Halifax Transit - Page 41

planarchy · #**801** Posted **Jul 16, 2011, 1:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

At best we would hope to have 2 or 3 or 4 (boy, more opium!!) fast ferries, each with capacity of perhaps 200 souls.

I think official capacity for the ferries is almost double that...385 I think. They regularly call out over 200 passengers on the 8am and 5pm weekday ferries.

-Harlington- · #**802** Posted **Jul 19, 2011, 2:49 PM**

It doesnt seem to be run by metro transit for some reason but its bus service of some sort for prospect:

Bus service opens between Prospect Road communities and HRM

By DAVENE JEFFREY Staff Reporter
Tue, Jul 19 - 7:37 AM
Prospect Road residents are celebrating their new bus service.

Prospect Road Community Transit started up Monday morning, but the kickoff celebration will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Prospect Road Community Centre.

The service connects Whites Lake and communities along the road to Exhibition Park, where riders will be able to connect with Metro Transit’s Route 22 bus.

"This is the best of community development," said Coun. Reg Rankin (Timberlea-Prospect).

Folks in the area wanted buses but Metro Transit was not in a position to provide service there at present, Rankin said.

The service is a project of the Resource Opportunities Centre, a community development association, which was given a grant through the Nova Scotia Transit Research Incentive Program

With the $50,000 in funding, Need-A-Lift was contracted to operate a single bus that will transport passengers to the community centre and to Exhibition Park. The bus can carry 16 passengers and a wheelchair. The service is scheduled to operate Monday through Saturday.

Monday to Friday, there are three early morning trips heading into the city and three return runs at the end of the day. On Tuesdays, there will be three additional mid-day trips to and from Scotia Square in downtown Halifax.

On Saturdays, there will be three evening trips to and from Metro Transit’s Lacewood Terminal, which includes a stop at Empire Theatres in Bayers Lake Business Park. The fare will be $3, or four tickets for $10.

More information can be found at prospectcommunities.com/transit.

( [email protected])

Jonovision · #**803** Posted **Jul 19, 2011, 4:17 PM**

The second It's More Than Buses session is on tonight at the WTCC from 6-8pm. Come here one of the transportation planning professors from Dal speak and get your hands dirty in designing the actual network. Markers and maps at your disposal.

ewjonsson · #**804** Posted **Jul 19, 2011, 9:17 PM**

Any updates on how that session went tonight would be greatly appreciated. I can't attend cause I'm stuck at work. Thanks.

Dmajackson · #**805** Posted **Jul 20, 2011, 2:08 AM**

Great session tonight Jonovision!

The first hour dragged by a bit because of the slow speeches but the workshop part was awesome. I got a great seat with seven very vocal and intelligent people who thankfully were from all over the HRM so some great ideas were formulated. We got some great pointers from the experts and stayed probably a bit too late (people were cracking jokes at us). I really hope to make it to the September session.

BTW Jonovision if you see a map with its own legend that would be my tables.

halifaxboyns · #**806** Posted **Jul 20, 2011, 3:31 AM**

I love groups like that - that have great dynamics. When I helped on Plan It Cgy, I had one of those groups and it was awesome. They totally took on the task and we kicked 🞵🞵🞵.

Jono - you should take photos of the maps they worked on and post them.

Dmajackson · #**807** Posted **Jul 20, 2011, 4:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I love groups like that - that have great dynamics. When I helped on Plan It Cgy, I had one of those groups and it was awesome. They totally took on the task and we kicked 🞵🞵🞵.

Oh we definitely kicked 🞵🞵🞵. We had the News 95.7 guy hovering over us hanging on our every word. Our group was also shown on CTV local news.

Some of my table mates even liked my You know you bus in Bedford when ... jokes

Jonovision · #**808** Posted **Jul 20, 2011, 11:32 AM**

Awesome! Glad you guys liked it! Sorry I didn't get a chance to say hi, I had to run as soon as it finished. I hope you can all make it for Sept 7th! That's when the real hard stuff begins. We have to connect our plans with what currently exists and start lobbying government and metro transit to effect some changes in this city.

