Halifax Transit

Halifax Transit
Clockwise from top-left: Halifax Transit bus, view of Halifax from the deck of the Stannix, Access-a-Bus vehicle, warning on Halifax III railing, new entrance to Dartmouth Alderney terminal
Overview
Area served	Urban Transit Service Area [1]
Locale	Halifax, Nova Scotia
Transit type	Bus, ferry
Number of lines	72 bus routes 2 ferry routes
Daily ridership	99,320 (average weekday, 2019/20) [note 1] [2]
Annual ridership	30.4 million (2019/20) [note 1] [2]
Key people	Dave Reage, Director
Headquarters	200 Ilsley Avenue, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Website	http://halifax.ca/transit
Operation
Began operation	1981 [3]
Operator(s)	Halifax Regional Municipality
Number of vehicles	369 buses [4] 5 ferries [4] 47 paratransit buses [4]

Halifax Transit is a Canadian public transport service operating buses and ferries in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded as Metro Transit in March 1981, the agency runs two ferry routes, 66 conventional bus routes (including corridor, local, and express services), three regional express routes (called MetroX), and three rural routes. Halifax Transit also operates Access-a-Bus, a door-to-door paratransit service for senior and disabled citizens.

Total ridership in the 2019/20 reporting year was about 30.4 million, with the system carrying an average of 99,320 on weekdays. ^{[note 1] [2]} According to the 2016 census, Halifax had the seventh-highest proportion of workers taking transit to work among Canadian cities. ^[5]

History

Two open (summer) horse cars of the Halifax Street Railway Co, 1894

Preceding services

Halifax was among the first Canadian cities to be served by an integrated public transportation system, pre-dated only by Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. ^{[6] [ better source needed ]}

The city's first transit service came with establishment of the Dartmouth ferry service, first chartered in 1752. In 1816, the sail-powered ferry was replaced by a horse-powered boat, and in 1830 with a steam ferry. While private omnibus services are known to have begun in the city at least as early as 1854, the roots of Halifax Transit date back to June 11, 1866.

The Halifax City Railroad Company (HCR) began operations with five horse-drawn trams on rails that stretched from the corner of Barrington Street and Inglis Street in the south end to the city’s first railway station, near the corner of Duffus Street and Campbell Road (now Barrington Street), in the north end. ^[7]

Tram with plow attachment, 1930s

Notwithstanding a ten-year hiatus, horse-drawn street railway services continued in Halifax until April 1896 when the system, now operated by the Halifax Electric Tramway Company, completed the conversion to electric-powered operation. The street railway served Halifax until March 1949, when the war-worn trams were replaced by "trackless" electric trolley coaches. ^[8]

The bright yellow trolleys, operated by utility company Nova Scotia Light and Power, plied city streets exclusively until 1963, when they were supplemented by diesel buses for the first time. The system became all-diesel on January 1, 1970, the same day the City of Halifax took over operation under the name Halifax Transit. ^[9] Some of Halifax's T-44 trolleybuses were sold to the Toronto Transit Commission for parts for their Western Flyer E-700A.

Dartmouth Transit provided transit service in Dartmouth, a separate city at that time.

Unification

Metro Transit bus on Barrington Street, 1990

Metro Transit, a single transit agency serving all of the greater Halifax-Dartmouth metropolitan area, began operations in March 1981. ^[3] The system was created by the Metropolitan Authority, an agency representing the former cities of Halifax and Dartmouth as well as suburban Halifax County, ^[10] to consolidate the transit operations of the Halifax Transit Corporation and Dartmouth Transit.

Metro Transit expanded in 1994 with the absorption of the Dartmouth ferry services formerly operated by the city of Dartmouth. Ownership of the transit service was transferred to the newly created Halifax Regional Municipality when Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County were amalgamated in 1996. Since then, the service has been operated directly by the municipal government, and since October 2010 the agency has reported though the Transportation Standing Committee of Halifax Regional Council. The municipality announced on July 15, 2014 that it was changing the service's name to Halifax Transit to reflect the city's new brand. ^{[11] [12]}

MetroLink

The MetroLink service, a bus rapid transit (BRT) express bus service, was developed in 2003 between the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Province of Nova Scotia and Transport Canada's Urban Transportation Showcase Program, a five-year program designed to demonstrate and promote urban transportation strategies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The program selected cities across the country to showcase a number of different initiatives in reducing greenhouse gases. Halifax Regional Municipality's $13.3-million proposal for a BRT system was chosen, and $4.1 million was given by the Government of Canada toward this project. The remainder was funded by the Halifax Regional Municipality ($8.06 million), the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works ($785,000) and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy ($80,000). ^[13] Twenty low floor buses were purchased from New Flyer Industries for the MetroLink service. These buses featured air conditioning, high-back reclining seats with foot rests, carpeted walls and ceiling to reduce road noise and vibration, a special livery and logo, and no advertisements both on the inside and outside. One of these buses, #600, was on public display on April 12, 2005, outside of City Hall. The bus was available for media and members of the general public to tour, and increase awareness of the new service. ^[14]

