Investing in Community Transportation Along the South Shore

A new bus service will better link Lunenburg County and Halifax and help more Nova Scotians connect to jobs, services, medical appointments, schools and opportunities.

It is part of a multi-year plan to strengthen community transportation links across the province, especially in rural areas.

Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Leo Glavine announced the new service today, Sept. 10 in Bridgewater.

“Making community transportation more affordable, accessible, convenient and reliable will better support Nova Scotians in all aspects of their lives and strengthen our communities and our economy,” said Mr. Glavine.

The Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network is receiving more than $385,000 to work with Maritime Bus on a demonstration project to provide passenger and parcel bus service to Lunenburg County from September 2018 to Feb. 29, 2020.

“This is a great day for community transportation in Nova Scotia,” said Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network chair Reg Johnson.

“We are thrilled to be part of this significant pilot project to provide Maritime Bus service from Bridgewater to Halifax. Hopefully, this project will serve as a template to develop similar options in other communities where a need exists.”

The Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network is helping to better support the growth and expansion of current service providers and work on a five-year plan to develop sustainable community transportation across the province.

The pilot service will connect Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, and Bridgewater to Halifax and points beyond through three round trips daily.

“Over the past year, we have witnessed here in Bridgewater that a transit service is a great enabler for cultural and social inclusion, accessibility, and community and economic development,” said Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell.

“We have heard incredibly moving stories about how Bridgewater’s transit system has fundamentally changed lives, and we look forward to hearing more and more of those kinds of stories as a result of today’s funding announcement and the Maritime Bus project.”

As part of the Culture Action Plan’s mandate to strengthen communities, the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage has earmarked more than $2.3 million for community transportation this year.