Two Nations Crossing Transit Route Ends January 2, 2010

Fredericton, NB – The Two Nations Crossing transit route (Route #9) will come to an end on January 2, 2010. The decision to discontinue the route was made as part of City’s 2010 budget process.

The public is also reminded that effective January 1, 2010, the cost of a student transit pass will increase from $40 per month to $42 per month. This decision was also part of Budget 2010.

The Two Nations Crossing transit route was first introduced as a pilot in October 2008 and extended until the end of 2009. It never gained the ridership needed to meet the guidelines set for city transit routes.

The ridership objective set by City Council was 20 passengers per revenue hour, which is approximately a 40 per cent cost recovery. Recent average ridership figures ranged between 7 and 10 passengers per revenue hour. When residential and commercial density increases in the area, and a new Department of Transportation overpass is built at Ring Road and Two Nations Crossing, the route will be reconsidered.

Fredericton’s transit system, like others in the country, is designed to transport people from area to area, not door to door. The goal is to have buses travel along interconnected routes, moving passengers between residential and commercial areas of the city.

In an effort to maintain a balance between municipal subsidy and transit fees, the goal is a 35-45 per cent cost recovery from users of the service. Cutting the Two Nations Crossing transit route will result in a net savings of $252,000 in both staffing and operational costs for the taxpayers of Fredericton.