Northend Nerd · #**809** Posted **Jul 20, 2011, 1:36 PM**

Here is the News 95.7 Article based on the meeting last night.

http://www.news957.com/news/local/article/255884--bus-talk-dominates-more-than-buses-transit-forum

Bus talk dominates 'More than Buses' transit forum
Jonathan Muma // Jul 20, 2011 05:30:49 AM

About 100 people took on the task of trying to build a better public transportation system in HRM at the second "More than Buses" public forum.

The session, hosted by Fusion Halifax, featured a presentation by Dr. Ahsan Habib, a transportation planner and professor at Dalhousie University, who says improving public transit will require examination of several different aspects.

"What will be our transit network in the future, what kind of buses should we use, what kind of other technology can we explore - for example commuter rail or a fast ferry," he said. "So we're looking at this in a very comprehensive way."

The session was called "More than Buses," but buses were on the mind of most participants.

"Many buses are not frequent enough, so if you miss your transfer, you're waiting a half hour or an hour sometimes," said one woman.

"We don't have very attractive, or well-used waiting areas, with public washrooms," noted another.

Participants put their heads together in small workgroups to discuss their concerns and come up with recommendations for an optimal public transit network.

Suggestions included using existing resources more effectively by overhauling some bus routes - but that wasn't the only idea to come from the workgroups.

"We should have one major bus route that's closed to car traffic and used just for buses during rush hour," suggested one participant.

Another group suggested eliminating meandering, circuitous bus routes and replacing them with a grid system of buses leaving every 10 minutes.

"It means north and south would be more frequent routes, and east and west would make a transition," said the leader. "You might be forced to make a transfer, but everyone would get there faster."

Habib says this session - the second of three - is key in forming a final presentation that Fusion Halifax hopes will be forwarded to regional council in the fall.

The final session takes place September 7.

pblaauw · #**810** Posted **Jul 29, 2011, 3:50 AM**

From Metro Transit's webpage: "With the GoTime system upgrade in its final stages, Metro Transit buses are providing real time departure information to passengers in over 80% of its fleet."

I hope this means Google Transit will be able to tell me soon, where the buses actually are on their respective routes.

Also, this is kind of awesome

: Metro Transit to improve bus accessibility

Nouvellecosse · #**811** Posted **Jul 29, 2011, 5:20 AM**

Been rumblings for awhile, so hopefully we'll actually get this thing up and running as scheduled this time. It isn't exactly the most fun having to spend an extra $20 each way for the airporter or $50 for a taxi on every visit to the airport.

Halifax to buy buses for airport run
Cabbies fear lose of business

CBC News Posted: Jul 21, 2011 7:42 AM AT Last Updated: Jul 21, 2011 10:29 PM AT

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly says there should be bus service to the airport starting next May.

Kelly announced this week that the municipality is buying nine buses for its run to Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The tender closes Aug. 11.

"Metro Transit is on track to launching a public bus service connecting the downtown to the airport next spring," Kelly said in a column posted Tuesday on halifaxnewsnet.com.

More here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/07/21/ns-halifax-bus-airport.html

Nouvellecosse · #**812** Posted **Jul 29, 2011, 5:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pblaauw

From Metro Transit's webpage: "With the GoTime system upgrade in its final stages, Metro Transit buses are providing real time departure information to passengers in over 80% of its fleet."

I hope this means Google Transit will be able to tell me soon, where the buses actually are on their respective routes.

Also, this is kind of awesome

: Metro Transit to improve bus accessibility

I'd be happy if things were just back to the way they were what, 5 years ago? There were screens at major transfer points that showed scheduled bus arrivals, but then they suddenly stuck signs in front of them all saying temporarily unavailable, and it's been that way for years.

pblaauw · #**813** Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 5:56 AM**

Trial of a late night bus route in Edmonton:

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Buses+wil...ast+call+Whyte+Avenue/5224966/story.html

Wishblade · #**814** Posted **Aug 21, 2011, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Bus terminal likely good to go

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter
Sun, Aug 21 - 7:37 AM

Stuck in neutral, a long-awaited bus terminal replacement near the Dartmouth Sportsplex could be going forward soon.

