No Sunday bus service leaves many Fredericton residents stranded

If Emma Pirie wants to get to Walmart on her side of Fredericton, she has to take a bus across the river to the south side of the city, then another one back across the river to the store. 

The trip, which would normally take a few minutes by car, ends up taking around 90 minutes. So instead, she goes to the store on the south side of the city, but still needs to take two buses to get there from her home.

And, if she wants to go there or anywhere else on a Sunday, the bus is not an option.

Pirie can't drive because of a health issue, so her only affordable option to get around is Fredericton Transit. She is one of many people who suffer from the lack of any Sunday service and limited routes.

Pirie, who is a personal support worker, said she can't take any shifts on Sundays because the buses don't run, and the alternative is a 30-minute walk in sometimes frigid weather, or a taxi ride that takes a big chunk off her pay for the day.

Luciano Pelarella, a south-side resident who is a newcomer to Canada from Argentina, works on Hanwell Road and said the only reason he's able to work on Sundays is because the restaurant management company he works for hires a driver to take him to and from work. Last week, the driver's car got stuck in snow, so Pelarella spent $35 in cab fare to get to work.

Pirie said she she is surprised to hear Pelarella's company is helping him get to work. In her experience, this is not the usual case.

"A lot of employers will be like, 'you need to get here, however you get here, you get here,'" Pirie said. "If they want staff there and they're not willing to pay, then they're just going to schedule them and say 'if you can't come on Sundays then go find another job.'"

David Kilfoil, who said he's lucky enough to be able to walk to work at the University of New Brunswick from his Skyline Acres home, is mostly unable to do any shopping, socializing or traveling on Sundays because of the lack of bus service.

"Lots of other municipalities do it, I'm not sure why Fredericton doesn't do it," he said. "It doesn't have to be a full schedule."

The three Fredericton residents all said they appreciate the cleanliness of the buses, and drivers who sometimes go out of their way to help. However, the way the system is set up now limits their options.

Transit overhaul coming

Last year, Charlene Sharpe, manager of transit and parking services with the City of Fredericton, said the department is working on a transit overhaul, but Sunday service probably won't be a possibility until 2024.

In a response for a request for interview with Sharpe, city spokesperson Wayne Knorr said she will be available next week during a media briefing about new transit technology. He sent along a statement from Sharpe instead, in which she said staff have been working hard to improve the system.

"We take the concerns of our customers very seriously and it is our goal to ensure they get where they need to go in a safe and timely manner," Sharpe said in the statement. "We are looking forward to announcing these new technology changes next week, which will be sure to improve the customer experience."

Sharpe's statement did not address Sunday service specifically.

She has said previously that adopting new devices and software to help track ridership and schedule bus routes is a top priority.