The service was launched in phases, with the first phase on August 21, 2005. The first phase saw the construction of a new bus terminal in Cole Harbour called Portland Hills Terminal, with a 230-space parking lot, including some spaces reserved for carpool parking. Two routes were created at this time, the 159 Portland Hills Link and 165 Woodside Link. ^[15]

The second phase was launched on February 20, 2006. This phase saw the construction of a new bus terminal in Lower Sackville called the Sackville Terminal on Walker Ave, with a 315-space parking lot. One new route was created, the 185 Sackville Link. ^[16]

Vehicles

In 2005, Halifax Regional Municipality purchased twenty new buses from New Flyer Industries of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was assumed at the time that HRM would purchase New Flyer's D40i Invero model, which New Flyer was marketing towards BRT services, however HRM resisted and ordered 20 model D40LF instead, and were given fleet numbers 600 - 619. The D40LF was the current bus of choice at the time for Halifax Transit's regular fleet, so they opted to keep the status quo.

These twenty buses featured a new livery on the outside, air conditioning on the inside (a first for Halifax Transit), bike racks, carpeting on the walls and ceiling to reduce road noise and vibrations, and larger plush high-back reclining chairs with arm and leg rests and custom designed fabric design. Also differing these buses from the rest of the Halifax Transit fleet are onboard transmitters for the 3M Opticom system. Opticom is the system in place in HRM used by fire services and MetroLink, to allow emergency and transit vehicles to hold green lights and prevent them from turning red until the vehicle has got through the intersection. The system was also used to trigger transit priority signals at certain intersections, allowing MetroLink buses to move into the intersection using special bus-only lanes before the rest of the vehicles can proceed. This allowed MetroLink buses at a red light to "jump" ahead of waiting cars. ^[17]

Fares

Effective September 30, 2013 ^[18]

The MetroLink service had its own fare structure, separate from the rest of the Halifax Transit system. Cash fares costed an extra fifty cents over and above the regular fares. MetroLink had its own monthly bus pass, the MetroLink Pass, which could have been used on any Halifax Transit service. Passengers would have been able to use regular transit tickets or monthly bus passes (MetroPass), but must deposit an additional fifty cents into the farebox.

Category	Cash Fare	MetroLink Pass	With Transit Ticket, MetroPass, UPass or Transfer
Adult	$3.00	$94.50	+50 cents
Senior/Child	$2.25	n/a	+50 cents
Student	$3.00	n/a	+50 cents

Bus stops

Part of Halifax Regional Municipality's plans for distinguishing the MetroLink service from the rest of the Halifax Transit system involved creating special bus stop signs, bus shelters and info posts at MetroLink bus stops. The new bus stop signs featured the same colours and design as the livery on the buses, the new shelters featured the gold and blue MetroLink "swirl" along the back wall, and the new info posts, which displayed maps and schedule information for the three former MetroLink routes, they were also done in the same gold and blue swirl, with the stop name vertically oriented along the side.

Traffic changes

A number of changes were made to streets and intersections along the routes to help the MetroLink buses get ahead of the rest of traffic. ^[19] The following changes were introduced:

• Bus-only lanes and traffic priority signals along Portland Street in Dartmouth for the route 159 and 165. The lanes and signals are located at the intersection of Portland Street and Woodlawn Road. The bus-only lanes allowed the MetroLink buses to bypass traffic waiting at a red light. Just before the light turns green, a special transit priority signal (a white vertical bar above the red stop light) comes on, allowing the bus to enter the intersection ahead of waiting vehicles.
• Bus-only lanes and traffic priority signals along Windmill Road in the Burnside Industrial Park for the route 185. The lanes and signals are located at the intersections of Windmill Road, Wright Ave and Akerley Blvd. They work in the same manner as described above.

Former planned development

Phase three of the MetroLink service was expected to take place within the next five years of the first three lines. This phase would have seen new terminals and MetroLink routes in other busy corridors such as Clayton Park and Spryfield. ^[20]

Plans existed to introduce a new route to service the Cobequid Terminal, also in Lower Sackville shortly after the 185 Sackville Link came into service. Destination signs on board the buses were even programmed with a route 184 Cobequid, and early maps of the MetroLink service showed a route 184 between Cobequid Terminal and downtown Halifax, however this plan seems to have been abandoned.

Impacts

• The route 185 Sackville Line improved transit connections to downtown Halifax from Lower Sackville, since standard bus service on routes 87 & 1 takes 43 minutes in optimal conditions, and bus service on the route 80 (which travels via Bedford) takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Both routes 159 Portland Hills Link and 185 Sackville Link saw unprecedented ridership in the first few months of service. Initial rush hour schedules saw both routes running on 15-minute frequencies, however within months this was changed to 10-minutes. Also, both Portland Hills Terminal and the Sackville Terminal underwent expansions to their parking lots, bringing the combined capacity of both lots to 545 cars. Still, both parking lots were frequently full, with people parking on the driveways to the lots. ^[21]

