Alyssa Mosher – The Aquinian –
After six months of uncertainty, the Acadian Lines bus terminal has found a permanent home off Hanwell Drive on the newly development Woodside Lane.
Last October, the bus station moved from its original location on the corner of Regent Street and King’s Street to a temporary location at 85 Hubbard Road. According to an email sent out to passengers who order tickets online, the new location will be “comfortable, convenient and decidedly modern.”
Manon Piché, Vice-President Marketing and Strategic Development of Groupe Orleans Express, owner of Acadian Lines, said it was because the landlord was “unable to meet our needs.”
The parking lot was also considered unsafe and disorganized, as the terminal sat on one of the city’s busiest streets.
But while Hubbard Road–which sits on the far side of the Fredericton Railway Bridge– wasn’t as busy as Regent Street, the terminal lost its central convenience.
As of June 26, Acadian Lines Fredericton has an organized parking lot.
There are four specific parking spots for buses tucked away on the side of the building at the new Woodside Lane location. There are also three reserved spots for taxis, three specified as express or drop-off spots, as well as six spots in front of the building shared with United Rentals.
Both previous bus terminal locations had paint-chipped, gum-ridden chairs for waiting passengers. The vending machines hummed extra loudly and the floor was a permanent greyish-white.
Although one wall still needs trim and paint and the signs on the bathrooms doors are only pieces of white paper, the inside of 150 Woodside Lane has the new smell of a Canadian Tire. There are 24 shiny red seats for passengers and three brand new vending machines.
The lawn in front of the building is also nicely groomed, trimmed to a perfect two inches.
To avoid as much walking as possible, students travelling from St. Thomas University or the University of New Brunswick to the Acadian Lines bus terminal will have to take the 11 Carlisle bus to King’s Place. From there, the 15 Hanwell Park bus will stop right in front of 150 Woodside Lane.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a bus that will take passengers from the terminal back into the city.
