Here's some pictures along Nova Scotia's TCH 106, the link between the mainline TCH 104 and the Prince Edward Island Ferry Terminal at Caribou, NS. The 7 KMs of TCH 106 between the Pictou Rotary and the Ferry Terminal probably has one of the lowest AADT of any section of the Trans Canada Highway. The Ferries begin running on May 1st and operate until December......the rest of the year it's essentially a dead end road with local traffic only.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDj2doNEI/AAAAAAAAEj4/GcYBLEGW7hk/s800/DSC04046.JPG)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDfvVSweI/AAAAAAAAEjk/cOnEP-ATdKc/s800/DSC04033.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDk5fcnYI/AAAAAAAAEj8/GH5DWBP-HLo/s800/DSC04047.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDlhirbXI/AAAAAAAAEkA/-5jdRgvFG6A/s800/DSC04049.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDiU1Vw3I/AAAAAAAAEjw/vaUJqIj9d7I/s800/DSC04039.JPG)
The Ferries are being readied now for their return to service but the parking areas are vacant.......come back in the Summer months and the lots will be overflowing. You can take the ferry over the 23 km to PEI for Free but it will cost you $69 to return......or come back on the Confederation Bridge for only $43.25.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDjMFO5gI/AAAAAAAAEj0/VACCKpwbLVI/s800/DSC04042.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDgGjLCcI/AAAAAAAAEjo/3HkkfYDju40/s800/DSC04036.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/S9NDg5aS9jI/AAAAAAAAEjs/SnIShQHA0q8/s800/DSC04038.JPG)
One of those 'A's stands for average. So if there's another segment with less than half the weekly traffic that this gets when the ferries run, it doesn't have the lowest AADT.
I'm more intrigued by what appears to be a dual km/mi sign in the first photo, given that this ferry doesn't cross an international border.
I like how the word "to" is made up to be a shield. :-D
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 25, 2011, 12:56:48 PM
I like how the word "to" is made up to be a shield. :-D
NS always does that.
Do you have larger versions of these pics?
I'm curious how much traffic has fallen off on the ferries since the Confederation Bridge was built.
Clearly, I see the need for the ferries for locals - the distance between each end of the island is a considerable distance. But certainly the bridge now carries the lion's share of traffic to and from PEI, no?
Quote from: JREwing78 on March 26, 2011, 07:43:02 PM
I'm curious how much traffic has fallen off on the ferries since the Confederation Bridge was built.
Clearly, I see the need for the ferries for locals - the distance between each end of the island is a considerable distance. But certainly the bridge now carries the lion's share of traffic to and from PEI, no?
Not by any means. The bridge serves people to the west, the ferry serves people to the east. The ferry was there first, so some people (especially older people) will just take it because of that. Also, it's free to get on the island either way. I wonder if there's a traffic imbalance now, where more people use the ferry to get to PEI and the bridge to get back. I worked my trip that way to save $20.
Ferry traffic is down a bit as drivers prefer to travel on their own schedule.......a trip between Halifax and Charlottetown is about the same time-wise either via the bridge or ferry but mileage is shorter via the ferry.
The ferry is heavily promoted to tourists as an option to "loop" through the island and continue on to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. Living in eastern NS, I would take the ferry......the bridge is just too far out of my way. Besides, a trip to the island beaches in summer just wouldn't be the same without the ferry ride!
There is some commercial trucking using the ferry but most use the bridge as this is the direct route from central Canada. Even before the bridge opened, most trucks used the CN (later Marine Atlantic) Ferry route which the bridge replaced. This was a year-round 24/7 operation unlike the NFL Ferries. The Canadian National Ferries even carried trains to the island until 1989.