Fuel leak

In 2014, a massive fuel leak spilling close to 200,000 litres of fuel at Halifax Transit's Burnside bus depot went undetected for almost four months. ^[22] In addition to the cost of lost fuel, cleanup from local environmental damage and groundwater contamination as far as 1 km away cost Halifax Regional Municipality approximately $2.5 million. ^[23] Before the discovery of the leak, Halifax Transit initially claimed that the excess fuel consumption was caused by higher usage during winter. ^[24]

The municipal auditor general investigated the incident and recommended that Halifax Transit improve monitoring of fuel usage and inventory and improve training of employees involved in fuel handling. ^[25]

System redesign

In January 2014, Halifax Regional Council approved a study to look at a major re-design of the city's transit system. ^[26] The "Moving Forward Together Plan" (MFTP) was adopted in-principle by council in April 2016. Proposed amendments to the plan were defeated in November 2016, with the exception of a change to the route of the Porters Lake MetroX and a short reprieve to attempt to increase ridership to save the #15 bus to York Redoubt.

The Moving Forward Together Plan is Halifax Transit's five-year improvement plan that outlines planned changes to the transit network from late 2016 to 2020. The plan aims to increase the proportion of resources dedicated to high-ridership routes, simplify the system and make it more understandable, improve service quality and reliability, and give priority to transit in the transportation network. ^[27] The plan created a new classification system for bus routes, designating them as corridor, local, express, regional express, or rural routes. Corridor routes form the backbone of the revamped bus system, providing frequent service connecting transit terminals. ^[28]

Some critics called the plan inadequate, outlining various criticisms including inefficient and redundant route design, missing data and analysis, a long implementation period causing nuisance to riders, and a lack of network connectivity. In addition, critics characterised the "Moving Forward Together Plan" as disregarding the key principles that Halifax Transit identified through years of public engagement and consultation. ^[29] Business groups have also noted both the current lack of service, and lack of proposed future service, along key corridors of the region. ^[30]

The changes proposed under the Moving Forward Together Plan were implemented in stages each year, with the first round of changes taking place during the 2017/18 fiscal year. The latest major round of changes came into effect on 22 November 2021. ^[31] The final round of MFTP adjustments, originally scheduled to come into effect in November 2022, was (with the exception of the introduction of route 50) postponed to 2023 due to chronic staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[32]

Operations

Bridge Terminal, which opened in 2012

Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax

Bus services

There are 369 conventional buses in the fleet, ^[4] all of which are low floor and wheelchair accessible. ^[33]

Halifax Transit operates 66 conventional bus routes within the Urban Transit Service Boundary, broadly similar to the metropolitan region of Halifax Regional Municipality (Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Sackville), including the areas of Eastern Passage, North Preston/Cherry Brook and Herring Cove. Routes are numbered according to the region or type of service provided. The agency also operates three regional express routes and three rural routes.

The bus fleet is stored and maintained at two depots, namely the Burnside Transit Centre and Ragged Lake Transit Centre.

Corridor routes

Corridor routes are higher-ridership routes that provide frequent service for most of the day. They serve major destinations and transit terminals. ^[28] Following the latest round of service adjustments implemented in November 2021, there are ten corridor routes, numbered 1-10.

Corridor routes, considered the backbone of the bus system, operate at headways of 5-15 minutes during peak hours. ^[28]

Local routes

Local routes provide connect neighbourhoods to corridor routes (at transit terminals). ^[28] Local routes operate all day, except for four routes that operate at peak hours only: 26, 50, 57, and 93 (as well as parts of route 51).

Express routes

Express routes provide limited-stop services to major destinations (e.g. downtown Halifax) at peak hours. Express bus stops are designated with a red route decal.

Express routes are sometimes paired with a local route, providing service along the local route before continuing along the express portion of the journey. For example, route 182 First Lake Express is an extended version of route 82 First Lake. ^[28]

This service type consolidated the former MetroLink and "Urban Express" services.

Regional Express routes

A regional express bus (route 320) serving Halifax Stanfield International Airport

Regional Express routes connect outlying areas to the regional centre. A higher fare is charged for these routes. ^[28]

Also branded as MetroX, there are three Regional Express routes. These started operating in August 2009 and connect Tantallon, the Airport, and Porters Lake, respectively, to Scotia Square in downtown Halifax. The routes are handicap accessible and have facilities for bicycle carriage. ^[34]

Among the three Regional Express routes, only route 320 (serving the airport) provides service on the weekend.

Rural routes

Rural routes provide service to areas outside the Urban Transit Service Boundary which had transit service before the boundary was adopted. ^[28] There are three such routes, which connect rural areas to the nearest bus terminal.

Ferry services

Halifax Transit ferry, Vincent Coleman, arriving from Alderney, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Main article: Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry Service

Halifax Transit also provides two passenger ferry routes, one connecting downtown Halifax with Alderney Landing in Dartmouth, and the other connecting with Woodside. Each route is serviced by a pair of vessels. The ferry services are integrated with the bus services; the fares are identical, and transfers are accepted between the two systems. The harbour ferries board 1.78 million passengers each year. ^[2] Each ferry carries up to 398 passengers. All routes are handicap accessible and have provision to carry bicycles.