Deputy Mayor Jim Smith said Saturday the province’s Environment Department is happy with a pyritic slate management plan tied to the $12-million project, and the government’s approval means construction should begin in a couple of weeks or so.

The development has been in the works for years. Halifax regional council sanctioned the project in the spring.

"It’s just been frustrating waiting for it to happen," said Smith, who represents Albro Lake-Harbourview. "I know the bus drivers are frustrated, and people who use the bus are frustrated, too."

More here: http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1259392.html

Waye Mason · #**815** Posted **Aug 21, 2011, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by planarchy

I think official capacity for the ferries is almost double that...385 I think. They regularly call out over 200 passengers on the 8am and 5pm weekday ferries.

The new Woodside ferry is only 150-200.

halifaxboyns · #**816** Posted **Sep 6, 2011, 7:59 PM**

(I wasn't sure where to put this...)

Shuttle solution to Halifax parking woes?

Several major employers in Halifax are working on a plan to ease the city's parking crunch.

They want to set up a shuttle service to bring workers into the downtown core, from parking lots outside the city centre.

Capital Health, the IWK, Dalhousie University and St. Mary's University are all involved in the discussion.

Brian Rankin, the director of business development for Capital Health, said ideally employees would be able to park for free.

"Let's say up in Bayers Lake industrial park or some other area ... and we're working with either a private shuttle or ideally with Metro Transit that they would have an express shuttle that would operate selected hours. Pick up staff and bring them down here for not only Capital Health, but IWK and St. Mary's and Dalhousie University as well," said Rankin.

While users could park for free, Rankin estimates the shuttle service would cost users between $6 and $8 a day.

Rest of the story is here.

fenwick16 · #**817** Posted **Sep 6, 2011, 10:29 PM**

The idea of a shuttle is a great idea. Something like the Park"N"Fly service at major airports.

If the shuttle service can be set up so that the shuttle buses can bypass traffic and provide fast, frequent and reliable service then it could eliminate a lot of traffic from city streets. If people can park their cars in the suburbs, get to their destination within 5 - 10 minutes and also save money while doing it, then many people will use such a service. I think it would be analogous to using the subway system in Toronto (except it will be a shuttle bus system instead).

Dmajackson · #**818** Posted **Sep 6, 2011, 10:58 PM**

This isn't strictly Metro Transit related but worth mentioning;

The third session of It's More Than Buses will be held tomorrow night hosted by our own Jonovision

6 - 8pm

World Trade & Convention Centre

I was hoping to attend but unfortunately emergencies at work have messed up my schedule and I can't attend this time. Hopefully someone else can attend and push the importance of service to Burnside and extended bicycle infrastructure for me.

Jonovision · #**819** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 2:17 PM**

Thanks for the plug Dmajackson!

It should be a good evening. We have Paul Bedford coming to talk. He is the former chief planner for Toronto and now sits on the board of directors for Metrolinx.

We are also preparing some chalk art in parade square. We have professionals recreating our downtown route plan.

Hope to see some of you there!

halifaxboyns · #**820** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 2:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonovision

Thanks for the plug Dmajackson!

It should be a good evening. We have Paul Bedford coming to talk. He is the former chief planner for Toronto and now sits on the board of directors for Metrolinx.

We are also preparing some chalk art in parade square. We have professionals recreating our downtown route plan.

Hope to see some of you there!

Paul Bedford is a good guy - smart too. I pity Gary Wright - the chief planner for the City of Toronto now. Their new zoning bylaw was a total gong show to the point that after spending $12 million on it's development (and ending up with almost 800 appeals to the OMB on various aspects), the Toronto city council voted to repeal it and put the old bylaw in place until fixes could be done.

That can't be terribly motivating.