Saint John Transit delivers an essential public service for Saint Johners to get to work, school, medical appointments, access services, shop, attend events and programs, and see friends and family across our beautiful city.
On October 2, 2022, riders using Saint John Transit will see several service additions as the Transforming Transit project begins.
The project is the implementation of “The Stantec Report,” a comprehensive study of the transit system in the City. Changes have been designed to enable the service to operate sustainably, better serve current riders, attract new riders, adopt new technology and introduce industry and system standards.
Operating using guiding principles established by the Saint John Transit Commission, the project will be implemented in several phases. Phases are being developed in consideration of driver and vehicle availability and other needed project requirements such as technology.
Phase 1 enhancements include:
Changes to direction designators on Routes 1, 3, 9 and 15
One of the guiding principles of the Transforming Transit project is accessibility. Feedback from the community indicated that some riders had difficulty distinguishing between “A” and “B” on the electronic bus displays. Feedback also indicated the those unfamiliar with Saint John had no way of knowing what direction the bus was travelling in using “A” and “B.”
“A” and “B” route directions will be replaced by designators indicating the direction the bus is travelling in.
• E East/est
• W West/ouest
• S South/sud
• North/nord
Route 9 N Regional UNB/Churchill Blvd. service will begin earlier
The bus will leave from McAllister Place at 6:05 am with service to UNB and the Saint John Regional Hospital by 6:45 am, returning to McAllister Place at 7:25 am.
This is one of the busiest lines in the City. This service now begins 3.5 hours earlier and ends 1 hour later and will better serve the hospital, UNB Saint John and the City’s east side retail corridor.
Route 9 will continue to operate on weekdays only.
Increased frequency on Route 15 Harbour Bridge
Riders on Route 15 will see an increase of service from every hour to every half hour during peak hours. Route 15 S service from the Lancaster Mall will begin at 6:45 am instead of 7:15 am. Frequency will be at half an hour until 6:45 pm. 15 W will make its last trip to Lancaster Mall from Kings Square at 9:45 pm. The last bus from Lancaster Mall will leave for Kings Square at 10:15 pm.
There will be no changes to weekend and holiday service on Route 15 in this phase.
Increased weekday frequency on common stops on Route 3 and Route 9
Increased service on Route 9 will mean that common stops on both lines will receive 15- minute service until 6 pm. This increases the frequency at the these stops from half an hour. Route 3 is the most used route in the City.
There will be no changes to weekend and holiday service on Route 3 in this phase.
The new year will see the next additions in the Transforming Transit project. This will include:
- Increased frequency on Route 1,
- The introduction of FLEX, on-demand service which will replace traditional fixed route service in low ridership areas using 20-foot electric Jest buses,
- The introduction of TRANSIT APP which will provide integrated trip planning,
- Improved schedule information,
- Improved signage,
- Electronic fare options,
- Addition of shelters and amenities at bus stops,
- Automated voice announcements,
- Community outreach.
Updated schedules for Routes 9 and 15 will be available on October 2 on www.saintjohn.
Use our Transit Route Finder to plan your trip (scroll to the bottom).
Further project details can be found on Shape Your City Saint John.