Halifax Transit

[Keith P.]

They can run buses to goddam Porters Lake, but are unable to cope with a scheduled event in the downtown. Last night's Parade of Lights was a transit disaster. Lineups to get on the ferry stretched for blocks, and Transit made no attempt to adjust service to carry the load. On buses there were reports of 90-minute waits. This is unacceptable. The event is scheduled well in advance in conjunction with HRM. It is no secret that many people attending use Transit to get to and from the event. How can MT drop the ball so badly? This is beyond ridiculous, and it is no wonder that anything to do with MT carries such a stigma in this town. Widen the roads and shut down the place!!

(That last sentence is only partially in jest. But MT needs to be blown up and restructured, because they cannot seem to ever provide good service.)

[alps]

Yeah, I think it's a shame people don't demand better of Metro Transit. I'm continually amazed at the level of transit service here in Hong Kong, that something like a three hour delay (http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr10-11/english/panels/tp/tp_rdp/papers/tp_rdp1104cb1-277-2-e.pdf) on a subway line with several alternatives is an unprecedented calamity, and the transit operator is made to answer for it. During big events there seems to be a lot of cooperation between transport agencies, the police, and organizers...everything seems so well-run. Dunno anything about the workings of Metro Transit but it seems like we could use more pride in providing a reliable service...

[someone123]

(That last sentence is only partially in jest. But MT needs to be blown up and restructured, because they cannot seem to ever provide good service.)

Is there any real incentive for MT's management to provide good service to the city? Apparently their salaries are not public record (http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2012/02/01/metro-transit-manager-wont-reveal-his-own-pay-or-raises) and most of the decisions made seem to be ad hoc and based on piecemeal council decisions. It doesn't seem like a good setup at all.

Here in the Vancouver area there is a transit authority responsible for transit and bridges. They are not perfect, but they seem constantly focused on building new improvements and they manage to get a steady stream of provincial and federal dollars.

[Keith P.]

Here in the Vancouver area there is a transit authority responsible for transit and bridges. They are not perfect, but they seem constantly focused on building new improvements and they manage to get a steady stream of provincial and federal dollars.

That kind of structure means that there wouldn't be bus service in places like Porters Lake, since only politicians would be pushing for something that makes so little sense. So I doubt we will ever see that here.

And the inability of MT to offer anything even approaching DECENT (not good, just decent) service makes me view the calls for light rail or streetcars or whatever the transportation flavor of the day may be as just more money down the drain, since they would run it and they cannot run anything well.

[halifaxboyns]

I read some of the comments in the Coast article that Someone123 posted - I don't know if posting the salary of directors and managers is necessarily part of the solution and I don't say that easily as I'm a union member but thanks to OT and a our high pay, I'd likely have to disclose my salary. I think it's deeply personal - but then again, when you are at Director/Manager/General Manager level you are a significant part of the operation of a city.

I agree with Keith - it is incredibly sad when any transit authority fails to provide adequate service for an event such as the parade. Calgary Transit does it without thinking, as does ETS (Edmonton Transit) which impresses me. For a few hours leading up to a hockey/football game, both transit services increase frequency on the lines which service the venues (in Calgary's case the NW/SW line - obviously Edmonton only has the one line for now). They then go back to normal service shortly after the start of the game and leading up to the end and then back up to additional frequency for 2 hours after. It only makes sense! If you are going to promote alternate transportation, public transit should do that without thinking.

[beyeas]

That kind of structure means that there wouldn't be bus service in places like Porters Lake, since only politicians would be pushing for something that makes so little sense. So I doubt we will ever see that here.

And the inability of MT to offer anything even approaching DECENT (not good, just decent) service makes me view the calls for light rail or streetcars or whatever the transportation flavor of the day may be as just more money down the drain, since they would run it and they cannot run anything well.

The current MT folk have certainly had more than enough chances to prove that they can get this right, and to my eye have spectacularly failed to do anything other than slowly fall farther and farther behind in meeting the transit needs of the city.

I don't see light rail etc as a flavour of the day, but rather the way of the future (or actually the way of the present in most forward-thinking cities). I do agree though that MT cannot, as currently operated, ever hope to propose little less manage such a system.

I have long argued that, much like the system mentioned by Someone123, that this city needs a transit authority that is vested with the authority to think and act broadly when it comes to transit solutions. The current piecemeal system where each player makes decisions (about new highways, new bridges, new mass transit) as if they exist in a vacuum and don't interact is pure insanity.

[Hali87]

From the original 2006 Regional Plan:

Land use planning and development decisions rest primarily with HRM, but the resulting transportation demands from such activity can have significant impacts on all agencies involved in transportation operations. Discussions between HRM and the Province have resulted in agreement that a strategic committee of key regional transportation stakeholders be created, called the Strategic Joint Regional Transportation Planning Committee, that could deal effectively with coordinating transportation network management and settlement patterns. Road maintenance issues will also be included as part of the mandate for this committee. Through this committee, HRM will coordinate strategic planning of the regional transportation system in support of implementing this Plan. HRM intends to prioritize capital projects and integrate settlement patterns and environmental concerns with transportation planning to create a sustainable region.
It is recognized that a portion of HRM's existing and expanded road network will be part of the provincial and national highway system. Although HRM will participate in the planning of those roadways through the Strategic Joint Regional Transportation Planning Committee, their construction and maintenance will remain the responsibility of the senior levels of government.

T-5 HRM shall establish a Strategic Joint Regional Transportation Planning Committee to implement the transportation aspects of this Plan and for consistent application of maintenance and traffic controls between HRM and the Province. The Committee shall report to the Standing Advisory Committee as per Policy G-1.

It's not entirely clear what happened with this, or whether it was intended to co-ordinate all transportation-related planning or just the municipal and provincial road networks, but you'd think that Metro Transit would be considered a "key transportation stakeholder". The RP also called for a Transportation Master Plan and Public Transportation Functional Plan, neither of which seem to have been written up and neither of which are mentioned in RP+5.

[Spire]

A good editorial in Spacing Atlantic yesterday:

http://spacing.ca/atlantic/2013/12/12/transit-lets-think-beyond-commuting/

[someone123]

Pretty good article. There is an enormous difference between transit that "just works" and transit that works if you carefully check the schedules and if the stars align. It's not just a matter of the technical availability of a bus stop within a certain distance or the travel times if everything works out.

One important piece the article doesn't seem to touch on much is the fact that it's hard to provide high-frequency service to many different neighbourhoods and employment nodes. If you have a system with X neighbourhoods with people who need to get downtown, you need to serve X routes. If you have X neighbourhoods and employment nodes and people need to get between any pair of them then you need X^2 routes and your available budget per route drops. If Halifax becomes a completely decentralized mess like that then good transit service will be very difficult to provide.

There has to be some kind of focus on key areas, even if some employment is elsewhere, and the transit development has to go hand in hand with land use planning so that the city becomes easier to serve over time instead of harder to serve.

In cities with subways and LRT the highrise condos and office buildings tend to go next to the stops. In Halifax it's all a mess because there are no good transit corridors to plan around. Subways are not practical there but there could at least be some streetcar routes around the peninsula that connect up to MetroLink type service for the suburbs, plus maybe commuter rail if that works out. The streetcar/LRT component is important because there has to be a certain level of permanence to the infrastructure if people and businesses are going to pay a premium to locate near it. There's also a big payoff to having more comfortable, quieter transit.

[Spire]

Metro Transit is recommending to council that the upcoming five-year plan be changed into an opportunity to redesign the entire transit network, with a focus on shorter, higher frequency routes:

http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/140108cow4.pdf

Spacing Atlantic has an article which summarizes this development nicely:

http://spacing.ca/atlantic/2014/01/06/transit-first-big-changes-coming-halifax-metro-transit/

This is very exciting: it shows that the public consultations were useful, as the conclusions at the meeting I attended were very much in this vein, and that there's a real appetite among Transit staff for change, which is the sense I get whenever I've talked with them at public meetings, etc. I just hope that Regional Council gets behind this.

[BravoZulu]

Metro Transit is recommending to council that the upcoming five-year plan be changed into an opportunity to redesign the entire transit network, with a focus on shorter, higher frequency routes:

I heard about this on the news last night and all I could think was it's about time. I think it's a fantastic idea and as someone who only uses the bus system from time to time when I'm back home it would be a much more user friendly system. I foresee substantial opposition from people who just want to get on a bus and get off at their destination no matter how long that takes. I'm not sure why, but people in Halifax see scared of a transfer.

[someone123]

I think they're scared of transfers specifically because they're used to unreliable, low-frequency service. Transfers are okay if buses are on 5 minute frequencies but terrible at 30 minute frequencies.

[hfx_chris]

In addition, a lot of it also has to do with where they're being asked to transfer as well. Terminals like Penhorn or Cobequid are not exactly user friendly, where as Portland Hills or Mumford (and the new Bridge terminal) are much easier to use, feel safer and have proper amenities.