The agency operates a fleet of five ferries built in the 2010s by A. F. Theriault Shipyard. As of 2023, a third ferry route – connecting downtown Halifax and Bedford – is in planning. ^[35]

Access-A-Bus

Halifax Transit also provides Access-A-Bus, a dial-a-ride paratransit service for people who cannot use the conventional transit service due to physical or cognitive disability. ^[36] This was created in 1981, the same year Metro Transit was formed.

In the 2019/20 financial year, the Access-A-Bus service had approximately 178,500 boardings. ^[2]

Services

A Halifax Transit bus stop sign with new Departures Line info, high contrast route numbers, and Halifax Transit branding. Sign shows westbound routes from stop in front of Lord Nelson arcade on Spring Garden Road east of South Park Street.

Fares and passes

Halifax Transit has four main fare categories: Adult (16 years & up), Senior (65+ years), Child (5 – 15 years), and Student (for full-time students with valid student photo ID card). Anyone with a ticket, pass or transfer for the regular service can pay the difference in cash fare to use the more expensive Regional Express (MetroX) service. Monthly passes allow for unlimited use of ferries and buses, and are sold through various channels including municipal service centres, drug stores, some supermarkets, and the convenience store at the Bridge Terminal. ^[37]

Digital tickets and passes can be purchased using HFXGO, the agency's free mobile fare payment app. Launched on 2 November 2023, the app is available for Android and iOS devices. ^[38] Digital tickets or passes must be shown to the bus driver upon boarding, or to the ferry terminal attendant. In the future, Halifax Transit intends to introduce fare validators on transit vehicles as well as contactless reloadable smart cards. ^[39]

A Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) identification card can be used to obtain free travel on Halifax Transit's buses and ferries. A university student bus pass (called U-pass) is available to students of Saint Mary's, Mount Saint Vincent, King's College, Dalhousie, Nova Scotia Community College (Halifax campuses) and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. The cost is included in tuition fees. Halifax Transit offers a low-income bus pass sold for 50 per cent of the regular price to eligible applicants. ^[40]

In 2021, Halifax Transit launched a pilot program to provide high school students with free transit passes. The program aims to provide youth with convenient transportation and encourage the use of public transit. The program is currently being piloted at four schools, namely Dartmouth High School, École Mosaïque, École du Sommet, and Prince Andrew High School. ^[41] In November 2022, council voted to expand the program to four Dartmouth junior high schools. ^[42]

Transfers are issued upon request on all Halifax Transit buses and ferries. A transfer allows the user to transfer between multiple conventional route buses and ferries travelling in any direction without having to pay an additional fare. A transfer also allows users to transfer to MetroX buses at a reduced fare. Transfers are valid for 90 minutes after the last scheduled stop on the current run of the route where it was issued. Holders of a valid XPass (the monthly pass for the MetroX) do not require transfers. ^[43]

Schedules and route information

Route information can be accessed through the Halifax Transit Departures number 902 480 8000. Individual route schedules are available on Halifax Transit's website. Most terminals have screens that display anticipated arrival times of buses that service the terminal.

Departures

In early 2016, Halifax Transit released their next-generation AVL-based system called Departures. The system was first launched on May 15, 2016, with the introduction of the Departures Line, and as of July 2016 the rollout of the updated Departures Board that replaces the older GoTime departure displays found at terminals across the system. The Departures Board works similar to the previous GoTime-based departures display, with the exception that instead of showing the next two bus arrival times, will display the bay number and the next bus departure time, either showing the next hour and minute or the number of minutes before the bus departs, or "delayed" if the bus is behind by a certain number of minutes. It will also only show buses set to arrive in the next while, versus the older display which would show "(not scheduled)" for any route not running at that point in time.

The Departures Line works similarly to the previous GoTime IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system. Instead of dialling (902) 480- plus the four-digit number found on bus stop signage, one dials (902)-480-8000 and following the voice responses, one would input the bus stop number to access route departure times. The system gives the estimated departure time if available, scheduled times if the bus is not reporting real-time data or is delayed by a number of minutes, adjusted time to depart when schedule adjustments are made, and will announce when a bus is arriving within the minute.

Accessibility

On December 16, 2016 Halifax Transit began piloting an automated stop announcement system on several bus routes, providing both auditory and visual notice of approaching bus stops, as well as announcing the route of each bus on arrival at a bus stop. ^[44] By January 30, 2017, all conventional buses provided the automated stop announcement. ^[45] As of June 8, 2017, all conventional buses in the Halifax Transit fleet were low floor and accessible to wheelchairs. ^[33]

Although Halifax Transit's vehicle fleet is considered accessible, many of the bus stops are not. At some stops, the lack of an appropriate landing area prevents the deployment of a bus wheelchair ramp. Other stops lack sidewalk connections. Halifax Transit is upgrading bus stops and aims to make all stops accessible by 2030. ^[46]

Transit routes

Route number structure

As mentioned above, the Moving Forward Together Plan created a new classification system for bus routes, which is reflected in a new route numbering system:

