A new summer daytime shuttle service is planned for the Kennebecasis Valley.
Rothesay council approved spending up to $62,500 during its monthly meeting this week.
Councillors in Quispamsis are expected to consider a similar funding request in the near future.
The shuttle would operate seven days a week and serve recreation and shopping destinations, with connections to the Comex bus service.
“I think this is going to be a great addition to our area. I’m really happy about it,” Coun. Tiffany Mackay French said ahead of the council’s vote on Tuesday night.
Mackay French said she is really looking forward to seeing what the stops will be in the two communities.
CAO Brett McLean said they are still finalizing the list of stops, which will come back to council for approval.
“The idea was about five stops in each community, and the shuttle will circulate around to them,” said McLean.
“The plan is to hit the high points and align with the Comex schedule, so if people did want to grab our shuttle to get Comex to go into town and spend the day and then be able to catch the shuttle at our Comex stops in the evening.”
McLean said they still need to put out a request for proposals to get a driver and a mini-bus for the service.
The CAO added that staff from both towns broached the idea with the Fundy Regional Service Commission (FRSC) to try and get funding as a regional transportation pilot project.
“The FRSC was interested in the idea and convened meetings with Saint John Transit to explore the possibility,” McLean wrote in a staff report.
“It became clear to staff that providing the daytime shuttle service through such a partnership with FRSC and Saint John Transit would be much more complex than originally anticipated and would also be extremely costly.”
The service is expected to launch in June and run until September.