But yes, transferring and waiting 25 minutes because you just missed a route that runs 30 minutes is a pain in the ass. Hopefully this would be improved

[IanWatson]

Council okayed Metro Transit going ahead with the new plan!

This is pretty exciting stuff.

[Waye Mason]

http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/903252/starting-over-with-metro-transit-service-to-get-complete-start-from-scratch-overhaul/

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1178366-metro-transit-gets-ok-to-draft-new-plan

[halifaxboyns]

This is good news - but this will need a good public engagement process. I was impressed by what PlanSJ (Saint John) did when they were doing their new Municipal Plan - they had a storefront in downtown that people could come into and talk to staff. Not a new idea, but one thought.

They also sent staff to a variety of festivals and public events, which I think is crucial. Have a booth on the waterfront or at the ferry terminals. Have people at the Farmers Markets and various festivals. Heck, even have a booth at the pride festival. They put a bus in the parade anyway - why not? Anything that is going to get people engaged and providing comment.

[BravoZulu]

Council okayed Metro Transit going ahead with the new plan!

This is pretty exciting stuff.

So happy to hear this is moving forward. There is so much potential for improvement it could really change peoples perception of transit. Imagine going from the south end to the northend and then back but not having to know a bus schedule just that if you got to Robie street that a bus ran every 5-7 mins. All you have to do is hop an east west bus or walk depending on how close you are and hop off near your destination. Same for the return, no worrying about schedules.

In all the time I've taken subways or the metro in Montreal I've never know the schedule, just that if the train pulls out as I walk in another one will be by shortly.

Looking forward to a redesigned and user friendly transit system in Halifax!

[eastcoastal]

In all the time I've taken subways or the metro in Montreal I've never know the schedule, just that if the train pulls out as I walk in another one will be by shortly.

Looking forward to a redesigned and user friendly transit system in Halifax!

Hear hear! A good transit system shouldn't require you to know all the route maps. Obviously, outlying areas would be a little more complex, but there's no reason the peninsula shouldn't be set up to have buses run N-S and E-W (or, their rough equivalents) with transfers in between... if you know where you are, and you know where you're going, you should be able to get there instinctively. I've had it explained to me that getting on a bus in HRM feels like entering a black hole - you're not really sure where you're going to end up on the other side.

[fenwick16]

So happy to hear this is moving forward. There is so much potential for improvement it could really change peoples perception of transit. Imagine going from the south end to the northend and then back but not having to know a bus schedule just that if you got to Robie street that a bus ran every 5-7 mins. All you have to do is hop an east west bus or walk depending on how close you are and hop off near your destination. Same for the return, no worrying about schedules.

In all the time I've taken subways or the metro in Montreal I've never know the schedule, just that if the train pulls out as I walk in another one will be by shortly.

Looking forward to a redesigned and user friendly transit system in Halifax!

Likewise with the TTC subway in Toronto.

I hope that Halifax Transit system will be set up in a similar fashion to the Montreal and Toronto subway systems with high frequency routes of every 5 - 7 minutes. The next step would be to start incorporating some Right of Ways in the system to make it a real Bus Rapid Transit system.

[Dmajackson]

The new Woodside Ferry coming into service this Spring will be named the Christopher Stannix. :)

Winning Name for New Ferry Announced

Monday, January 13, 2014 – Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and Metro Transit are pleased to announce that residents of HRM have voted for the name Christopher Stannix for the new HRM harbour ferry to increase service on the Woodside/Halifax route. The name is awaiting approval from Transport Canada to be proudly displayed on the new ferry when it comes into service in the spring of 2014.

Master Corporal Stannix was a graduate of Auburn Drive High School and attended Saint Mary’s University. In 2001 he enlisted with the Canadian Armed Forces. In April 2007, he was killed when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He was 24 years old.

...

Source : HRM Press Release (http://www.halifax.ca/mediaroom/pressrelease/pr2014/PSA-WinningNameforNewFerryAnnounced.html)

[hfx_chris]

So are we going to name things after them every time somebody dies?

[pblaauw]

I hope they consider renaming the other 3

[scooby074]

With all due respect to Master Corporal Stannix and his sacrifice, I have to wonder if it is the best idea to set this precedent.

I think the name for a vessel like this should not single out one soldier, as in this example, but be more of a general name. By naming it after an individual, it opens the naming up to favoritism or a popularity contest. Others will complain it's not inclusive enough. On and on.

Chebucto II or Scotian II would have been good, non-partisan names previously used in the service's history.. Woodside II would have been better.

[ILoveHalifax]

With all due respect to Master Corporal Stannix and his sacrifice, I have to wonder if it is the best idea to set this precedent.

I think the name for a vessel like this should not single out one soldier, as in this example, but be more of a general name. By naming it after an individual, it opens the naming up to favoritism or a popularity contest. Others will complain it's not inclusive enough. On and on.

Chebucto II or Scotian II would have been good, non-partisan names previously used in the service's history.. Woodside II would have been better.

The way our government likes to get involved in war, we will have to buy a lot of ferries.

[BravoZulu]

The way our government likes to get involved in war, we will have to buy a lot of ferries.

This strikes me as a fairly ignorant comment and with no real benefit to the thread. Was it really necessary?

[hfx_chris]

Chebucto II was my choice right from the start.. I don't really like naming vessels after people, I prefer naming them after places or other things.

[Dmajackson]

Highfield Terminal will be re-opening on Monday (January 20th). Route 52 will be re-routed to service the terminal directly and now it will take Robert Burns to Primrose Street.

http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/highfieldterminalconstruction.html

[Dmajackson]

February 2014 Adjustments. :)

GoTimes Newsletter - February 24th, 2014 (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/February2014GoTimes.pdf)

Route 1 - Trips added & adjusted on Saturdays and Sundays. Two late night trips have been added on Saturday nights (Mum-Br) (last bus arrives at 1:06am). Three early morning trips have been added on Sundays (Mum-Br) (first bus leaves at 5:55am). Sundays 15-min frequency has been extended to 8:10pm (leaving Mum) and 8:46pm (leaving Br).

Route 2 - Early morning trip added on Saturdays (Lacewood-Water) leaving at 5:52am. Added early morning trip on Sundays leaving Lacewood (outbound) at 6:26am and continuing inbound to Water Street afterwards.

Route 4 - New last trip added on Saturdays (outbound) arriving at 1:08am. New first trip added Sundays leaving Lacewood (outbound) at 6:08am and then heading inbound.

Route 7 - New last trip added on Saturdays arriving at Northridge at 12:55am.

Route 9 - New last trip added on Saturdays (southbound) terminating at Scotia Square at 12:23am.

Route 10 - Massive schedule restructuring part of the overhaul plan to increase reliability. Generally speaking frequencies are ; 10 min peak direction, 30 min off-peak weekdays (service until ~1am), 30 min Saturdays (6am-1am), and 60 min Sundays (6am-12am) with 30 min afternoons (11am-8pm).

Route 14 - New first trip added on Saturdays (inbound) leaving Leiblen at 5:46am. New last trip added on Saturdays (outbound) arriving at Leiblen at 12:43am. New partial last trip added on Saturdays (inbound) arriving at Mumford at 12:10am. New first trip added on Sundays (inbound) leaving Leiblen at 6:28am.

Route 20 - New last trip added on Saturdays (outbound) arriving in Herring Cove at 1:07am. New first trip added on Sundays (inbound) leaving Herring Cove at 6:05am. All Sunday trips (both directions) now service Downtown-Mumford. This effectively doubles service on Quinpool Road on Sundays.

Route 52 - Schedule adjustments in Bayers Lake (all days). Saturday evenings 30-min freq extended to 10:14pm (WB). New last trip added (EB) terminating at Chain Lake at 1:05am. New partial first trip added on Sundays (WB) leaving Alma & Dutch Village at 5:37am. New first trip added on Sundays (EB) leaving Chain Lake at 6:11am.

Route 58 - New first trip added on Sundays (outbound) leaving Bridge at 6:51am. This turns around and becomes a new first trip (inbound) leaving Dorothea at 7:15am.

Route 59 - New first trip added on Sundays (outbound) leaving Bridge at 5:53am. This turns around and becomes a new first trip (inbound) leaving Ashgrove & Cole Harbour at 6:23am.

Route 61 - Saturdays (outbound) second trip now begins as a Route 14 continuation at Scotia Square at 6:40am. Sundays (outbound) first trip is now a Route 14 continuation. New first trip added on Sundays (inbound) leaving Auburn & Forest Hills at 6:42am.

Route 68 - New partial first trip added on Saturdays (outbound) leaving Hwy 7 & Montague at 6:08am. This turns and becomes a new first trip (inbound) leaving Cherrybrook at 6:16am.

