Saint John Transit
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| Founded | 1979 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Lorne F. Lawless Transit Centre 951 Fairville Blvd., Saint John |
| Service area | City of Saint John; Grand Bay-Westfield; Rothesay; Quispamsis; Hampton |
| Service type | Bus |
| Routes | 19 local. 3 regional. |
| Hubs | King's Square North; Lancaster Mall, Place 400/Metcalf; McAllister Place |
| Fleet | 47 vehicles |
| Daily ridership | 2,500,000 annually 3,000,000 annually anticipated with commencement of ComeX |
| Operator | Saint John Transit Commission |
| Website | Official website |
The Saint John Transit Commission was established in 1979 to provide scheduled transit service to the city. It is the largest public transit system in New Brunswick in terms of both mileage and passengers. Ridership on Saint John Transit’s system is about 2.5 million passengers per year and growing.
Saint John Transit’s ridership is approximately 50 percent higher than the average for Canadian cities with a population of between 50,000 and 150,000.
History
The agency's roots trace back to their six predecessors:
- People's Street Railway Company 1869-1876
- Saint John City Railway Company 1887-1892
- Consolidated Electric Company 1892-1897
- Saint John Railway Company 1897-1917
- New Brunswick Power Company 1917-1948
- City Transit Limited 1948-1979
Routes
- 1,2,3,4 East-West File:Handicap.png
- 5 North End
- 6 Mt. Pleasant
- 7 South End
- 10 Millidgeville
- 11 Fundy Heights
- 12 Portland Place
- 13 Milford
- 14 Fairville
- 15 Hospital-UNBSJ via Millidge Ave.
- 16 Hospital-UNBSJ via Churchill Blvd.
- 17 Forest Glen
- 18 Michael Crescent
- 19 Champlain-Lakewood
- 20 Red Head
- 21 Champlain Express
- 22 Loch Lomand
- 25 Martinon
- 27 Harbour Bridge
- UNB Night Owl Route
- ComeX Grand Bay-Westfield
- ComeX Rothesay-Quispamsis
- ComeX Hampton
Current Fleet
Saint John Transit maintains an active fleet of approximately 47 buses.
- RTS Legend Rts_bus
- GM Classic Classic_(transit_bus)
- Orion VII Low Entry and Orion VII Low Entry "Next Generation" Orion_Bus These buses are wheelchair accessible and are equipped with bike racks mounted on the front - a gift from the Greater Saint John Community Foundation to encourage multimodal, healthy environmentally friendly public transportation.
As of September 2007, Saint John Transit has 15 low-floor buses in the fleet with 7 additional low-floor buses on order from DaimlerChrysler, Orion Bus division. 4 of these buses are dedicated solely to ComeX.
Past Fleet
- GM "New Look" GM_New_Look_(Fishbowl)_Bus
- GM "Old Look" GM_"old-look"_transit_bus
ComeX (Community Express)
Service begins September 4, 2007 Comex is a BRT (bus rapid transit) service that will provide morning and after work service to citizens in outlying areas to and from Uptown Saint John. ComeX will serve residents of Grand Bay-Westfield, Rothesay, Quispamsis and Hampton from Monday to Friday. Four buses will form the basis of ComeX service. ComeX was made possible through funding from the Government of Canada and support from the Province of New Brunswick. Grand bay-Westfield will have 3 runs in the morning and 3 in the afternoon/evening. Rothesay and Quispamsis will have 6 runs in the morning and 6 in the afternoon/evening. The last run in the morning and the last run in the evening will be via McAllister Place Shopping Centre. Hampton will have 3 runs in the morning and 3 in the afternoon/evening. The last run in the morning and the last run in the evening will be via McAllister Place Shopping Centre. The service will utilize the DaimlerChrysler Orion VII Next Generation Bus. http://www.orionbus.com/orion Saint John Transit purchased the first Orion VII Next Generation bus to roll off the assembly line in Mississauga, Ontario. http://www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Industry-Announcements/DaimlerChrysler-Delivers-First-Orion-VII-Next-Generation-to-Saint-John-Transit-/1$3867
Employees
In 2001 there were 92 bus drivers, mechanics and dispatchers represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union locals 1182 and 1229.
Current Issues and Developments
- Saint John Transit is in the process of selling their current transit HQ and depot on Fairville Blvd. to a developer to make room for a new Wal-Mart. The new depot will be located on McDonald St. in East Saint John across from the Loch Lomand Mall. This centralized location close to major routes will save the commission fuel as opposed to locating off in an industrial park.
- In 2005 the ATU Local 1182 representing Saint John Transit workers tried to enter and share in the City Of Saint John pension plan. The City of Saint John has indicated that if ATU 1182 had the support of the International Association of Fire Fighter's Union 771, Saint John Police Union Local 61, Inside Workers Union 18 and Outside Workers Local 486 there would be no need to fight for a pension in court. The City of Saint John Pension Board has claimed that the transit workers are not City employees because they belong to a "transit commission." It is, however, in the opinion of ATU that the bus drivers have been employed by the city-run commission since 1979. The issue is currently tied up in the courts.
- The City of Saint John, along with the Federal and Provincial governments are investing in ComeX to reduce auto emmissions. With the implementation of ComeX, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to drop by 1,500 metric tonnes and downtown traffic will decrease by 800 vehicles a day over the next five years. http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/communities-collectivites/news-nouvelles/2007/20070115saintjohn_e.shtml
- Saint John City Council has asked Federal MP Paul Zed to look into consolidating Saint John City Transit with the Saint John Port Authority, Saint John Airport and Saint John Parking Commission. http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/49151
- Transit service will be extended to Latimore Lake. http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/49937