Pilot Project Expands Transit Service For Antigonish, Bridgewater, Pictou

Public transit will soon become an easier and more affordable choice for people in Antigonish, Bridgewater and Pictou.

“Our roads are getting busier and busier and they’re often filled with vehicles occupied by one person going to work, school, shops and services they need for their daily lives,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “To help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we want to make public transit the easiest option possible.”

The Province is funding the Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network to run a pilot project to increase ridership with transit operators in the three towns.

Some fixed-route transit systems in smaller communities currently operate on limited hours and don’t always run during early mornings, late evenings or the weekend. This makes it difficult for people needing key trips like commuting to work or school.

Under the pilot, hours and/or days of service will be extended and fares reduced. Partners will also test and develop new strategies to reduce single-person vehicle trips and learn what types of supports people need to use public transit more often.

Transportation efficiency strategies are a commitment in Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. The plan aims to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all Nova Scotians. It includes initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, switch to clean energy and transportation, create a clean economy, make homes and buildings energy efficient and able to stand up to the impacts of climate change, and help Nova Scotians adapt to the changing climate.

Quotes:

“We are very excited to broaden our scope by undertaking such an important project with fixed-route transit services throughout the province. A big piece of our organization’s mission is to develop practical and innovative solutions to the transportation challenges faced by fellow Nova Scotians. This project does exactly that; it makes public transit move available, more affordable and more of a viable option to move about our communities on a daily basis.”
— Leslie Taylor, provincial Coordinator, Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network

Quick Facts:

• the Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network is a non-profit that advocates and supports community-based transportation in Nova Scotia
• Pictou’s bus service recently expanded and now includes a loop to Westville, Pictou, Trenton and Pictou Landing First Nation
• the Province is providing $350,000 to cover the total project cost of Phase 1, taking place this year
• transportation accounts for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions in Nova Scotia, and is expected to become the sector with the highest emissions by 2030
• transportation efficiency projects advance action 42 of Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth

Additional Resources:

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network: https://communitytransitns.ca/

News release – Student Transit Pass Pilot Program: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/08/29/student-transit-pass-pilot-expands

Natural Resources and Renewables on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NS_DNRR