Route 80 - Weekday evenings 30-min freq has been extended to 11:25pm (leaving Sackville) and 12:07am (leaving Scotia Square). Saturdays 30-min freq has been extended to 11:07pm (leaving Sackville) and 12:27am (leaving Scotia Square). New last trip (outbound) arriving at Sackville at 1:37am.

Route 87 - New first trip added on Sundays (inbound) leaving Sackville at 6:05am.

Route 185 - Minor adjustments for arrival times (inbound) in the morning.

The next round of adjustments (May 2014) will focus on the Woodside Ferry expansion. Two new Urban Express routes will be introduced and schedules will be adjusted for other routes servicing the Woodside Ferry Terminal.

[hfx_chris]

Thanks for posting the summary! Glad to see downtown service on the 20 on Sundays.

[curnhalio]

Route 20 - New last trip added on Saturdays (outbound) arriving in Herring Cove at 1:07am. New first trip added on Sundays (inbound) leaving Herring Cove at 6:05am. All Sunday trips (both directions) now service Downtown-Mumford. This effectively doubles service on Quinpool Road on Sundays.

Technically it is hard to double nothing. If you were referring to #6 service, it does not run on Quinpool on Sundays. It only runs between Mumford and Stonehaven and considering the #22 runs every half hour through the same neighbourhood, the #6 is literally a waste of a bus on Sundays. I don't believe direct service along Quinpool on Sundays had ever existed before this.

[hfx_chris]

I don't believe direct service along Quinpool on Sundays had ever existed before this.
Kinda hard to believe isn't it.

[halifaxboyns]

I don't believe direct service along Quinpool on Sundays had ever existed before this.

I'm surprised by that - this gets back to what I've been saying all along about the importance of tying land use (zoning) decisions with transportation. If the two were tied together, then you'd be seeing more investment along many of the corridors proposed in the Regional Centre Plan.

That said - given the RC plan isn't done I don't think you really can tie to the two together very well, at this point. The RC will allow that more, but there are corridor and node opportunities even outside of the RC that should be looked at. Portland Street is a great example: Metro Transit is operating along that street (between Portland Hills and Penhorn) a pseudo rapid transit corridor with multiple routes, but the level of service matches Calgary LRT system (peak/non peak and weekend). Yet - has there been a planning study done to redo that corridor and up density? No. That alone, screams to me, that it should be the first LRT opportunity when the time comes.

[Dmajackson]

Metro Transit has released it's Annual Service Plan for 2014/15. There were no real surprises in it but here is a summary of some information;

In May 2014 Metro Transit will be introducing the Christopher Stannix. The ferry will expand the Woodside route to all day service (6am-9pm). To compliment this expansion the 165 MetroLink will be discontinued and replaced with Urban Express routes 78 and 79 servicing Mount Edward and Cole Harbour respectively. Routes 60 & 63 will have schedule adjustments to serve the Woodside Terminal all day.

Additionally the new Lacewood Terminal will be opening in Winter 2015. There are no new proposed routes but existing routes servicing the terminal will have route adjustments.

On the downside the expansion buses that will be coming in this fiscal year will be dedicated to helping out when the MacDonald Bridge re-decking project gets underway. This means there will be NO major changes to service in Peninsula, Bedford, or Sackville.

I will likely post a summary of current route performance in the next day or two. Simply put though Route 1 is winning in both the ridership/hour and cost recovery categories.

[Dmajackson]

Metro Transit Annual Service Plan 2014/15 (http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/140326cowi1.pdf)

"CONVENTIONAL" ROUTE WEEKDAY RIDERSHIP

Route 1 (C) - 11'855 (+9.5%)
Route 52 (C) - 6'567 (+10.8%)
Route 10 (C) - 6'129 (-0.8%)
Route 80 (C) - 4'571 (-4.5%)
Route 14 (C) - 4'084 (+8.1%)

.....

Route 83 (L) - 159 (+1.3%)
Route 85 (UE) - 155 (-0.6%)
Route 86 (UE) - 145 (-3.3%)
Route 5 (L) - 129 (+8.4%)
Route 88 (L) - 89 (+4.7%)

PASSENGERS PER HOUR (DAYTIME)

Minimum Target : Core - 40 ; Local - 25

Route 1 (C) - 90 (+10)
Route 14 (C) - 70 (+5)
Route 10 (C) - 68 (-2)
Route 60 (C) - 63 (+2)
Route 34 (UE) - 58 (-4)

...

Route 57 (L) - 18 (-2)
Route 65 (L) - 17 (-3)
Route 15 (L) - 16 (+1)
Route 22 (L) - 15 (+1)
Route 83 (L) - 13 (-1)

PASSENGERS PER HOUR (EVENING & WEEKEND)

Minimum Target : Core - 20 ; Local - 15

Route 41 (L) - 84 (+14)
Route 1 (C) - 61 (-1)
Route 10 (C) - 48 (-7)
Route 14 (C) - 47 (+8)
Route 52 (C) - 46 (+7)

...

Route 23 (L) - 6 (-1)
Route 65 (L) - 6 (-4)
Route 83 (L) - 6 (+0)
Route 89 (L) - 6 (+5)
Route 57 (L) - 5 (-1)

COST RECOVERY - DAYTIME

Minimum Target : Core - 55% ; Local - 40%

Route 1 (C) - 96% (+4%)
Route 14 (C) - 74% (-2%)
Route 10 (C) - 69% (-3%)
Route 60 (C) - 67% (+0%)
Route 41 (L) - 66% (-28%)

...

Route 57 (L) - 18% (-3%)
Route 22 (L) - 17% (+0%)
Route 65 (L) - 17% (-5%)
Route 15 (L) - 16% (+0%)
Route 83 (L) - 13% (+0%)

COST RECOVERY - EVENING & WEEKENDS

Minimum Target : Core - 35% ; Local - 35%

Route 41 (L) - 101% (-20%)
Route 1 (C) - 65% (-6%)
Route 14 (C) - 50% (+5%)
Route 52 (C) - 49% (+6%)
Route 10 (C) - 48% (-9%)

...

Route 23 (L) - 6% (-1%)
Route 57 (L) - 6% (+0%)
Route 65 (L) - 6% (-5%)
Route 83 (L) - 6% (+1%)
Route 89 (L) - 6% (+5%)

Take the information above however you want but I think it can safely be said that Route 83 (Springfield) should be re-examined. It's a short route providing the only service to Upper Sackville but its in the bottom five in all of the categories.

[someone123]

Ridership for the 1 is pretty high. To put things in perspective, Portland's North-South streetcar line is around 13,000 per day.

There are also multiple routes along the 1 corridor. If they could be consolidated somewhat it would be well worth looking at something like a streetcar or LRT.

[halifaxboyns]

Did you also notice on the 14th page that another commuter rail corridor study will be done next year?

[Dmajackson]

So I am back living in North-End Halifax now and work in Dartmouth Crossing (DC). This commute requires 2 or 3 buses per direction and can take anywhere's from 30 - 60 minutes. The first lesson I learnt using the buses in Dartmouth is do NOT rely on Route 10. The route is notoriously late, overcrowded, and slow. The running joke at MicMac Terminal is the bus is in the ditch somewhere. Quite often the bus only does partial runs which requires quite a few people to take 3 buses.

On the flip side Route 56 (DC - Portland Hills) is the most reliable route in existence. It runs every 30 minutes on the same schedule everyday. It is never late and it always has people on it but is never standing room only. Route 55 (Port Wallace - Bridge) is also reliable and never crowded and it makes the Bridge - Mic Mac run quicker than Route 10. Just tonight Route 10 was very late so everyone at Mic Mac, not really surprised, hopped on Route 55 even though the other bus did show up after we all boarded. Even with Route 10 getting a head-start we got to the Bridge first and all transferred over to the bus when it showed up a few minutes later.

One thing that Metro Transit should look at is installing heated shelters. These are used in other Canadian cities and are normal glass shelters with the addition of a door and baseboard heaters. IMO these would be a great addition to terminals like Cobequid and Mic Mac which have no heated and properly sheltered waiting areas for passengers. They could also work at stops with high passenger boarding counts (ie Sunnyside) or at MetroLink/Express stops (ie Windmill & Wright).

[Phalanx]

Nothing terribly exciting, but a picture of the newest ferry leaving the shed was posted on the Metro Transit Twitter page today:
https://twitter.com/hfxtransit/status/459431433811927040/photo/1

[hfx_chris]

So I am back living in North-End Halifax now and work in Dartmouth Crossing (DC). This commute requires 2 or 3 buses per direction and can take anywhere's from 30 - 60 minutes. The first lesson I learnt using the buses in Dartmouth is do NOT rely on Route 10. The route is notoriously late, overcrowded, and slow. The running joke at MicMac Terminal is the bus is in the ditch somewhere. Quite often the bus only does partial runs which requires quite a few people to take 3 buses.

