City Hall · Accountability
A rush job that isn’t ready for prime time.
The City wants construction to begin in November—even though it admits the final service-bay requirements may not be known for several months.
The Mount Edward Road transit and Maritime Bus property.
The City of Charlottetown is moving quickly to renovate and expand the former Maritime Bus property at 5 and 7 Mount Edward Road. The plan includes one new bay for a public transit bus and another for a charter bus. But the City does not own or operate motor coaches. Its request for proposals does not explain who will use that charter-bus bay, who will pay for it or why Charlottetown taxpayers should build it.
“Why is the City rushing to tender and begin construction when it does not even know the final requirements? This feels like an eleventh-hour attempt to jam through a project that is not ready for prime time.”Daniel Mullen
The City’s own timetable
Consultant proposals close
Consulting contract scheduled to be awarded
Class C cost estimate due
First construction tender package due
Construction intended to begin
Remarkably, the City acknowledges that the detailed requirements for the proposed new service bays have not yet been finalized and may not be available for several months. Nevertheless, it intends to select a consultant by September 29, obtain a Class C cost estimate by October 20 and have the first tender package ready by October 30, with construction beginning in November.
What taxpayers have not been told
- What will the complete project cost?
- Who will use the charter-bus service bay?
- What will Maritime Bus or another private operator contribute?
- What rent or service fees will the City receive?
- Why was the expansion selected before the requirements were finalized?
- How does this fit with fleet growth and full bus electrification?
- What will the required environmental assessment find?
- Were alternative depot sites and configurations considered?
Repair what is necessary. Pause the unexplained expansion.
Necessary fire-safety, accessibility and building-preservation work should proceed. But those repairs must not be used to quietly commit Charlottetown to a multi-year expansion serving a private motor-coach operation.
Before the project goes further, Council should hold a public discussion supported by a complete business case, capital estimate and proposed operating agreement.