[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Halifax Hillbilly

This bridge is a 6-lane proposal. Currently there are seven lanes crossing the harbour. That would be an 85% increase in capacity across the harbour, in one shot.

Two fo those lanes are dedicated to transit, so it's really just 4 lanes.

Here's some ideas that we could implement at a fraction of the cost of a bridge:

Bedford Fast Ferry - $30 million
Eastern passage fast ferry + free park and ride
Shannon Park fast ferry + free park and ride
Increased ferry service to Woodside
Link bus on Main Street Dartmouth

The bridge project precludes none of these. As was stated, any bridge project would not be paid for out of tax dollars. There is nothing about it that would prevent these projects from taking place.

However I can't accept the argument that this bridge is a necessity, or that choosing this bridge would be anything less than accepting and reinforcing our current automobile dominated transportation system.

I really think you are missing the point. Think about the projected growth of HRM and where the poplulation will need to go in 10-15 years time. If you want the majority to all settle north and west of the city, then continue as we are and add infrastructure to those areas. This would shift that to south Dartmouth and provide a much more balanced settlement pattern, and more importantly, allow commercial traffic to escape the south end of the peninsula.