Halifax councillors excited and frustrated about proposed transit improvement plan

Halifax is considering an ambitious proposal to change its transit system.

It’s been 10 years since the last transit service plan was put before Halifax city councillors and a lot has changed since then, like a 22 per cent jump in population.

But that all changed Monday afternoon, when staff presented the Core Service Plan.

“This is the first time I’ve read transit reports and was actually excited and optimistic about the future,” said Coun. Trish Purdy, representing Cole Harbour – Preston.

Over three years, 21 changes are proposed, impacting 25 routes – or 37 per cent of them – based on rider feedback.

From adding more frequent trips at key times, to route changes and a new route from West Bedford.

“It’s called Route 95, Brookline,” Reuben Walker, Halifax Transit’s planning technician said. “This route was conceived because we identified both West Bedford and Bayer’s Lake as growing communities that need better transit.

“West Bedford has been rapidly growing, with a 492 per cent increase in transit boardings since 2018.”

The proposal, if approved, would also see service to the airport expand from 22 hours to 24 hours per day.

“This is an exciting opportunity to introduce 24-hour transit service to Halifax for the first time ever and it allows us to explore the feasibility of future 24-hour services,” Walker said.

The goal of the plan is to reduce overcrowding and increase reliability within the system.

But not everyone is on board with what is, or isn’t, on the table.

“Transit being a core service? Well, it’s a core service for some, it’s not a core service for all of the residents of HRM,” said Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley councillor Cathy Deagle Gammon.

“It’s unacceptable. It really is.”

Nancy Hartling shared her “profound disappointment.”

“If you’re in if you’re in Prospect or St. Margarets Bay, this represents a letdown,” she told staff.

Staff say reallocating buses or drivers would be difficult, so new resources are needed.

The plan is costed at $75 million, mostly for 30 new buses, with the remaining $22 million set aside for operations over the three-year period.

However, the actual price is estimated to be $70 million, after factoring additional fare revenue and local transit tax revenue.

Over that time, it would represent a total hike of about $64 to the average tax bill.

If approved, the plan – and first funding allocation – would come in 2027-28, meaning as of now, it wouldn’t have implications on this year’s budget cycle.

Despite Purdy’s excitement, she said she’s “really concerned” about the cost of everything councillors are hearing about.

“But transit is one of our core services as the municipality,” she said. “Transportation is imperative to people’s quality of life and their work and their recreation.”

Becky Kent, councillor for Dartmouth South - Woodside - Eastern Passage, said the city needs to take action and improve its transit system.

“We have a city that has the bones, but we have to grow, and that means our transit has to grow,” she said.

Halifax Transit’s on-time performance for conventional buses has continued to decline, now sitting at 67 per cent, compared to a target of 85 per cent.

Paul Maher, a project manager with the city, told councillors performance has declined since 2023 despite running time being added to many routes.

Congestion and “navigating complex intersections” were cited as “major contributors to service delays.”

Dartmouth Centre councillor Sam Austin questioned whether adding more buses is the right approach, if they’d just get stuck in traffic.

But while Mayor Andy Fillmore asked about spreading out the cost over four or five years, Austin asked whether staff could act this year if money was to be allocated.

“If there was funding in 2026-27, we could do some of the changes, yes,” said Patricia Hughes, the city’s director of planning & customer engagement.

The plan will go back to council for further debate and a decision.

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