N.S. government considering allowing multi-passenger vehicles to use Halifax bus lanes

The Nova Scotia government wants to allow vehicles with multiple passengers to use bus lanes in Halifax.

Drivers around Halifax see it all the time and it can be frustrating – busy car lanes and empty bus lanes.

However, the Nova Scotia government thinks it’s time to share the road and let vehicles carrying two or more people use bus lanes.

“The team is currently looking at how to best utilize HOV lanes here, whether they’re strictly on the peninsula or whether on the highways as well,” says Fred Tilley, public works minister.

HOV stands for high occupancy vehicle. The idea is to encourage carpooling by allowing the driver to access less crowded lanes on roads or highways.

“I believe they definitely reduce congestion,” says Tilley.

Motorist Nury Rivas is sold on the idea.

“I love seeing when the buses have the HOV lane, so I think allowing cars to also be a part of that, if they have multiple passengers, I think it’s a good idea.”

“I think that anything that reduces congestion in traffic in the Halifax Regional Municipality would be beneficial,” adds CAA spokesperson Julia Kent.

But Kent would like to see the province monitor the results.

“We need to see data. We need to see results that that is actually going to work and that HOV lanes will be properly enforced and adhere to by Halagonians,” says Kent.

High occupancy vehicle lanes would be enforced like any other traffic violation. In addition to HOV lanes, minister Tilley is also proposing a coordination of traffic lights to allow drivers to move freely through multiple intersections.

“Adaptive signal technology is where the signal lights will speak to one another, and in real time, they can change with the flow of traffic, to keep traffic flowing,” he says. “We’ve all come to that red light where there’s nobody in the cross lanes and you sit there for three minutes and traffic builds up behind you.”

The changes are part of The Regional Transportation plan. Tilley says fine amounts for vehicles using the HOV lanes when they’re not supposed to have yet to been determined.

These changes could start to be implemented in the coming months with Barrington Street and the approaches to the MacDonald Bridge being the first areas to get HOV lanes.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page