Halifax Transit wants rapid bus routes

Halifax Transit wants to create a system of rapid bus routes.

The new service would have fewer stops and require people to prepay before getting on the buses.

All four proposed routes would require either bus-only lanes added or queue-jumping at certain lights.

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Service would be every 10 minutes during peak times and every 10 to 15 minutes midday, said Erin Blay, a supervisor at Halifax Transit.

The four proposed routes are:

• Between the Portland Street Terminal in Dartmouth and the Water Street Terminal in Halifax.
• Between the Lacewood Terminal in Clayton Park and the Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth.
• Along the Bedford Highway starting at Mount Saint Vincent University and ending at the Water Street Terminal.  
• Along Herring Cove Road to the Mumford Terminal and then to the universities in south-end Halifax.

Public consultations were held at the Halifax Central Library on Monday to discuss routes, service levels, station locations and overall feasibility. Halifax Transit will use the feedback from those sessions in a staff report to Halifax regional council this spring.

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Jayme Lynn Butt agrees changes are needed along the Bedford Highway.

"Something needs to happen there, sooner than later," said Butt.

"I think it could work," said Felipe Rios, a Dalhousie University student who has used bus rapid transit systems in other cities. "If it has worked in other cities, I don't see why not."

Halifax regional council will first have to approve any recommended routes before the new service could begin.