On the flip side Route 56 (DC - Portland Hills) is the most reliable route in existence. It runs every 30 minutes on the same schedule everyday. It is never late and it always has people on it but is never standing room only.

I still don't understand why there is no route directly connecting the Bridge terminal with Dartmouth Crossing, yet there are two routes connecting DC with the Portland Street area. I would like to see (and I think I remembered reading somewhere) the route 52 changed to go up either Wright or Commodore and service DC, linking the two retail centres. The lost service from the 52 could either be made up by either an all-day route 64, or a modified 51.

Route 56 is pretty much always right on schedule. It has a very driver-friendly schedule, with generous layovers both at Portland Hills and often across from the Wal-Mart. It doesn't really get stuck in traffic either along the 111/118.
Compare that to say the route 66, which I would not want to drive... Before the new drivers room opened up at Highfield terminal, it was one of the few routes remaining that didn't have any space for drivers to take a washroom break. They used to run into the Burger King at Tacoma... Plus the schedule for the 66 doesn't leave much time, I remember it always being late headed for Penhorn in the afternoons when I used to take it...

Nothing terribly exciting, but a picture of the newest ferry leaving the shed was posted on the Metro Transit Twitter page today:
https://twitter.com/hfxtransit/status/459431433811927040/photo/1

Actually I do find that very exciting, thanks for posting!

[curnhalio]

Transit scheduling staff have been made aware of that gap in service. Still, there are no plans to fix it within the next year, as evidenced by this years Service Plan. We'll have to wait until October and the unveiling of the draft reconfiguration of the system to see if they are going to do anything about it. I mean, they pretty much have to put in a direct Bridge-DC route, and I bet it could run 15mins up to 9pm and do alright for itself.

[Keith P.]

Route 10 has always been one of MT's worse and it is sad to hear nothing has changed. The routing is the main problem. It is ridiculously long, and at rush hour attempts to traverse many of the notorious bottlenecks in HRM's obsolete road network which they steadfastly refuse to fix, so it is always off schedule. Because the route is so long, and because it services high-demand areas like Mic Mac Mall, the downtown, and the universities, it is always jammed with people.I don't have the solution, but it sure needs one.

[Dmajackson]

May 20th, 2014 Quarterly Adjustments

New Urban Express Route 78 (Mount Edward Express) - Schedule (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/Route78WebSchedule.pdf) & Map (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/Route78WebMap.pdf)

New Urban Express Route 79 (Cole Harbour Express) - Schedule (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/Route79WebSchedule.pdf) & Map (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/Route79WebMap.pdf)

The expanded Woodside Ferry will now run Weekdays from 6:30am - 9:00pm. Schedule (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/FerryWoodsideWebSchedule.pdf)

Schedule adjustments on Route 57 (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/Route57WebSchedule.pdf) & Route 60 (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/Schedules/documents/Route60WebSchedule.pdf) to better align with the Woodside Ferry.

[curnhalio]

Route 10 has always been one of MT's worse and it is sad to hear nothing has changed. The routing is the main problem. It is ridiculously long, and at rush hour attempts to traverse many of the notorious bottlenecks in HRMS's obsolete road network which they steadfastly refuse to fix, so it is always off schedule. Because the route is so long, and because it services high-demand areas like Mic Mac Mall, the downtown, and the universities, it is always jammed with people.I don't have the solution, but it sure needs one.

Well, their solution thus far has been to add frequency. Between 3pm-6pm there is a #10 running between Dal and Mic Mac every 10 minutes or better. They have also given a few extra minutes (17 up from the previous 12) to travel from downtown to the Bridge. My experience tells me at PM rush, this is a 20 minute trip. Eight to get to North St, and 12 to cross the bridge and enter the terminal via Thistle St.

When you have a route that serves high-demand areas and is always jammed, there are usually two solutions. One is to add frequency. I haven't been near a 10 in rush hour for about a year now, so I can't say how well the added service is doing. On weekends, it could run every 15 minutes between Dal and Mic Mac most of the day, and do quite well for itself. The other main solution is to make the run quicker, which enables additional frequency, hopefully with the existing # of buses. That will require bus lane capacity at peak times (not likely anytime soon) or turning the route into a full-time Urban Express route and only serve certain stops (also not very likely).

When they come to the public in the fall with their proposed draft plan, we need to make ourselves heard to champion the kinds of changes (small scale, and large scale) this system desperately needs. They have proven their willingness to listen to theory, let's see if they'll listen to actual concrete ideas about individual routes as well.

[halifaxboyns]

Thought I would share this interesting article on what's happening out here in Calgary at the Anderson LRT station. The article talks about how Calgary is going to remove all but 500 stalls of park and ride and replace the parking lots with an actually community of buildings, offices, etc.

The article (http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2014/06/the-case-for-tearing-down-park-and-ride-lots/372558/) talks about the risks quite nicely and I'm looking forward to seeing it done. I've always believed the park and ride lots are a big waste of space and are better off under buildings so that Municipalities can actually get some tax revenue out of the lots and they look a lot nicer.

[curnhalio]

That is very interesting. One commenter on the article mentioned that Anderson is no longer the southern terminus of the system, so it no longer needs to catch everybody in the southern end of Calgary suburbia. So naturally, you want to come up with an effective use of the space. I think Portland Hills or Sackville here would be excellent candidates for such an idea. This would greatly enhance the all-day usefulness of the Link services.

[HalifaxRetales]

this is an interesting release this week


http://novascotia.ca/tenders/pt_files/tenders/P14-062.pdf

looking for payment options

[rkannegi]

Thought I would share this interesting article on what's happening out here in Calgary at the Anderson LRT station. The article talks about how Calgary is going to remove all but 500 stalls of park and ride and replace the parking lots with an actually community of buildings, offices, etc.

The article (http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2014/06/the-case-for-tearing-down-park-and-ride-lots/372558/) talks about the risks quite nicely and I'm looking forward to seeing it done. I've always believed the park and ride lots are a big waste of space and are better off under buildings so that Municipalities can actually get some tax revenue out of the lots and they look a lot nicer.

That is a ridiculously large lot of for that area in Calgary SW, where I would bet that the walking time across that lot alone may even exceed the driving time (or even the LRT riding time) for some of those south-end Calgary commuters.

Here in Halifax, we already encounter long cross-lot walking times in Bayers Lake Business Park just to go from one business to the next. The large spaces created by the over-sized parking lots are large enough that it's often faster to drive between most businesses in that park, even between neighbouring businesses in some cases!

It's even worse in suburban Sunrise, Florida, where it was a hike just to go from the Florida Panthers arena to the adjacent Sawgrass Mills Shopping Centre on the other side of Panther Parkway! Some parking garages, a better transit system (aside from South Florida Regional Transit) and mixed-use development would sort out Sawgrass Mills area in Sunrise without jamming its existing road system. Imagine what traffic would be like if we planned our cities into super-sprawls like what exists across much of Florida. It would be UGLY.

Regards,

Richard Kannegiesser

[curnhalio]

This was released in 2013 but seems to have slipped under our radar:

http://www.halifax.ca/planhrm/documents/MMMReport_BedfordHalifaxMainlandNorthCorridor.pdf

[curnhalio]

Changing gears: Metro Transit name no more, now being called Halifax Transit

By Metro Staff July 16th, 2014

Halifax’s new brand is coming to city buses and ferries, and the director of the newly-renamed Halifax Transit says it’s a change that will be followed by many more in the next few years.

“We’re on the cusp of rolling out some really distinct changes for transit in Halifax,” said Eddie Robar, standing in front of a bus sporting the much-debated blue and white logo at the Grand Parade Tuesday afternoon. “With the new brand that we have here now, it’s given us a great chance to precede that change…with a new look, so kind of a rebirth of transit.”

http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/1096907/changing-gears-metro-transit-name-no-more-now-being-called-halifax-transit/

[Dmajackson]

Looks like Halifax Transit is set to receive $2 million / year from the province. This years funding is going towards the Lacewood Terminal.

The Chronicle Herald - N.S. Gives $2m to Halifax Transit (http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1225175-ns-gives-2m-to-halifax-transit)

[curnhalio]

Looks like Halifax Transit is set to receive $2 million / year from the province. This years funding is going towards the Lacewood Terminal.

$2M is better than nothing at this point. I always thought the province had an arrangement with the city to give a couple million annually. I remember pre-amalgamation the province invested a fair bit into transit, buying buses every year and such.

[Dmajackson]

August 2014 Schedule Adjustments:

Route 1 now has 10-min frequency from 6am-10pm on weekdays.

Route 7 now has 15-min frequency from 8am-6pm on Saturdays.

Full Adjustments List (http://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/schedules/adjustments/index.php)

[curnhalio]

It’s More than Buses Network Launch Event – Sept. 18

It’s More than Buses (IMTB) is hosting an open house to launch their latest ideas to bring fast, frequent and reliable transit to Halifax. The event will take place at Bus Stop Theatre, 2203 Gottingen Street on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 7-9 pm. Halifax Transit has committed to re-design their network, and at IMTB’s Launch Event, a proposed high-frequency network will be unveiled that would provide quick, easy, on-time service to many important destinations. The Launch event continues a multi-year campaign to improve transit in Halifax.

