FAQs

Rapid Transit will have two major positive impacts for the municipality. First, it can improve mobility for residents, which means they can safely and conveniently access more jobs, amenities and destinations. Second, it can help the municipality move toward a more sustainable transportation system by encouraging transit use and reducing the need for car use and ownership, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The municipality outlined these goals in the Integrated Mobility Plan in 2017, and the Rapid Transit Strategy can help make them happen.

This project builds on a number of plans and strategies developed in the last five years.

• Halifax Transit’s Moving Forward Together Plan established a plan for frequent service on key corridors by creating Corridor Routes 1 through 10. Those that have been implemented have increased ridership. Bus Rapid Transit builds on those corridors by establishing faster, more reliable service on four high-demand routes.
• The Rapid Transit Strategy also builds on the direction established in the Integrated Mobility Plan, which provides direction on delivering a choice of integrated and connected travel options as part of a sustainable transportation network.
• The specific elements of this strategy have been explored through various ferry studies as far back as 2003 and through the Dillon BRT study in 2018.

There are two modes under consideration: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and additional ferry service.

• BRT is fast, frequent, all-day bus service which allows people to move around the municipality easily and reliably. Unlike local transit which makes frequent stops, BRT has fewer stops which are located at major destinations and intersections, allowing buses to move people around more quickly. BRT also often runs in dedicated bus lanes, allowing it to provide reliably fast service by avoiding congestion.
• Additional ferry service is being explored to assess connections between areas such as Bedford, North Dartmouth, and Downtown Halifax.

No. While larger cities often use rail as part of their rapid transit networks, the municipality has carefully considered the costs and benefits of rail and decided that it should not form part of the municipality’s transportation strategy at this time. Other cities’ experiences show that many of the benefits of rail service can be achieved with well-designed BRT.

The purpose of BRT is very different from that of Express routes. Express routes have the goal of bringing commuters from the outer suburbs into downtown quickly. They make very few stops except at the start and end of the route, and often run only in the morning and afternoon as the majority of commuters are going to and from work. Bus Rapid Transit is meant to provide all-day, frequent, fast and reliable connections across neighbourhoods in urban and suburban areas seven days a week. BRT stops at major destinations and intersections to provide access to people making many types of trips—from commuting downtown to shopping at a mall to visiting friends across town.

A Rapid Transit Network can enhance access to jobs, amenities and destinations by making transit trips along key corridors faster, more comfortable, and more reliable. With new frequent BRT routes and the possibility of additional ferry service, transit can become more competitive with driving and encourage more residents to use transit and rely less and less on private vehicles. Doing so can help households reduce transportation costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build healthier and more resilient communities, and support more development near transit, so that new growth is transit-oriented and more sustainable.

By providing a more frequent, fast and reliable service, Rapid Transit makes transit easier to choose. Even if you regularly drive, you may find that Rapid Transit offers a great alternative to driving for some of your trips. For example, you may discover that it’s just as fast to get to work using Rapid Transit as driving—and you can save money on gas and parking. Or perhaps you choose to get home using Rapid Transit after going out to dinner and a movie. Even if Rapid Transit doesn’t make sense for you, the environmental benefits of fewer people using their cars can benefit everyone.

The strategy has three main goals:

• Design a Rapid Transit Network to meet or exceed HRM’s 2031 mode-share targets.
• Establish a long-term strategic vision for Rapid Transit.
• Inform long-term land use patterns to support development along Rapid Transit corridors.

Provided the strategy is adopted by Regional Council and funding is secured, staff will aim for a complete implementation within the next 10 years. However, certain aspects of the strategy could be implemented sooner. The final strategy will include recommendations and a prioritized list of actions to guide implementation.

The Rapid Transit Strategy is a transformative project, but the cost to implement this could not be covered by the typical tax rate. Instead, the municipality would seek support from external funding partners and new or different ways to budget.

No, this strategy will not impact any existing bus routes in the short-term. This is a strategic document that may identify some high-level changes to existing bus routes in the future, but no routes will change in 2020-21 as a result of this strategy. However, staff are continuing to implement the transit network approved in the Moving Forward Together Plan. Service changes associated with the Moving Forward Together Plan are communicated well in advance of any change taking place. Follow this page for updates on transit service changes.