Fredericton Transit Changes to be Presented at Open Houses

Fredericton, NB (June 17, 2014) – Staff at the City of Fredericton are considering recommending transit changes to City Council and are looking to obtain public input into those changes. Two open house sessions will be held:

• June 24, 2014, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Willie O’Ree Place.
• June 26, 2014, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Grant-Harvey Centre.

Each session will include a presentation about the changes, followed by an opportunity for the public to talk further with staff and comment accordingly.
In addition, a special web page will go live on the evening of June 24, where anyone who can’t make the open house sessions can go to review the changes and comment online. Visit: www.fredericton.ca/TransitChanges.

The changes are meant to address common transit complaints expressed over the years, including:

• A need for improve frequency
• Need for transit service in growing areas of the city
• Lots of empty buses traveling around certain routes and times of the day
• Length of time it can take to get to some locations using transit

Any new transit schedule also has to take into account that:

• Fredericton’s transit system has not changed significantly for the past two decades
• he city’s urban core, on both the south and north sides of the St. John River, is much denser than it was 20 years ago
• Slight adjustments to the system and the City’s transit philosophy will not address the common complaints
• Municipal resources continue to be limited

“Staff have been working on this since the start of the year and are putting the final touches on the proposed new transit schedule and supporting materials needed for next week’s open houses and web launch,” said Coun. John MacDermid, Chair, City of Fredericton Transportation Committee.
“How can we make our transit system more viable for current and potential users while using the same resources? I encourage people to attend the open houses or check out the web page and provide their feedback.”

** Copyright City of Fredericton. 2014**