• Corridor routes (numbered 1-19)
• Local routes (numbered 20-99)
• Express routes (numbered 100-199)
• Regional Express routes (numbered 300-399)
• Rural routes (numbered 400-499)

Current routes

Wheelchair – Uses Accessible Low Floor (ALF) buses only.
Rush Hour Service Only.
Designated Bike Route.
MetroLink Service (see MetroLink section above)
MetroX Service (see MetroX section above)

No.	Name	Type	Features	Inner terminal	Outer terminal	Notes/History
1	Spring Garden	Corridor		Bridge Terminal	Mumford Terminal
2	Fairview	Corridor		Water Street Terminal	Lacewood Terminal
3	Crosstown	Corridor		Lacewood Terminal	Marketplace & Bancroft
4	Universities	Corridor		Dalhousie University	Lacewood Terminal	Used to provide service to Mount Saint Vincent University.
5	Portland	Corridor		Barrington & Duke	Portland Hills Terminal	Replaces old routes 59, 61, and 68 on Portland Street
6ᴀ	Woodside	Corridor		Bridge Terminal	Woodside Ferry Terminal	Partially replaces old route 63 Woodside
6ʙ	Eastern Passage	Corridor		Bridge Terminal	Oceanview Manor	Replaces old route 60 Eastern Passage
6ᴄ	Heritage Hills	Corridor		Bridge Terminal	Samuel Danial Drive	Replaces old route 60 Heritage Hills
7ᴀ	Peninsula	Corridor		Northridge Loop	Northridge Loop	Travels in a clockwise loop
7ʙ	Peninsula	Corridor		Northridge Loop	Northridge Loop	Travels in a counter-clockwise loop
8	Sackville	Corridor		Upper Water Street	Sackville Terminal	Replaced route 80 Sackville
9ᴀ	Greystone - Fotherby	Corridor		Upper Water St	Fotherby & Herring Cove
9ʙ	Herring Cove	Corridor		Upper Water St	St Paul's & School
10	Dalhousie	Corridor		Dalhousie University	Raymoor/Main
21	Timberlea	Local		Lacewood Terminal	Charles Road	Used to service downtown Halifax.
22	Armdale	Local		Mumford Terminal	Ragged Lake Transit Centre
24	Leiblin Park	Local		Inglis/Robie	Leiblin & Juniper	Shorter version of old route 14 Leiblin Park. No service to downtown.
25	Governors Brook	Local		Mumford Terminal	Titanium Crescent
26	Springvale	Local		Mumford Terminal	Downs & Milsom	Replaces route old 5 but no longer travels downtown. Peak only.
28	Bayers Lake	Local		Mumford Terminal	Lacewood Terminal
29	Barrington	Local		Point Pleasant Park	Bayers Road Centre
30ᴀ	Clayton Park West	Local		Lacewood Terminal	Lacewood Terminal	Travels in a clockwise loop.
30ʙ	Clayton Park West	Local		Lacewood Terminal	Lacewood Terminal	Travels in a counter-clockwise loop.
39	Flamingo	Local		Bridge Terminal	Lacewood Terminal
41	Dartmouth – Dalhousie	Local		Dalhousie University	Bridge Terminal	Weekday service only. Route has been temporarily suspended since February 2023 due to staff shortages.
50	Dockyard-Shipyard	Local		Bridge Terminal	Halifax Shipyard	Replaced former route 11 Dockyard. Peak only.
51	Windmill	Local		Bridge Terminal	Princess Margaret Blvd (51A), Wrights Cove Terminal (51B)	51B operates during weekday peak hours only.
53	Highfield	Local		Highfield Terminal	Alderney Gate	Replaced route 53 Notting Park (with simplified routing through Highfield Park and new extension to Alderney Ferry Terminal).
54	Montebello	Local		Bridge Terminal	Breeze & Columbo	Revised route will service Bridge Terminal
55	Port Wallace	Local		Bridge Terminal	Waverley/Charles Keating	Revised route, no services past Charles Keating
56	Dartmouth Crossing	Local		Bridge Terminal	Wrights Cove Terminal
57	Portland Estates	Local		Penhorn Terminal	Portland Hills Terminal	Peak only, service to Woodside replaced by new route 67
58	Woodlawn	Local		Portland Hills Terminal	Penhorn Terminal	Service to Portland Street/Bridge Terminal removed
59	Colby	Local		Portland Hills Terminal	Colby Village	Service to Portland Street replaced by new route 5.
61	North Preston	Local		Portland Hills Terminal	North Preston Turning Loop	Partially replaces route old 68 in Cole Harbour. No service to Bridge Terminal.
62	Grahams Grove	Local		Bridge Terminal	Gaston Road	Replaces route 62 Wildwood and route 66 Penhorn.
63	Mount Edward	Local		Penhorn Terminal	Portland Hills Terminal	New route for Mount Edward
