Council Meeting Feb.21/2023: Free Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Service Launching in Town of Saint Andrews, NB

A hop-on, hop-off free bus service will launch in St. Andrews this summer spear-headed by the Huntsman Marine Science Centre. At a town council meeting at the WC O'Neill Arena on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, Huntsman Executive Director Chris Bridger told council that his organization is enthusiastic about launching the bus service in the hopes of bringing more tourists to the Fundy Discovery Aquarium, which is located three kilometres away from the historic downtown core of St. Andrews on Water Street.

The Huntsman Marine Science Centre owns an 11-person bus that it will use to launch this free transportation service that will run in the town's busiest months, July and August. The bus will operate between 12pm and 5pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Huntsman is partnering with other local organizations equally interested in facilitating the visitor experience to the town. The bus will make six stops on a loop, starting at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre/Fundy Aquarium and also stopping at the intersection of Queen and King Street, Kingsbrae Garden, the Algonquin Hotel, the Welcome Centre at the WC O'Neill Arena, and the Kiwanis Oceanfront Campground. 

St. Andrews Town Council voted unanimously in favour of supporting the pilot project by supplying signage throughout town for the bus stops. Council voiced their eagerness for the project and their hopes for the service to expand in the future. As parking becomes more and more of an issue in the busy summer months, the bus service could eventually offer an alternative to driving and parking in the downtown.