OREANDA-NEWS. October 13, 2016.  The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island are making infrastructure investments that will help create jobs and grow the middle class today while building a strong foundation for a sustainable economic future.

Officials gathered in Charlottetown today to celebrate the addition of 10 buses to the T3 Transit fleet serving Charlottetown, Cornwall and Stratford. Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, joined the Honourable Paula Biggar, Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy for Prince Edward Island, to mark the event. Also attending was Mike Cassidy, owner of T3 Transit, Clifford Lee, Mayor of Charlottetown, and representatives from the towns of Cornwall and Stratford.

The additional buses were purchased from the City of Calgary and are being rehabilitated to accommodate Island transit needs. Upgrades to the buses will include free Wi-Fi for passenger use, security cameras, Automatic Vehicle Location software (AVL), and bike racks. The buses are wheelchair accessible and have both kneeling and ramp extension capability to ensure accessibility for all users. The buses are also equipped with destination signs, which allow route descriptions to be displayed on exterior screens.

For public transit users, modernizing the fleet will accommodate increasing public transit ridership and greatly improve the overall travel experience. For T3 Transit, it will reduce maintenance costs, improve fleet management and tracking, and allow them to decommission and perform maintenance on its older buses.

Quick facts

  • The Government of Canada contributed \\$515,142 to this project, representing 50 per cent of the total project cost. The province of Prince Edward Island contributed \\$257,571 or 25 per cent. The remainder of the cost was split between the province of Prince Edward Island and the municipalities of Charlottetown, Cornwall and Stratford.
  • This is the first completion of a public transit project funded under Phase 1 of Investing in Canada, the federal government's \\$120-billion infrastructure plan.

Quote

"The Government of Canada recognizes that we need a solid partnership with all orders of government to support infrastructure projects that help the middle class grow and prosper now and into the future. Getting people where they need to go safely, efficiently and comfortably is fundamental to economic growth and I'm very pleased to see how this new funding program has already yielded benefits for Island transit users."

Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Our government is committed to public transit in order to deliver environmentally responsible transportation, to encourage efficient use of our road system and to offer mobility to all Islanders. This partnership allows us to support transit throughout the capital area."

The Honourable Paula Biggar, Prince Edward Island Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy

"T3 Transit has had 10 years of growth and success and we are pleased that this shared funding model allows for these significant and necessary improvements to be made to the transit system so that it can continue to expand and succeed. On behalf of City Council, I'd like to congratulate the Capital Area Transit Coordinating Committee and Transit owner/operator Mike Cassidy, and thank our funding partners for recognizing and supporting the importance of this tri-municipal public transportation system."

Clifford Lee, Mayor of Charlottetown

"The Town of Stratford is extremely pleased to see these buses enter our transit system. These buses will improve the level of service our existing transit users receive and will attract new users to give transit a try with more convenient amenities. We look forward to continued growth of the transit system in our communities."

David Dunphy, Mayor of Stratford

"Cornwall is pleased to continue our partnership with the Town of Stratford and City of Charlottetown with this significant enhancement to the T3 transit system. We thank the Federal and Provincial Governments for their financial support to our transit system. With the ongoing support of all the partners, and the endless passion of Mike Cassidy, we are confident this valuable service will continue to grow and prosper."

Peter Meggs, Cornwall Town Councillor, on behalf of Minerva McCourt, Mayor of Cornwall

"The Charlottetown, Cornwall and Stratford T3 Transit System is one of the most cost-efficient operations in Canada with combined ridership numbers far exceeding expectations."

Mike Cassidy, T3 Transit Owner/Operator