[curnhalio]

Complete Overhaul of Halifax Transit system a no-go

BRETT BUNDALE CHRONICLE HERALD
Published September 10, 2014

Halifax Transit is backpedalling on a plan to completely overhaul the region’s network of overlapping bus routes.

Regional council’s transportation committee heard Wednesday that the transit authority is scaling back its system-wide redesign in favour of more targeted improvements.

Halifax Transit manager of planning and scheduling Dave Reage said that after extensive review and consultation, the transit authority concluded that it doesn’t make sense to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1235491-complete-overhaul-of-halifax-transit-system-a-no-go



I've always thought that we were more in need of tweaks than a complete overhaul, anyway. The consultations have been pushed back to January as well, I certainly hope that doesn't become a trend.

[someone123]

I've always thought that we were more in need of tweaks than a complete overhaul, anyway. The consultations have been pushed back to January as well, I certainly hope that doesn't become a trend.

I guess it should have been sold as a general review of the system rather than "blowing up" the current routes and schedule. I wouldn't expect the current routes and schedule to be 100% different from a newly-created plan.

It is definitely true that you need high frequencies to make transfers work well, and that the city can't support high frequency service everywhere.

[curnhalio]

It is definitely true that you need high frequencies to make transfers work well, and that the city can't support high frequency service everywhere.

True, but a transfer network can be created with routes running every 30 minutes if they are scheduled to connect in a targeted way. This can't be done at every intersection in the system, but there are a few places it can work well. I hope those kinds of possibilities aren't being abandoned.

A couple of examples are at Hawthorne & Crichton (off a 62, on a 54 to go to Mic Mac and return trip) and Woodlawn & Mount Edward (off a 62, on a 72 to Mic Mac and return).

[swimmer_spe]

I always wondered if they only had one bus route on each street, except to get in/out of the exchanges, what the frequency would have to be for some routes.

An example would be just going across the old bridge. I bet they could make just the bridge crossing from Gottingen to Wyse as one route, and have buses running every 5 minutes, and STILL not keep up.

They do need to overhaul the system, but here is how they need to go about it:
1) track ridership between stops.
2) track buses that get full.
Then, build the route systems to take both of those into account.

[someone123]

True, but a transfer network can be created with routes running every 30 minutes if they are scheduled to connect in a targeted way. This can't be done at every intersection in the system, but there are a few places it can work well. I hope those kinds of possibilities aren't being abandoned.

A couple of examples are at Hawthorne & Crichton (off a 62, on a 54 to go to Mic Mac and return trip) and Woodlawn & Mount Edward (off a 62, on a 72 to Mic Mac and return).

In practice this doesn't usually work that well if the buses have to contend with other traffic, which they do to a pretty large degree in Halifax. I take a bus to work that is theoretically on something like 2 minute frequencies at rush hour but in practice this means waiting for 0-10 minutes. Sometimes the buses arrive in packs of 3 or 4. If I were taking unreliable buses like this to a connection with a 30 minute frequency I would sometimes need to wait for around 40 minutes, or the schedule would have to build in extra waiting time every day to account for the variability. My commute is much, much worse than just taking the train and somewhat worse than changing trains, and the bus route I take is just about the best-case bus route you can have without BRT.

If you are going to do connections, it's much better if one of the connected routes is very predictable. Maybe the ferries are like this? Probably not much else in Halifax. This is part of why I think the city would be very well-served by developing dedicated ROWs on the peninsula which could then connect to the suburban milk runs.

[scryer]

I felt that the General Updates topic was getting off-topic...

Continuing where we left off, having lived in both Vancouver and Toronto, I have definitely come to appreciate a good transit system.

Although I do find that Toronto has a good transit system, I think that Vancouver's transit system is doing all the right things for a modern transit system of today. Please don't quote me on this but if I remember correctly it is less expensive to build above ground/elevated than it is to build underground making it a less expensive system (nevermind the fact that the Skytrain system is driver-less).

You can also see the city riding on the Vancouver skytrain whereas you miss a lot of it underground in Toronto's subway system.

I think that if Halifax is going to take a lead from any rapid transit system in Canada, it should be from Vancouver because they do have a nice system that is an integral part of the city's future. I'm not sure how your ferry system works out there, but Vancouver has a Seabus system that is super handy and easy to access to and from North Vancouver.

Peace from the west. :2cents:

[Hali87]

Another huge (and seemingly overlooked) advantage of the SkyTrain and other above-ground systems is that you don't lose cell signal like you do on subways.

Halifax has one major ferry terminal downtown at the bottom of George St. with two routes to different parts of Dartmouth. The Dartmouth (Alderney) ferry terminal is in DT Dartmouth (secondary office/hipster area) and is part of a complex that includes a major library, a theatre, an amphitehatre and a farmer's market. The closest equivalent would probably be Lonsdale Quay (?)

The Woodside ferry terminal is in the south-eastern part of Dartmouth and serves an institutional area with NSCC's flagship Waterfront Campus (local equivalent of VCC), a couple hospitals and a courthouse, and probably to a lesser extent the neighbourhoods surrounding 14 Wing Shearwater and the refinery. Each ferry run takes a little under 10 minutes and generally there is 15 minute frequency. The ferries tie into the bus network (though not as well as might be expected) but I think most people only take the ferry (particularly Downtown-Alderney) if it's within easy walking/cycling distance. Ferries don't travel directly between Alderney and Woodside.

There have been proposals for new routes over the last couple years but the current speed limits in the harbour make them an unattractive option for the time being.

[Keith P.]

The ferries tie into the bus network (though not as well as might be expected) but I think most people only take the ferry (particularly Downtown-Alderney) if it's within easy walking/cycling distance.


There are lots of connections from the Alderney ferry terminal to points east and south. I challenge you to find any useful connections from there northbound. They are not well-integrated at all. I have spent many cold windy hours waiting for a northbound bus in front of Queen Square to take me to the Bridge terminal where I get to wait again for another northbound bus. Hopelessly bad.

[halifaxboyns]

There are lots of connections from the Alderney ferry terminal to points east and south. I challenge you to find any useful connections from there northbound. They are not well-integrated at all. I have spent many cold windy hours waiting for a northbound bus in front of Queen Square to take me to the Bridge terminal where I get to wait again for another northbound bus. Hopelessly bad.

I found this out when I was in Halifax on a previous trip on a rainy day. That's the problem with having two terminals so close to each other. But they weren't willing to get rid of one because if the Bridge Terminal were removed - it would add time and cost to routings to get into downtown that don't normally. I always thought that was a bit of a cop out.

That said - if they really want to some day overhaul the transit system; they need to get past this fear of using anything other than the ferries and buses and look to other modes: LRT (similar to Vancouver or Calgary) and a similar street based LRT streetcar system.

If Halifax is going to build up the Peninsula and Dartmouth Centre (Inside the Circ) - then there needs to be a realization of the need of that both will need some sort of circulator system to feed the transit backbone and ferries. For Dartmouth - have a route run from Wallace Heights (and feed through Shannon Park) along WindMill Rd and then up to the Bridge Terminal - then through Downtown Dartmouth to Alderney Landing and out Portland Street and down Pleasant to end at Woodside Ferry. A pretty simple loop that connects them all - but build up the density and office demand all along it.

Have another circulator route from the Dartmouth Bridge Terminal out to Highfield Park along Victoria and then doing a loop through the industrial park/Dartmouth Crossing. On the Halifax side - have 2 similar loops (one starting up in the north end and the other running from Mumford) through the core and back out. When the time comes to re-do the MacDonald Bridge - incorporate a track across so the one of the routes can connect both sides.

[hfx_chris]

The Woodside ferry terminal is in the south-eastern part of Dartmouth and serves an institutional area with NSCC's flagship Waterfront Campus (local equivalent of VCC), a couple hospitals and a courthouse, and probably to a lesser extent the neighbourhoods surrounding 14 Wing Shearwater and the refinery. Each ferry run takes a little under 10 minutes and generally there is 15 minute frequency.
A minor correction, Shearwater is 12 Wing, not 14 Wing (which is Greenwood).
Also, you forgot to mention the Woodside ferry terminal is also a major park & ride lot with over 500 spaces, and always appears to be over 4/5 full during the day. I would say a very large chunk of the Woodside ferry's ridership are folks parking there.

There are lots of connections from the Alderney ferry terminal to points east and south. I challenge you to find any useful connections from there northbound. They are not well-integrated at all. I have spent many cold windy hours waiting for a northbound bus in front of Queen Square to take me to the Bridge terminal where I get to wait again for another northbound bus. Hopelessly bad.

