Live bus routes for Charlottetown are coming to your phone

T3 Transit launched free WiFi on all its buses Thursday, and announced live maps for the system would be launched before the end of February.

T3 owner Mike Cassidy said the ReadyPass app will allow users to see "the little icon of a bus on your street so you know when your bus will be arriving."

It's already being tested on a couple of buses. Cassidy expects it to be ready for public use by the end of the month.

The ReadyPass app was developed by a Fredericton company and is used by Fredericton Transit.

Cassidy said T3 chose ReadyPass for its combination of features and affordability. He expects the app will significantly improve rider experience.

"There's always a little bit of anxiety when you're waiting at a bus stop. Is the bus going to be here, will it be here on time? So now, with this ReadyPass app you'll just be able to download and it will be right on your phone," he said.

"You can actually see the bus icon moving its way towards you and picking you up at your stop."

$340K in improvements

T3 also launched a new, mobile-friendly website, and is currently building 27 new bus shelters.

Cassidy said the improvementS cost about $340,000.

Funding for the projects came from the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, with money from all three levels of government. The federal government provided half, the province a quarter, and the rest came from the three municipalities served by T3: Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall.

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