Halifax mayor warns gridlock at all-time high

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore stressed the need for rapid bus transit at a state of the city address.

Traffic congestion in Halifax is becoming more than a daily frustration for commuters. It’s a growing concern for downtown businesses said longtime commercial real estate manager and broker Kenzie MacDonald.

MacDonald, who has 30 years experience in commercial real estate and management, said congestion is worse since the pandemic.

“Companies are fighting to get their employees back in the office for all the benefits of being in their offices,” said MacDonald. “A commute that may have taken 20 minutes three years ago is now taking 50 minutes.”

A recent survey from mapmaking and GPS company TomTom, said Halifax ranked third amongst Canadian cities for the worst traffic congestion in 2025.

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore said gridlock has reached record levels and the issue is no longer confined to the peninsula.

Speaking to commercial real estate owners, developers and investors at a breakfast event hosted by the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) of Nova Scotia, Fillmore said traffic jams are now spilling into suburban communities that feed the city’s core.

Fillmore said the solution lies in building a rapid transit system that offers a real alternative to driving, including faster service and more comfortable buses that are designed to lure commuters out of their cars.

MacDonald, who interviewed Mayor Fillmore as part of a breakfast Q&A, warned that if traffic keeps growing it could influence where businesses locate.

“If it’s not convenient for them to come to the office downtown, do they look at going somewhere the traffic is less congested?” MacDonald said.

Major transportation projects are expensive and take years to deliver. As Halifax council works through a tight budget process, Mayor Fillmore said City Hall is reviewing all large projects and looking for ways to rein in spending.

The mayor said transit can’t be sidelined. He said he believes there’s federal money available that can help build a bus rapid transit system.

“I had the CFO and the CEO of the Canada Infrastructure Bank in my office in the fall, talking about that exact thing, about how they could fund bus rapid transit,” said Fillmore.

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