City Beach Express will ride again this summer
Creating jobs for Islanders -
The City Beach Express was vital in helping Damien Ryan get to his job at Sandspit Amusement Park last summer.
The Charlottetown-Cavendish bus service will again transport visitors and Islanders like Ryan during the 2018 tourism season. It is supported by the provincial government, industry partners, Tourism Cavendish Beach, Discover Charlottetown, and the Resort Municipality.
“The City Beach Express not only allowed me to take a job in Cavendish, but it helped me get to work on days I did not have a drive and it saved me money,” Ryan said. “I would not have had a reliable means to travel to Cavendish every day without this service, so I’d recommend it to anyone who lives near Charlottetown who’s interested in working in Cavendish for the summer.”
This will be the second year of a two-year pilot project that saw over 500 paid fares during the 2017 season. The provincial government will invest a total of $35,000 from the departments of Economic Development and Tourism and Workforce and Advanced Learning.
“By supporting this service we reduce travel costs for workers who might not otherwise take a job in the area,” Economic Development and Tourism Minister Chris Palmer said, “and we provide another option for visitors traveling without a vehicle who’d like to see more of the Island.”
“This is an excellent service that not only helps fill labour needs for operators in Cavendish but gives Islanders without reliable transportation more options for employment,” Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Sonny Gallant said.
Additional support for the service comes from Tourism Cavendish Beach, industry partners, the Resort Municipality, and Discover Charlottetown, which will provide $5,000 each. Coach Atlantic will operate the service and is working with Discover Charlottetown and Tourism Cavendish Beach on the development of packages for visitors.
“The City Beach Express has been a very important project for us and the support it provides our industry,” Tourism Cavendish Beach chair Kevin Champion said. “We are so pleased with the project’s success in its inaugural season and we appreciate the continued support of our partners and look forward to continued success in 2018.”
“The Resort Municipality is pleased to support this important initiative, which helps connect the growing businesses in our community with the workers that they require – while also providing convenient options for visitors as well,” Resort Municipality chair Matthew Jelly said.
"Discover Charlottetown is excited to partner in this initiative that encourages people to see more of the Island in a unique way,” chair of Discover Charlottetown Lee Drake said. "Cavendish has been a great partner and we are excited about some new product development ideas surrounding the City Beach Express to be launched in summer 2018."
The City Beach Express schedule is timed so workers can make morning and evening shifts and have transportation home. There are a number of pick-up and drop off locations on the north shore and in Charlottetown to provide greater options for travelers.
A round trip costs $25 while workers from sponsoring businesses pay $10.
Media contact:
Andrew Sprague
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
asgsprague@gov.pe.ca