At least now you can wait inside in the warmth at the bridge :tup:

[Nouvellecosse]

Changing gears: Metro Transit name no more, now being called Halifax Transit

By Metro Staff July 16th, 2014

Halifax’s new brand is coming to city buses and ferries, and the director of the newly-renamed Halifax Transit says it’s a change that will be followed by many more in the next few years.

“We’re on the cusp of rolling out some really distinct changes for transit in Halifax,” said Eddie Robar, standing in front of a bus sporting the much-debated blue and white logo at the Grand Parade Tuesday afternoon. “With the new brand that we have here now, it’s given us a great chance to precede that change…with a new look, so kind of a rebirth of transit.”

http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/1096907/changing-gears-metro-transit-name-no-more-now-being-called-halifax-transit/

They're ditching a boring, generic name that served its purpose for many years and replacing it with another equally boring and generic name. Don't see the point.

[TheNovaScotian]

With the recent name change, I was hoping that we would be slowly be changed into an actual transit authority with a more intermodal approach. My hope is that this delay may be the beginning of the city realizing this. A system based around the ferries and commuter rail stations would be idea, not completely dependant on buses but using them as connectors to other terminals.

The greatest reason to convert Halifax Transit into a true transit authority, is that it would allow them to access already existing federal funds for transit. Instead of the city hoping for the charity of the province to help out periodically, with a few buses here and there, we could plan a staged expansion by starting small by a commuter corridor starting from Windsor to Central Halifax then South End with a station in Burnside to Alderney. :notacrook:

It's difficult to try and make any major steps away from road traffic when you have the Halifax/Darmouth Bridge Commision wanting to justify a third crossing without the discussion of rapid transit. Upgrades like an embedded rail on "The Big Lift" that could cut down on crossings per day, are looked upon as counter productive. The commission was created for the purpose to pay off the costs of the project in which it did years ago and is paying for the recent upgrades. We need a merger of the government entities that have overlapping and opposing goals. :shrug:

[spaustin]

Thought I would post the It's More Than Buses proposal for a high-frequency bus network. I attended their launch the other week and got some additional information from their presentation. You should note that their map only features the high-frequency routes. They left 25% of Metro Transit's existing capacity out which could be used to (1) increase service on some key routes to even better than proposed and (2) to provide less frequent service into some of the lower density suburban areas. It will be interesting to see how Metro Transit compares when they come out with their plan in January.

http://s19.postimg.org/i2tkmgtov/IMTB_High_Frequency_Network.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/i2tkmgtov/)

[W.Sobchak]

I'm not sure if this http://theoryandpractice.planning.dal.ca/_pdf/history/sgillis_thesis.pdf, has been posted on this thread, I searched through it for about and hour over my morning coffee, when I stumbled on it google-ing Halifax's streetcar network post wwII.

[Dmajackson]

Halifax recently released a tender looking at 7 potential bus queue-jump lanes in Dartmouth. The idea is to implement the 7 over the next five years. Like the 9 already existing these are located chiefly to benefit the MetroLink and Urban Express routes. The 7 intersections are;

1) Wyse/Alderney - The new bus lane would be built adjacent to the Commons to create a second right turn lane onto Wyse. The existing queue jump in the other direction would remain as is. Route 159 runs this section but being located between the Bridge and Alderney it would serve many alternate routes.

2) MacDonald Bridge Tollbooth - Inbound the right most toll booth Halifax-bound would be Metro Transit only allowing buses to use the left turn lane into a dedicated toll booth and avoid merging by using vehicle size and the most direct route through the funnel. All Bridge - Halifax buses use this currently so it would mainly make it official.

3) Windmill/Victoria Outbound - the right-turn lane into the cul-de-sac would be repurposed into a Right Only Except Buses and feed into a new third lane connecting to the existing third lane further down. This would help the 64/84/85/87/185 by adding to the existing queue jumps in Burnside and allow buses to go from Victoria to Akerley without using the congested straight-thru lanes.

4) Windmill/Sea Point/Wright - New third lane inbound following the same fashion as existing on Windmill Road. A new right-only except buses will allow Transit to go from Sea Point to the MetroLink stop without merging and take more advantage of the existing priority lighting at Wright. Routes 64/84/85/87/185 benefited.

5) Main/Hwy 111/Gordon - A short but effective fix the 111 off ramp to Main Street would have a short bus lane installed allowing buses to get away from the congestion quicker and utilise the relatively quiet right-turn lane. Routes 10/54/66/72/370

6) Portland/Woodlawn - The most unique of the 7 this would see the addition of a bus receiving lane on Portland Street outbound. Inbound the bus lane would move straight-thru buses in a space between the straight and left-turn lanes. Being a high-utilised and congested corridor this would assist many bus routes including the 159.

7) Pleasant/Hwy 111 - A new left-turn lane on Pleasant Street onto Hwy 111 designated Transit only will allow bus to skip the congestion leaving Woodside. This is designed exclusively to help new routes 78 & 79.

Diagrams are available in the Tender Document (http://novascotia.ca/tenders/pt_files/tenders/P14-348.pdf)

[curnhalio]

Thank you Dmajackson, for laying out each proposed improvement. My thoughts on each one, and some others I'd like to see:

1) I wonder how necessary this one really is. Even at AM peak, there aren't really any delays for buses getting from Alderney to Thistle via Wyse. I suspect there is a higher area of priority. Heck, a priority signal at the light after the Ferry stop heading to the Bridge would be more useful.

2) Being able to jump the queue for the protected left turn onto the MacDonald will be a boost and should be doable with only the installation of a cat's eye signal.

3) Finally, now we're getting somewhere. This is long overdue to be built and the land thankfully has always been available to build an additional lane. It's not an official bus lane, which is fine. PM peak traffic seems to confine itself to the two main lanes and people don't really use the right lane to circumvent the lengthy lineups. Transit service to Sackville has benefitted as a result, the #84, #85, and #185 are more consistently full than most routes in the city.

I would argue the right hand lane to turn onto Lynch Estates should be extended as far as the rail overpass, and even further back to the Hwy 111 interchange upon the inevitable replacement of said overpass. The less Windmill Rd traffic transit has to deal with, the better.

4) An equally helpful improvement for morning traffic. Hopefully the stretch between Akerley and Sea Point can also be widened to allow morning travel to flow easier.

5) I've thought about this one for a while. I worried that someone would argue to save that crappy building at the corner that would have to be demolished to make this lane fit. It looks like they just want to allow passage from the right turn lane into the main flow of traffic. Without an actual bus bay built at the farside Gordon stop, all this will do is subtract a minute or two wait time at that light, only to add it back after serving the stop.

I suppose a way around that would be to discontinue that stop at PM peak and reinstate all day use of the previous stop by Tim's since there would be no need to re-enter traffic that early, and therefore no reason not to stop there. This may be helpful to the #10 but it is only one of many things slowing it down at PM peak.

6) Speaking of stops that shouldn't be served, the outbound stop on Portland farside Baker is worth considering for discontinuation, at least at peak times. The matching stop inbound has long since been removed, it's time for the outbound one to go. If the idea of these measures is to speed up transit travel, why build lanes to jump around traffic only to stop immediately after to serve a now ill placed stop?

7) This will be a big help, plain and simple. Yes it only benefits two routes right now. I suspect there will be a few more Urban Express routes to Woodside in the not too distant future. Especially since a third crossing is still years out even if construction were to start tomorrow. People haven't taken to the #78 and #79 in large numbers yet, but it always takes time for new routes to take hold for some reason.


Now for a few I would like to see:

Chebucto Rd EB @ Connaught. The cats eye was installed two years ago, but has not been activated for reasons unknown.

A reversible lane the length of Gottingen from Young to Cogswell. Not necessarily intended for buses per se, but will allow easier traffic flow. A separate lane for Stadacona traffic when that entrance is reopened means buses won't get caught waiting for cars to turn left there in the morning.

A reversible lane on Barrington from Devonshire to Africville Rd. Same rationale for above except for Shipyard traffic.

[Colin May]

A reversible lane on Barrington from Devonshire to Africville Rd. Same rationale for above except for Shipyard traffic.
Ban container truck traffic from Barrington at MacKay to Terminal from 7a.m. - 9 a.m.

[hfx_chris]

5) I've thought about this one for a while. I worried that someone would argue to save that crappy building at the corner that would have to be demolished to make this lane fit. It looks like they just want to allow passage from the right turn lane into the main flow of traffic. Without an actual bus bay built at the farside Gordon stop, all this will do is subtract a minute or two wait time at that light, only to add it back after serving the stop.
I'm confused. What building would need to be demolished? The extra lane, according to the diagram is on the off-ramp from the 111 to Main Street.. and I cant think of any buildings next to the ramp.