64	Burnside	Local		Highfield Terminal	Marketplace & Bancroft	Replaces route 64 Akerley, no service to Bridge Terminal. Weekday only.
65	Caldwell	Local		Portland Hills Terminal	Caldwell & Cole Harbour
67	Baker	Local		Woodside Ferry Terminal	Mic Mac Terminal	Partially Replaces route 57 Baker and route 66 Penhorn.
68	Cherry Brook	Local		Portland Hills Terminal	Cherry Brook & Main	Partially replaces old route 61 in Cole Harbour. Service to Portland replaced by new route 5.
72	Portland Hills	Local		Portland Hills Terminal	Jennett/Wilkinson (Burnside Industrial Park)
82	First Lake	Local		Sackville Terminal	Cobequid Terminal
83	Springfield	Local		Sackville Terminal	Springfield Estates
84	Glendale	Local		Scotia Square	Sackville Terminal	Partially replaced route 87 Glendale, peak extension to Summer St.
85	Millwood	Local		Sackville Terminal	Millwood & Sackville	Partially replaced route 82 Millwood
86	Beaverbank	Local		Sackville Terminal	Kinsac Community Centre
87	Sackville – Dartmouth	Local		Bridge Terminal	Sackville Terminal	Partially replaced route 87 Glendale
88	Bedford Commons	Local		Sackville Terminal	Bedford Commons	Used to service Atlantic Acres. New extended service to Sackville Terminal.
90	Larry Uteck	Local		Water Street Terminal	West Bedford Park & Ride
91	Hemlock Ravine	Local		Mumford Terminal	West Bedford Park & Ride	Partially replaces route 81 Hemlock Ravine
93	Bedford Highway	Local		Scotia Square	Cobequid Terminal	Peak only.
123	Timberlea Express	Express		Scotia Square	Charles Road	Weekday service only.
127	Cowie Hill Express	Express		Scotia Square	Cowie Hill & Peter Saulnier	Weekday peak service only.
135	Flamingo Express	Express		Scotia Square	Mount Saint Vincent University	Weekday service only.
136	Farnham Gate Express	Express		Scotia Square	Wentworth & Dunbrack	Weekday service only.
137	Clayton Park Express	Express		Scotia Square	Regency Park Dr. & Lacewood Dr.	Weekday service only.
138	Parkland Express	Express		Scotia Square	Dunbrack & Ross	Weekday service only.
158	Woodlawn Express	Express		University Ave	Portland Hills Terminal	Replaces route 58 Woodlawn at peak times.
159	Colby Express	Express		University Ave	Colby Village	Replaces route 59 Colby at peak times.
161	North Preston Express	Express		University Ave	North Preston Loop	Replaces route 61 North Preston at peak times.
165	Caldwell Express	Express		University Ave	Astral Drive	Replaces route 65 Caldwell at peak times.
168ᴀ	Auburn Express	Express		University Ave	Auburn Drive	Replaces route 68 Cherry Brook at peak times.
168ʙ	Cherry Brook Express	Express		University Ave	Cherry Brook Road	Replaces route 68 Cherry Brook at peak times.
178	Mount Edward Express	Express		Woodside Ferry Terminal	Cole Harbour Place	Peak only. Route has been temporarily suspended since February 2023 due to staff shortages.
179	Cole Harbour Express	Express		Woodside Ferry Terminal	Cole Harbour Road	Peak only. Route has been temporarily suspended since February 2023 due to staff shortages.
182	First Lake Express	Express		Summer/Bell	Sackville Terminal	Replaced route 82 First Lake at peak times.
183	Springfield Express	Express		Summer Street	Springfield Avenue
185	Millwood Express	Express		Millwood & Sackville	Bell/Summer	Replaced route 85 Millwood at peak times.
186	Beaverbank Express	Express		Scotia Square	Kinsac Community Centre	Peak only.
194	West Bedford Express	Express		Summer & Trollope	West Bedford Park & Ride	Weekday service only.
196	Basinview Express	Express		Summer & Trollope	Hwy 1 & Rockmanor	Weekday service only.
320	Airport/Fall River	Regional express		Albemarle & Duke	Halifax Stanfield International Airport
330	Tantallon	Regional express		Albemarle & Duke	Tantallon Rink Park & Ride	Weekday service only.
370	Porters Lake	Regional express		Albemarle & Duke	Porters Lake Park & Ride	Weekday service only.
401	Porters Lake	Rural		Portland Hills Terminal	Porters Lake Park & Ride
415	Purcells Cove	Rural		Mumford Terminal	York Redoubt	Weekday service only.
433	Tantallon	Rural		Lacewood Terminal	Tantallon	Weekday service only.

