Residents in East Royalty, Stratford and Cornwall will have access to more public transit options beginning next week as part of the 2025 expansion of T3 Transit services, which will grow the system overall to meet increasing demand.
Stratford and Cornwall are each adding an additional four hours of off-peak transit service per weekday in their towns, which will help residents to complete errands during the day, including trips within the municipalities, as well as continuing to provide connections into Charlottetown for work, appointments and other travel.
In Charlottetown, the major improvement is to Route 10, known as the East Royalty Shuttle, which will be rerouted and renamed the East Royalty Collector. Beginning August 25, service in East Royalty will increase to 11 departures each weekday from the current three.
The route will run as a loop that circulates in one direction in the mornings, and the other direction in the afternoons, to avoid delays due to peak-hour congestion on St Peter’s Road. In the mornings, the new Route 10 will start from the firehall opposite the Sherwood Business Centre, travelling north to East Royalty, including Rilla Road.
At the fourth highway roundabout, the bus will turn left to collect local residents in a loop of MacWilliams Road, Splendid Drive, East Royalty Road and St Peter’s Road, before turning right at Mel’s gas station, stopping at the Malcolm J. Darrach Community Centre, then travelling north on MacRae Drive and south on Norwood Road. The route then crosses the bypass highway to connect with Oak Drive, from where it turns south on Brackley Point Road, returning to the St Peter’s Road Firehall terminal.
Bus schedules are timed to enable East Royalty transit riders to make easy transfers to other routes at the Sherwood Business Centre, connecting to downtown, UPEI, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Royalty Crossing Mall and beyond.
Other service enhancements in Charlottetown include:
• Additional shuttle service has been added during morning and afternoon peak hours to support Route 2 where it serves West Royalty. Schedules remain the same, but riders may need to transfer to reach their destination.
• Route 23 will no longer travel the Norwood Road-Robin Avenue loop and will not visit the Sherwood Business Centre directly at peak hours. This is due to overlap with the new Route 10 and will speed up the Route 23 service by making it more direct.
• Route 3 has been redirected up the internal UPEI road since mid-July to more directly serve the Atlantic Veterinary College, the Mount, the CARI and the UPEI Medical School. This change is now being made permanent.
New schedules and route maps are available on
t3transit.ca, and transit directions can be easily found via smartphone apps like Google or Apple maps, or the Transit app.
QUOTES:
“Expanding public transit isn’t just about moving people – it’s about connecting communities, creating opportunities and building a more accessible, sustainable future for everyone.” – Trevor MacKinnon, City of Charlottetown’s Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee.
“The change to Route 10 is great news for the East Royalty community. This will make it easier for young people – especially UPEI and Holland College students – as well as older adults who don’t drive or own a car. It’s a big service upgrade that means residents will have better access to reliable public transit."
– Charlottetown Ward 9 Councillor Julie McCabe.
“Increasing Route 10 gives families, workers and newcomers more options to get where they need to go, without always relying on a car. This is about making daily life a little easier and helping our community grow in a smart, connected way.” – Charlottetown Ward 10 Councillor Terry Bernard.
“We are pleased to support our growing community with a more focused transit service model operating within the community, while continuing to service those wishing to connect into the system in Charlottetown with the ability to do so. Access to reliable transportation helps reduce social inequities and improve overall quality of life. This is a great addition for youth, seniors, newcomers and anyone else looking to rely less on personal vehicles.” – Stratford Councillor Jill Chandler, Chair of Sustainability.
“Investing in public transit means investing in people and a more connected Cornwall. Building on our current transit schedule, these added routes will allow residents to travel within the Town to take advantage of Town amenities and activities.” – Cornwall Mayor Minerva McCourt