A proposed expansion of Codiac Transpo service in Riverview has been put on hold due to budget constraints and other spending priorities. Riverview had been looking at an overhaul of its transit system for 2016, but town council decided at a meeting last Saturday to defer the plan for now in favour of other priorities.
Councillors were quick to suggest that the delay will allow the town to better evaluate how to improve services, with Moncton Councillor and chair of Codiac Transpo’s governance committee Charles Leger saying the town’s move was “an opportunity for Riverview to get it right.”
More on this story at CBC News.
You can also listen to Charles Leger’s comments from CBC Information Morning Moncton here.
Codiac Transpo is the operating name for the City of Moncton’s Department of Public Transit, and serves a population of 130,000 people in the communities of Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. The service carries roughty 2 million riders each year.
When crossing the bridge into Riverview, and you turn left towards Fundy, you are entering Ward One in Riverview. This large area will see a decrease in service if this plan is ever implemented. Instead of one bus taking passengers to the transfer point at Highfield to connect with buses to Moncton and Dieppe, a transfer in Riverview to a second bus is necessary. Standing outside in the cold, wet weather would be necessary. This also increase travel time. Also the frequency of service will decrease. And there will be a shuttle/taxi? With our aging population, seniors climbing in and out of a taxi is much harder than boarding a kneeling bus. And with this taxi, does that mean bicycles will no longer be carried? What about sports equipment? The present Gunningville bus has a stop at the cross country ski and snowshoe trails. The new routing is quite a distance from these trails. Why not keep the present route for turning buses.
This new plan does not improve service in Ward one. It would be so easy to improve service to the east end of Riverview.
I’m glad Riverview council is looking to improve service, but Ward one has a decrease in service, something that will not increase usage from this area.