What is Happening with Public Transit in Halifax: A Brief Primer
We may be in the midst of an election, but Halifax already has a transit plan.
Although the leading candidates have some different ideas on how to solve the city’s public transit problem (read more here), there is a devised blueprint in place.
The plan is called the Rapid Transit Strategy and it promises faster, better-connected, more frequent and easier-to-use transit service.
We did the research so you don’t have to. Here’s what we found about Halifax’s — and the HRM’s — transit plan.
BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) LINES
According to the municipality’s website, the Rapid Transit Strategy involves instituting four Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines that will operate every ten minutes and be in walking distance of 120,000 residents.
Right now, the timeline on these BRT lines is 7-8 years, so hopefully they get things rolling soon.
The planned purple line will run from Dartmouth Crossing over the bridge, through the north end of Halifax to Dunbrock, where it will curve up and and then finish at Larry Uteck.
The planned green line will curve from Lacewood on the west end of the city to Robie, where it will follow a straight path until it concludes at Saint Mary’s.
The planned red line begins at Dalhousie, heads across Spring Garden and then up Barrington towards the bridge, then crosses to Dartmouth and eventually ends up in Portland Hills.
The planned yellow line starts in Greystone, follows Herring Cove to Mumford, and then takes some turns through the city along Connaught, Quinpool, and Spring Garden before it ends in Scotia Square.
FERRY ROUTES
There are also three proposed ferry routes in the Rapid Transit Strategy, which will connect downtown Halifax with new terminals in Mill Cove (Bedford), Larry Uteck, and Shannon Park (Dartmouth).
These routes will, according to the plan, provide reliable service to downtown Halifax with faster travel times than could be achieved via vehicle or bus.
New electric ferries with a 150-passenger capacity are expected for these new routes.
For the Shannon Park ferry, travel time is expected to be 10 minutes.
The Mill Cove ferry aims to take 18 minutes.
Finally, the Larry Uteck ferry promises 16 minute travel times.
Instituting the ferry routes will be done in phases, with Phase One getting the Mill Cove Ferry Service operating. It is a partnership between the municipality, the province, and the federal government.
These ferries sound pretty all right, so hopefully we see them sooner rather than later.
OTHER PROJECTS
In addition to these BRT and ferry routes, the municipality has a few other projects in the works.
One of them, the Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project, aims to redesign the intersection of Bedford Highway, Windsor Street, and Lady Hammond Road. The goal is to begin construction in 2025.
Another, the Hornes Bridge replacement project, is — you guessed it — overseeing the replacement of the bridge between Cow Bay Road and Caldwell Road. It is currently closed and will be until November when the replacement should be complete.
There’s no question with the influx of new residents and a fast growing population that the HRM needs more public transit. In fact, this was the number one issue for voters in the mayoral election.
Here’s to hoping the Rapid Transit Strategy gets the municipality moving.
All data and information listed here can be found at the municipality’s website here:
Lead Photo: Pramod Tiwari. Map and Ferry graphics/images courtesy of Halifax.ca