PEI·NewP.E.I. saw a jump in the number of vehicles travelling to and from the Island across the Confederation Bridge and by ferry in August, according to the province’s tourism indicators.Vehicle traffic spiked by 25% compared to August 2024, while air travel fell by 16%Brittany Spencer · CBC News · Posted: Oct 01, 2025 10:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoThe toll to cross the Confederation Bridge between P.E.I. and New Brunswick dropped to $20 from $50.25 as of Aug. 1. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)P.E.I. saw a jump in the number of vehicles travelling to and from the Island across the Confederation Bridge and by ferry in August, according to the province’s tourism indicators.The data, published by Tourism P.E.I. last week, shows the number of vehicles leaving by ferry to Nova Scotia or across the bridge to New Brunswick was up 25 per cent compared to the same month in 2024.Visitors travelling to the province on cruise ships also increased by about three per cent over last August, while the number of people travelling by air fell by nearly 16 per cent. The spike in bridge and ferry traffic happened after the federal government’s cut to the tolls, which came into effect Aug. 1. The announcement reduced the cost to cross the bridge to $20 from $50.25, while rates to use the Northumberland Strait ferry service dropped by 50 per cent. “This was one of those trade impediments Prime Minister Mark Carney has talked about, trying to break down those barriers [and] this was one of the biggest ones,” said P.E.I. Tourism Minister Zack Bell. He added the lower fees at P.E.I.’s points of entry likely reduced cost barriers for travellers from neighbouring provinces who hadn’t thought to visit in the past.Ottawa lowered the cost for passengers travelling by ferry between the Island and New Brunswick by 50 per cent earlier this year. (Carolyn Ryan/CBC)”Any little bit that can help bring people to P.E.I., we’re in favour of that. I know it’s a huge boom for our industries that are trying to get their products off P.E.I.”Bell said final tourism numbers for August haven’t been released yet, but he looks forward to better understanding how this change has affected operators and businesses on the Island. He acknowledged that the toll cuts could also encourage more Islanders to leave for trips and shopping in other provinces, but he said the benefits associated with reduced fees far outweigh those costs. “I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”ABOUT THE AUTHORBrittany Spencer is a multi-platform reporter and producer with CBC Prince Edward Island. She’s covered politics, health care and the justice system. She’s a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s journalism program and joined CBC in 2017. You can reach her at brittany.spencer@cbc.caWith files from Wayne Thibodeau
Traffic on Confederation Bridge, N.S.-P.E.I. ferry jumped in August after toll reductions
