Speaking of Traffic

I welcome opinions from The Readership on the best way, in your considered opinion, of driving from downtown Charlottetown to the Charlottetown Airport.

I usually take a taxi to the airport, or get a drive from a friend, and I find there are very strong opinions about the proper route to take: some prefer the “Grafton to Riverside Drive out past the QEH” route, others the “Grafton to Kent to Longworth to Mount Edward Road and out past the Do-it Centre” route and still others the “University Avenue to the Charlottetown Mall, on to Rte. 2 and past Sherwood Volkwagen” route.

Something tells me you readers will not hesitate to set me straight.

Comments

dr's picture
dr on November 27, 2002 - 03:08 Permalink

I go to the airport at least 4 times per week.

I go down University and take a right where the SMT station used to be… then take my first left… then take a right when you reach the sobey and go past the new Schurmans… then take a left on Mt. Edward Road and go all the way to the by-pass… take a right onto the by-pass and finally take your first left by Action Auto… then take your right to the airport. This may seem like a lot of turns, but there is very little traffic.

Ritchie Simpson's picture
Ritchie Simpson on November 27, 2002 - 13:13 Permalink

Up Euston or Weymouth to Longworth Ave, out Longworth to Mt Edward Rd.,straight out Mt Edward to the Sherwood Rd., then turn right to the Airport, assuming you can make it across the Intersection of Death on Brackley Pt Rd you’re home free. There are only 5 lights from Ken’s Korner to the airport, if you take the Riverside Dr., route you have 7 lights from the bridge to the Airport (on the so-called BY-PASS)and why would anyone willingly take University Ave except to get to the Dairy Queen?

Ritchie Simpson's picture
Ritchie Simpson on November 27, 2002 - 13:16 Permalink

…or you could go out Upper Queen St. to Belevedere, across Belvedere to the Mt. Edward Rd., and so on from there.

RobL's picture
RobL on November 27, 2002 - 13:34 Permalink

Depends on your definition of ‘Downtown’. If we’re confined to the downtown as defined by the heritage board, the choices are limited. But, from my “downtown” location, the best way to the airport is: Brighton Rd. to North River Rd. North on North River / Lower Malpeque to Sherwood Rd. Take a right and go straight to airport. Very simple, and if the time of day is favourable for traffic, it’s the quickest.

dave moses's picture
dave moses on November 27, 2002 - 14:52 Permalink

get to the bypass and hang a north.

Alan's picture
Alan on November 27, 2002 - 15:28 Permalink

I drove past the airport twice a day for years heading to hte Peaks areas and I have to agree with Dave. Go the BiHi.

dave moses's picture
dave moses on November 27, 2002 - 15:45 Permalink

get to the bypass and hang a north.

Ritchie Simpson's picture
Ritchie Simpson on November 27, 2002 - 15:55 Permalink

BiHi gets you to Halifax Airport, but that may be as fast a route to get to Peakes. There way too many lights on the ByPass.

Andrew Chisholm's picture
Andrew Chisholm on November 27, 2002 - 16:01 Permalink

From downtown get into Longworth and keep going straight, even when it changes over the St.Peters road. Keep going till the set of lights by Leon’s then make a quick left then right and head north on Breckley Point Road and keep going till you hit the Charlottetown Air Port. You could also take the bypass… err that street with all the stop lights and it goes around the city.

Alan's picture
Alan on November 27, 2002 - 16:05 Permalink

BiHi is too good a name to not use. Bypass is surgery.

Derek's picture
Derek on November 27, 2002 - 16:28 Permalink

I’m with Andrew on this. Pretty much a straight line. There are a couple of lights, but sometimes lights are better than no lights. One of the great benefits of unmetered cabs here is not having to get upset about routing. Now if only the cab drivers would let me get my seat belt on before they pull into traffic…

Derek's picture
Derek on November 27, 2002 - 16:30 Permalink

I’m with Andrew on this. Pretty much a straight line. There are a couple of lights, but sometimes lights are better than no lights. One of the great benefits of unmetered cabs here is not having to get upset about routing. Now if only the cab drivers would let me get my seat belt on before they pull into traffic…

Rob MacD's picture
Rob MacD on November 27, 2002 - 19:30 Permalink

As someone who drives into town from Winsloe every day, I

John's picture
John on November 28, 2002 - 02:06 Permalink

bypass would be the way i take

Tax(i)Man's picture
Tax(i)Man on November 28, 2002 - 03:52 Permalink

Though Charlottetown’s street grid — or lack thereof — offers an almost limitless number of options to journey from downtown to airport, surely the effort to discover the fastest route is purely academic considering how close the airport is, and how minor (U. Ave below Belvedere excluded)our traffic really is. I would be surprised if any magical route saved more than a minute. Presuming a professional driver and six trips a DAY, you wouldn’t even squeeze another fare out of it. Toronto, Dorval…now there’s where route and timing can make all the difference…or consider the extreme — Narita Airport serving Tokyo…66 km from tarmac to city, cab = 300.00 Cdn. Ouch.

Andrew Chisholm's picture
Andrew Chisholm on November 28, 2002 - 14:05 Permalink

Tax(i)Man, we are certainly blessed to have our air port located 15 minutes away from our downtown. Although I have only been in the Charlottetown Air Port once, I’m sure one day I’ll be able to afford a trip out of Charlottetown.