The concern I have though is people coming up the ramp from Prince Albert to Main; there's no yield signs there currently, and people fly up that ramp into that right lane nearest Tims... I'm sure we all know how great drivers are at noticing yield signs, I can imagine a lot of surprised looks when suddenly there's a bus in the lane you're in.

Actually, an even bigger concern for me is the 111/Pleasant intersection..that bus lane goes straight into the right lane on the 111. There is a yield sign at that intersection for cars coming from Eastern Passage onto the highway, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone yield at it. I usually cars trying to race around that corner onto the highway as quickly as possible. I have a bad feeling about that one.

[curnhalio]

I'm confused. What building would need to be demolished? The extra lane, according to the diagram is on the off-ramp from the 111 to Main Street.. and I cant think of any buildings next to the ramp.

When I first read his description, I thought they were going to build an extra lane on the other side of Gordon Ave and there is a building with a Physioclinic which also used to have the Hooters upstairs. To build that lane would require losing the front parking lot and making the building almost unusable. I saw after that there is no such plan. I still think the stop right there would have to be discontinued in the afternoon to make everything else with this lane work.

[Dmajackson]

3) Finally, now we're getting somewhere. This is long overdue to be built and the land thankfully has always been available to build an additional lane. It's not an official bus lane, which is fine. PM peak traffic seems to confine itself to the two main lanes and people don't really use the right lane to circumvent the lengthy lineups. Transit service to Sackville has benefitted as a result, the #84, #85, and #185 are more consistently full than most routes in the city.

I would argue the right hand lane to turn onto Lynch Estates should be extended as far as the rail overpass, and even further back to the Hwy 111 interchange upon the inevitable replacement of said overpass. The less Windmill Rd traffic transit has to deal with, the better.

From my experience in Burnside traffic you are correct about pushing the lane back up the hill further. At PM peak the line ends at the far side of the rail overpass so this may allow buses to skip one light rotation but not all of them.

4) An equally helpful improvement for morning traffic. Hopefully the stretch between Akerley and Sea Point can also be widened to allow morning travel to flow easier.

I share your hope for future widening but the western side is going to be harder because the buildings are on older lots and therefore are closer to the street.

Halifax does require any redevelopments through development agreement to fork over the land for a 3rd lane. Only Harbour Isle and Riviera have done so thus far. Burnside Motel & Coast Tire are too close to the street to do the widening without expropriation.[/QUOTE]

A reversible lane the length of Gottingen from Young to Cogswell. Not necessarily intended for buses per se, but will allow easier traffic flow. A separate lane for Stadacona traffic when that entrance is reopened means buses won't get caught waiting for cars to turn left there in the morning.

I would prefer a reversing lane from Young - North & a permanent NB bus lane from Cogswell - North. Most traffic in the AM peak turn left at either Stadacona or North along with some express routes. South of North the AM traffic isn't too bad.

The concern I have though is people coming up the ramp from Prince Albert to Main; there's no yield signs there currently, and people fly up that ramp into that right lane nearest Tims... I'm sure we all know how great drivers are at noticing yield signs, I can imagine a lot of surprised looks when suddenly there's a bus in the lane you're in.

Actually, an even bigger concern for me is the 111/Pleasant intersection..that bus lane goes straight into the right lane on the 111. There is a yield sign at that intersection for cars coming from Eastern Passage onto the highway, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone yield at it. I usually cars trying to race around that corner onto the highway as quickly as possible. I have a bad feeling about that one.

In Calgary where right-turns have to yield to a bus lane they have special 'Yield to Calgary Transit' signs. It may have issues at first but with some enforcement and time people will become accustom to them. If they can work with Calgary drivers than it should be a breeze in Halifax (Calgary drivers are much stupider in general).

[curnhalio]

Ban container truck traffic from Barrington at MacKay to Terminal from 7a.m. - 9 a.m.

A noble suggestion, but the backups on this stretch of Barrington seem to be from Shipyard employees turning left into Niobe Gate. A separate travel lane for them will allow downtown traffic to flow easier in the right hand lane.


Oh, and while we're at it, that reversing lane for Bedford Hwy from Kearney Lake Rd to the Mount would be a nice improvement. It's so silly to see one lane of backed up traffic in one direction and two virtually empty lanes in the other.

[Dmajackson]

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8657/15413723964_a2876f33ab_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pu4n8s)
Lacewood Site December 2014 2 (https://flic.kr/p/pu4n8s) by Halifax Regional Municipality (https://www.flickr.com/people/91220774@N03/), on Flickr

[Keith P.]

What a fine piece of architecture. That SGR library isn't going to pay for itself, I guess...

[Keith P.]

Oh, and while we're at it, that reversing lane for Bedford Hwy from Kearney Lake Rd to the Mount would be a nice improvement. It's so silly to see one lane of backed up traffic in one direction and two virtually empty lanes in the other.

After the floods that closed the Bedford Highway for more than a day last week perhaps it is finally time to address the deficiencies created the last time it was rebuilt in the 1980s. The entire stretch from Bayview to Tremont Dr needs to be rebuilt with the section from Bayview to Flamingo Dr raised significantly. It is ridiculous to have a main artery like this out of service the way it was.

[curnhalio]

I drove by there today and noticed that the diagonal pathways leading to/from Lacewood Dr into the terminal have had curbs installed. Why would a pathway need a curb? Unless someone made a mid-project revision and decided that bus pull-ins and pull-outs would be more useful. They almost look wide enough for a bus to squeak through.

Giving eastbound buses on Lacewood (think 4, 52 and AM peak 21) a quicker way in and out helps from a timekeeping perspective.

[curnhalio]

After the floods that closed the Bedford Highway for more than a day last week perhaps it is finally time to address the deficiencies created the last time it was rebuilt in the 1980s. The entire stretch from Bayview to Tremont Dr needs to be rebuilt with the section from Bayview to Flamingo Dr raised significantly. It is ridiculous to have a main artery like this out of service the way it was.

Judging solely by the CBC pictures, the flooding looked to be caused by a storm drain that overflowed. Would raising the whole roadway solve that problem? Unless that project included a wider drain, I'm not sure if it would make a difference.

[Dmajackson]

Halifax Transit is looking for citizens to name the replacement ferry that will be delivered this summer; http://www.halifax.ca/transit/index.php

I voted for Vincent Coleman. Many of the names are deserving of commerative naming however IMO Coleman is best suited for a ferry. His heroic efforts are tied directly to the Harbour.

[ns_kid]

Halifax Transit is looking for citizens to name the replacement ferry that will be delivered this summer; http://www.halifax.ca/transit/index.php

I voted for Vincent Coleman. Many of the names are deserving of commerative naming however IMO Coleman is best suited for a ferry. His heroic efforts are tied directly to the Harbour.

Good thought, DMA. Vincent Coleman is absolutely a honourable and deserving candidate. Since the site of his death has been even more losty under the sprawling Halifax Shipyard complex perhaps it's time for a more public memorial.

And if it doesn't work for the ferry, am I the only one who believes it's time to rename the MacKay bridge to honour a Nova Scotian of true historic significance? While I am certain he was a man of leadership and intergity, I doubt more than one in 500 Haligonians could identify who Murray MacKay was. Given that the bridge overlooks the site of the Explosion, Pier 6 and the Richmond rail yard where Coleman gave his life, it would be perfectly appropriate to name the span in his honour, IMO.

[hfx_chris]

Why exactly are we naming the ferries after people? That just turns it into a popularity contest. I would much rather see a Halifax IV and Dartmouth IV.

...now, that being said....

And if it doesn't work for the ferry, am I the only one who believes it's time to rename the MacKay bridge to honour a Nova Scotian of true historic significance? While I am certain he was a man of leadership and intergity, I doubt more than one in 500 Haligonians could identify who Murray MacKay was. Given that the bridge overlooks the site of the Explosion, Pier 6 and the Richmond rail yard where Coleman gave his life, it would be perfectly appropriate to name the span in his honour, IMO.
Hopefully you are the only person who thinks that way. If a person has been honoured in such a way, unless something very negative has been unearthed about them, I think removing that honour is a massive insult.

[Colin May]

Halifax Transit is looking for citizens to name the replacement ferry that will be delivered this summer; http://www.halifax.ca/transit/index.php

I voted for Vincent Coleman. Many of the names are deserving of commerative naming however IMO Coleman is best suited for a ferry. His heroic efforts are tied directly to the Harbour.
Or they could name it after the Mikmaw name for Halifax.

[musicman]

Am i missing something and we are getting another new ferry this summer? After getting a new one last summer...?

[curnhalio]

Am i missing something and we are getting another new ferry this summer? After getting a new one last summer...?

The other three boats are very old - dating back to 1986, I believe - and are routinely shut down for maintenance per Transport Canada regulations. In order to maintain increased frequencies, new boats are a must. I don't know if they plan to replace the other two in the next two years, but it is a part of the system that needs upgrading.