Withdrawn

No.	Name	Started	Ended	Notes
2	Wedgewood	1990	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Merged with route 4 to form new route 2; new route 30 replaced Clayton Park section.
3	Gottingen	1927	1989	Merged with route 7.
3	Mumford	1993	2012	Also called "Manors".
4	Rosedale	1949	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 2 and 30.
5	Chebucto	1991	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 26, which follows the same routing but terminates at Mumford rather than continuing toward downtown.
6	Quinpool	1980	2017	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. The route overlapped or was close to other routes.
7	Robie	1963	2021	Replaced by new routes 7A and 7B Peninsula, which follow similar routing, due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications.
8	Windsor	1963	1999	Discontinued due to overlapping service from other routes; Windsor Street portion replaced by route 18.
8	Waterfront	2010	2013	Discontinued due to inadequate ridership.
9	Barrington	1928	2017	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Partially replaced by route 29.
11	Macdonald Bridge	1955	1988	Merged with route 1, later partially reinstated.
11	Dockyard		2022	Replaced with route 50 Dockyard-Shipyard under the Moving Forward Together Plan.
12	Flamingo	1970	2003	Discontinued and replaced by revised routes 18 and 52 and new route 35.
14	Leiblin Park	1970	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 24, which follows the same routing, but terminates at Saint Mary's University rather than continuing toward downtown.
15	Purcell's Cove	1970	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 415.
16	Stanley Park	1995	1998	Replaced by route 14.
16	Parkland	2007	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 30 and 39.
17	Saint Mary's	1990	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 4.
18	Universities	1992	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 4 and 39.
19	Fotherby	1991	1996	Reinstated in 2008.
19	Greystone	2008	2017	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 9A.
20	Herring Cove	1970	2017	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 9B.
22	Exhibition Park	1993	2004	Reinstated with service to Exhibition Park with the opening of the Ragged Lake Transit Centre in 2010. Service to Exhibition Park was discontinued again in 2017.
23	Timberlea	2006	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express route 123.
26	Shuttle	1993	2008	Replaced by increased service on route 52.
30	Glenforest	1975	1999	Duplicated route 34 between Lacewood Terminal and downtown Halifax.
31	Main Express	1975	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express routes 135, 136, 137 and 138.
32	Cowie Hill Express	1975	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express route 127, which follows similar routing.
33	Tantallon Express	1995	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express routes 135, 136, 137 and 138 and Rural route 433.
34	Rockingham Express	1982	1990	Serviced the Rockingham area.
34	Glenbourne Express	1995	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express routes 135, 136, 137 and 138.
35	Rosedale	1995	2000	Serviced the Fairview area. Replaced by extension of Route 21 to downtown.
35	Parkland Express	2003	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express routes 135, 136, 137 and 138.
40	Mumford–Dalhousie	2006	2006	Discontinued due to low ridership and redundancy with route 14.
42	Lacewood–Dalhousie	2006	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 4.
48	Highfield	1990	1999	Serviced the Highfield Terminal in Dartmouth and the Mumford Terminal in Halifax via the MacKay Bridge.
50	Portland Estates	1980	1996	Replaced by a revision of route 65.
50	BIO	2001	2004	Replaced by a revision of route 51.
52	Crosstown	1980	2018	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 3 and 28.
53	Notting Park	1980	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 53, which follows similar routing but terminates at Alderney Gate Terminal.
56	Westphal	1980	1989	began at the Bridge Terminal and the Westphal area via Alderney Drive, Ochterloney Street, Prince Albert Road and Main Street. In Westphal, it followed a route that became part of route 10 through Tacoma Centre, Woodlawn Road and the Caledonia Road area.
57	Mic Mac	1980	1989	Serviced the Mic Mac Terminal in Dartmouth.
60	Eastern Passage	1980	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 6, which follows 3 different branches. Follows the same routing.
61	Bissett	1980	1999	Discontinued when service in the Cole Harbour/Forest Hills area was reorganized and the service to Bissett Road was discontinued.
62	Wildwood	1983	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 62 and 63.
63	Woodside	1989	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 6A.
64	Akerley	1980	2019	Rerouted and renamed 64 Burnside due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications.
66	Forest Hills–Woodside Ferry	1987	1989	Replaced by route 65 Astral.
66	Penhorn	1989	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Partially replaced by new route 62.
68	Auburn	1980	1999	Replaced by new route 61 Auburn.
68	Ross Road	1999	2000	Serviced Ross Road near Cherry Brook.
71	Forest Hills Express	1982	1989	Serviced the Forest Hills/Cole Harbour area of Dartmouth.
78	Mount Edward Express	2014	2021	Re-numbered to 178 due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications.
79	Cole Harbour Express	2014	2021	Re-numbered to 179 due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications.
80	Sackville	1979	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by corridor route 8, which follows the same routing.
81	Bedford	1980	1985
81	Hemlock Ravine	2006	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 91.
82	Millwood	1980	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 82 and 85.
84	Glendale Express	1990	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new local route 84.
85	Bedford Express	1980	1991	An express route servicing Bedford.
85	Downsview Express	1997	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications.
86	Bedford–Dartmouth Express	1987	1988	An express route providing service between Bedford and Dartmouth via the Bedford Bypass (Magazine Hill).
86	Basinview Express	1990	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 196.
87	Downsview	1990	1997	Discontinued as part of the Sackville area restructuring.
87	Glendale	2000	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 84 and 87.
88	Atlantic Acres	1993	1994	Provided service to the Atlantic Acres Business Park off of the Hammonds Plains Road in Bedford.
89	Bedford	2008	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new routes 91 and 93.
159	Portland Hills Link	2005	2021	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Dartmouth Express routes 159, 161, 165 and 168A/B.
165	Woodside Link	2005	2014	Replaced by new conventional route 79.
185	Sackville Link	2006	2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new Express routes 183 Springfield, 185 Millwood, and 186 Beaver Bank, which each follow the same routing as the previous route 185, but continue beyond Sackville terminal to serve various residential areas.
400	Beaver Bank		2019	Discontinued due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications. Replaced by new route 86.
401	Porters Lake		2021	Follows same routing, but no longer serves Seaforth/Grand Desert due to Moving Forward Together Plan modifications.
402	Sambro	2009	2017	Discontinued due to inadequate ridership.

