packages of tickets will also be available.
The hour-long route takes the bus along the main roads and passes by the mall, hospital and the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. It runs from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and has limited hours on Saturday and Sunday.
Who's riding the bus?
Brian Dagley, one of the new full-time bus drivers, isn't worried about keeping riders even when the fare begins next week. He said many passengers are seniors who need the bus to go shopping or get to appointments and students who are catching a ride to class.
"These are people that I know are going to continue to keep using it because they don't have cars and it's way cheaper than a taxi … they can do a lot more," he said.
In addition to stopping at bus stops, about 70 per cent of the route allows Dagley to pull over when someone waves to him.
These flexible stops are especially helpful for seniors, and will allow the town to plan future stops, said Mackenzie Childs, the town's junior transit planner.
So far, Dagley said the only complaint he's heard is that the bus doesn't stop at Walmart, which is technically in the neighbouring municipality.
Regional service still needed
For years, residents have called for a transit system that would service the whole of Lunenburg County. A joint transportation committee made up of four municipalities was tasked with determining whether that was feasible, but it disbanded in 2015 when a consensus couldn't be reached.
Norman Haslett hasn't given up hope though. He's the chair of Citizens for Public Transit, a community-run group that recently attended council meetings for Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Bridgewater and the Municipality of Lunenburg to ask councillors to restart the committee.
He said Bridgewater's transit system is a good first step.
"I think people are really amazed to see a bus," said Haslett. "When we started this, we were crazy. A bus around here? We can't afford a bus."
'Sense of community'
Mitchell knows he still needs to convince many people in the community that a transit system is worth investing in.
Bridgewater's six-month pilot project is expected to cost $170,000, with the province paying $75,000 and revenue expected to total $15,000. That leaves $80,000 for the taxpayers of Bridgewater.
"It will never make money," said Mitchell. "Bus services don't make money anywhere on the planet, so it's a public service that's subsidized."
For him, the positives outweigh the costs.
Mitchell is trying to encourage residents to have more pride in their community, and in order to do that, they need to talk to one another, he said.
"And that was one of the things that really stood out when I was on the bus, was the people that will just talk to strangers. It's amazing … whether they know it or not, they're building that sense of community."