I have also voted for Vincent Coleman. The other names are worthy in their own right, but I personally feel that his stands out above the others. If his name isn't chosen, then it will come back for a vote when the third and fourth new boats arrive. I feel like it is inevitable one of the boats will eventually bear his name.

[kph06]

Why exactly are we naming the ferries after people? That just turns it into a popularity contest. I would much rather see a Halifax IV and Dartmouth IV.
I agree, keep with the heritage of the oldest continuous saltwater ferry and call them Halifax IV and Dartmouth IV. I thought there was movement in the last few years to steer away from calling any public building (or items I suppose in this case) after people in case an unsavory aspect of their life comes out decades or centuries later.

Not to take away from Christopher Stannix and his service, but I thought at the time Chebucto (as Colin noted) would have been a smart way to continue with the naming pattern.

[hfx_chris]

The other three boats are very old - dating back to 1986, I believe - and are routinely shut down for maintenance per Transport Canada regulations. In order to maintain increased frequencies, new boats are a must. I don't know if they plan to replace the other two in the next two years, but it is a part of the system that needs upgrading.
The two oldest (Halifax III and Dartmouth III) were launched in 1979, and the Woodside I in 1986.


I agree, keep with the heritage of the oldest continuous saltwater ferry and call them Halifax IV and Dartmouth IV. I thought there was movement in the last few years to steer away from calling any public building (or items I suppose in this case) after people in case an unsavory aspect of their life comes out decades or centuries later.

Not to take away from Christopher Stannix and his service, but I thought at the time Chebucto (as Colin noted) would have been a smart way to continue with the naming pattern.

There was actually a Chebucto and I believe a Chebucto II as well. The Wikipedia article should still have the list that I compiled a number of years back.

[Colin May]

The two oldest (Halifax III and Dartmouth III) were launched in 1979, and the Woodside I in 1986.




There was actually a Chebucto and I believe a Chebucto II as well. The Wikipedia article should still have the list that I compiled a number of years back.

My suggestion neglected to include a call for the Mi'kmaq spelling.

I voted for Mr Coleman. Taavel and Tynes did nothing special - never heard of Taavel until he died and Ms Tynes was eloquent and a teacher but if any black person should have been listed there is, in my opinion, only one choice - Richard Preston. His accomplishments were substantial and long lasting.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/APPS/CP-NR/release_e.asp?bgid=798&andor1=bg

[curnhalio]

The two oldest (Halifax III and Dartmouth III) were launched in 1979, and the Woodside I in 1986.

The 1979 boats are being replaced with one this year and another one fairly soon after. The 1986 will be around for the foreseeable future near as I can tell.

[Drybrain]

1979 is nothing. The oldest Toronto Island ferry was launched in 1910, with another still in operation launched in the 30s.

Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't there some bylaw against naming things after people who haven't been dead at least a few years? Like five or ten or something? To avoid a rush to name things after folks in the heat of mouring, etc.

[someone123]

1979 is nothing. The oldest Toronto Island ferry was launched in 1910, with another still in operation launched in the 30s.

As you have observed with buildings it seems really easy in Halifax to argue that something's outdated and must be discarded once it's a couple decades old. It might be worth it in this case if the new ones are faster and/or more fuel efficient, have a higher capacity or whatever, but it seems like "old" is a kind of trump card. Once you've got that you don't need any other justification to get regional council on board.

The city used to have school buildings around for 100 years. Today the new ones might last for 20-30 years. This is pretty counter-intuitive since construction technology is supposedly much better today than it was in 1800 or 1900.

[Keith P.]

As you have observed with buildings it seems really easy in Halifax to argue that something's outdated and must be discarded once it's a couple decades old. It might be worth it in this case if the new ones are faster and/or more fuel efficient, have a higher capacity or whatever, but it seems like "old" is a kind of trump card. Once you've got that you don't need any other justification to get regional council on board.

The city used to have school buildings around for 100 years. Today the new ones might last for 20-30 years. This is pretty counter-intuitive since construction technology is supposedly much better today than it was in 1800 or 1900.

The new ferries seem identical to the 1970s designs. Perhaps the propulsion systems are better but in terms of outside design and passenger accommodations they are the same if not worse - the new bench seats seem universally despised, whereas the older ones had fiberglass seats that were extremely uncomfortable also. And I see that a wheelchair user has posted a page online about how the new Stannix ferry does not accommodate wheelchairs. Amazing oversight.

[Colin May]

The new ferries seem identical to the 1970s designs. Perhaps the propulsion systems are better but in terms of outside design and passenger accommodations they are the same if not worse - the new bench seats seem universally despised, whereas the older ones had fiberglass seats that were extremely uncomfortable also. And I see that a wheelchair user has posted a page online about how the new Stannix ferry does not accommodate wheelchairs. Amazing oversight.
The poster is dead wrong about entry and exit. Open two doors and there is plenty of room for a wheelchair. He doesn't tell you what he'll do if the ferry has to be evacuated during the trip across the harbour.

[hfx_chris]

As you have observed with buildings it seems really easy in Halifax to argue that something's outdated and must be discarded once it's a couple decades old. It might be worth it in this case if the new ones are faster and/or more fuel efficient, have a higher capacity or whatever, but it seems like "old" is a kind of trump card. Once you've got that you don't need any other justification to get regional council on board.

If maintenance costs are getting out of hand, and an analysis says buying a new one would be cheaper, why keep going with the old?

[hfx_chris]

The poster is dead wrong about entry and exit. Open two doors and there is plenty of room for a wheelchair. He doesn't tell you what he'll do if the ferry has to be evacuated during the trip across the harbour.

Open two doors. You know some people in power chairs don't exactly have full use of their arms or upper bodies right?

[someone123]

If maintenance costs are getting out of hand, and an analysis says buying a new one would be cheaper, why keep going with the old?

I don't know the ins and outs of this particular case or if this replacement is justified; it might be. I've just noticed in the past that there seems to be a bias toward shiny, new stuff.

Often the accounting is incomplete or the estimates are wrong. For example, councillors often seem to ignore that older buildings might have heritage value or more value because of their central location and that there are environmental costs associated with tearing down buildings and sending them to a landfill. They also don't tend to consider the fact that high maintenance bills are often a result of decades of deferred maintenance (so annual costs for proper maintenance actually would have been very low). I suspect that deferred maintenance is often a way to get new buildings.

With the central library, one of the studies (http://halifaxcentrallibrary.ca/assets/central-library/pdfs/1997-Central-Library-Project-Study.pdf) that was cited as justification for building something new rather than renovating was from 1997 and projected a ~$33M sticker price ($24M in 1997 dollars) for a new building. The actual sticker price of the final library was $57.6M. The cost savings of $1.8M from not having to move the collection twice was cited as a major advantage to building a new library that was repeated over and over in the media, but the price itself was off by more than $20M. I like the new library, but I am skeptical of the argument that renovating the old building necessarily would have cost more given how far off the projections were from the actual costs.

[Keith P.]

With the central library, one of the studies (http://halifaxcentrallibrary.ca/assets/central-library/pdfs/1997-Central-Library-Project-Study.pdf) that was cited as justification for building something new rather than renovating was from 1997 and projected a ~$33M sticker price ($24M in 1997 dollars) for a new building. The actual sticker price of the final library was $57.6M. The cost savings of $1.8M from not having to move the collection twice was cited as a major advantage to building a new library that was repeated over and over in the media, but the price itself was off by more than $20M. I like the new library, but I am skeptical of the argument that renovating the old building necessarily would have cost more given how far off the projections were from the actual costs.

There was zero chance of a renovation of the old library since Queen Judith insisted on a new palace to accommodate the amusement park she wanted.

[Keith P.]

The poster is dead wrong about entry and exit. Open two doors and there is plenty of room for a wheelchair. He doesn't tell you what he'll do if the ferry has to be evacuated during the trip across the harbour.

Maybe new standard should be implemented for all public watercraft to have inflatable pontoons for such purposes. After all, the entire bus fleet was severely compromised by a requirement to accommodate wheelchairs that almost never use the bus system. It also raises the question of evacuation of tall buildings - maybe each floor should have an opening that will allow for wheelchair parachutes.

[Colin May]

Open two doors. You know some people in power chairs don't exactly have full use of their arms or upper bodies right?
Prior to boarding ask a crew member to open 2 doors or ask Metro Transit to ensure 2 doors are open when they see a customer in a wheel chair.
The complainer should try visiting McD and other fast food outlets : the access is far worse. Wheelchair man Rick Hansen was sponsored by McD but he never appeared at a McD store : it would have been too embarrassing. Their entrances are obstacle courses designed to deter rapid exit by thieves.

[Hali87]

1979 is nothing. The oldest Toronto Island ferry was launched in 1910, with another still in operation launched in the 30s.

I'm not sure, but I'd guess that saltwater degrades watercraft much faster than freshwater (think about what salt does to cars, for example). BC Ferries/SeaBus might make a better comparison.