Pilot study: 2024

The Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network (NSCTN) is working with transit providers in Antigonish, Bridgewater, and Pictou County to improve bus service in each community.

In 2024, NSCTN administered a pilot study to develop recommendations and a budget for each transit provider. The recommendations were developed through a comprehensive process, including background research and analysis, community engagement, and collaboration with transit providers and municipal partners in each community.

A summary of the key findings and recommendations from this study is available here.

Pilot project implementation: 2025-2028

Recognizing the critical role of transit in rural communities, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy has allocated $350,000 of funding annually for bus service improvements in Antigonish, Bridgewater, and Pictou County over three years. The changes aim to increase ridership, efficiency, and access to transit by improving route design, operations, information and communications, and more.

The recommendations from the pilot study will be implemented by each transit provider, in coordination with NSCTN and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy, annually from 2025 to 2028. Service improvements will be funded through both provincial and municipal contributions.

Regular reporting and metrics tracking will ensure that each community can evaluate the success of the pilot program interventions and collect data to inform future changes

Frequently asked questions

What is the Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network?

The Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network (NSCTN) is a non-profit that advocates and supports community-based transportation in Nova Scotia. Within the community transportation sector in Nova Scotia, we act as a hub for providers, funders, clients, and supporters. Out of this hub we offer information sharing, education, advocacy, innovation, and support new and existing providers within the community transportation sector. We are working to build a strong integrated community transportation sector across rural Nova Scotia.
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How will this project impact trips by transit in my community?

This 2024 pilot study developed a budget and recommendations for service improvements for transit routes in Antigonish, Bridgewater, and Pictou County. The recommendations are planned for 2025 to 2028, with a phased approach to implementation. Download the pilot study recommendations summary to see the proposed changes for each community.

The service changes aim to make it easier, more convenient, and more efficient for you to take transit to meet daily needs—for example, travelling to work, school, the grocery store, or to visit friends.

The recommendations include changes to improve:

• Hours of operation and weekend service
• Accessibility of buses and transit stops
• Transit information, including improved maps and communications
• Bus frequency
• Route design

What are the goals of this project?

The project aims to identify and implement changes that will make transit more accessible, efficient, and convenient to as many people as possible. By doing so, we aim to increase the number of people who ride transit and decrease car usage. Throughout the course of the project, we aim to collect detailed data to track the success of each recommendation and refine service improvements as needed.

What transit routes are included in this project?
This project includes transit service and routes operated by:

• Antigonish Community Transit
• Bridgewater Transit
• Pictou County Transit (both the main route and expansion route)

Future phases of this project may consider additional routes in other communities.