Withdrawn Metrolink

• 159 Portland Hills Link (discontinued 2021): The route 159 provided express service between the Portland Hills Terminal in Cole Harbour and the Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax via Portland Street, Alderney Drive, Wyse Road, the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge and Barrington Street. The route was a limited-stop service, with stops at the Portland Hills Terminal, Penhorn Terminal, Alderney Gate Terminal, Bridge Terminal, and Scotia Square Terminal. As a result, the total one-way trip time was about 13 minutes. The route 159 operated Monday to Friday every 30-minutes during off-peak times, and every 10-minutes during peak (rush hour) periods. 159 Portland Hills Link was discontinued in November 2021 as part of the Moving Forward Together Plan and replaced with Express Routes 159, 161A, 161B, 165 and 168. The corridor route 5 Portland Hills also follows a similar route, it operates every 15 minutes at peak periods.

• 165 Woodside Link (discontinued 2014): The route 165 provided direct express service between the Portland Hills Terminal in Cole Harbour and the Woodside Ferry Terminal via Portland Street and Highway 111. Passengers can transfer to and from the ferry, which provides direct service to downtown Halifax. The route 165 operated Monday to Friday during peak (rush hour) periods only, every 30-minutes. On May 20, 2014, coinciding with an expansion of the Woodside ferry service, route 165 was discontinued. It was replaced with the 179 Cole Harbour Express, fully integrated with Halifax Transit's conventional bus service.

• 185 Sackville Link (discontinued 2019): The route 185 provided express service between the Sackville Terminal in Lower Sackville and the Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax via Highway 101 and the Bedford Bypass, the Magazine Hill, Windmill Road the A. Murray MacKay Bridge and Barrington Street. The route was a limited-stop service, with stops at the Sackville Terminal, Wright Avenue in the Burnside Industrial Park, and the Scotia Square Terminal. As a result, the total one-way trip time was about 24 minutes. The route 185 operated Monday to Friday every 30-minutes during off-peak times, and every 10-minutes during peak (rush hour) periods.

Rapid Transit Network

In May 2020, Halifax Transit presented a plan to regional council to implement a new Rapid Transit Strategy. The strategy proposes the creation of a new Rapid Transit Network comprising four new bus rapid transit (BRT) lines and three new ferry routes. The estimated capital cost is around C$300-325 million, while operational costs are estimated at $15-22 million. ^[47] Halifax Regional Council unanimously endorsed the plan on 26 May 2020. ^[48]

As of 2021, Halifax is seeking funding for the project from other levels of government. ^[49] Funding for the planning and design of one of the proposed ferry routes, the Halifax-Mill Cove (Bedford) service, was announced in June 2021. Halifax Transit plans to launch the service in 2024. ^[50]

In popular culture

• The characters of Phillip and Phillmore the ferry twins from the children's TV show Theodore Tugboat are modelled after the Halifax-Dartmouth ferries.

See also

• Transportation in the Halifax Regional Municipality

Notes

1. The reporting period was the Halifax Transit financial year (i.e. 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020). Ridership was affected in March 2020 by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

1. Regional Plan 2014 Urban Transit Service Boundary Map (PDF) (Map). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
2. "2019/20 – Year End Performance Measures Report" (PDF). Halifax Transit. 2020.
3. Wyatt, David. "Halifax, Nova Scotia". All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
4. "Halifax Transit Budget & Business Plan 2022/23" (PDF). Halifax Transit. February 16, 2022.
5. "Commuters using sustainable transportation in census metropolitan areas". Statistics Canada. November 29, 2017.
6. Wyatt, D.A. (2015). All-time list of Canadian transit systems: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~wyatt/alltime/
7. Canadian Railroad Historical Association Bulletin 17 (1954) http://www.exporail.org/can_rail/Canadian%20Rail_CRHA_Bulletin_no17_April_1954.pdf Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
8. Cunningham, D. and Artz, D. (2009). The Halifax Street Railway: 1866–1949. Halifax: Nimbus
9. Leger, P.A. and Lawrence, L.M. (1994), Halifax – City of Trolleycoaches. Windsor ON: Bus History Association
10. An Act Respecting the Metropolitan Authority of Halifax, Dartmouth and the Municipality of the County of Halifax. Statutes of Nova Scotia. 1978. c. 9.
11. Halifax Transit brand unveiled The Chronicle Herald
12. "Halifax Transit's Multi-Year Transformation Underway". Halifax Regional Municipality. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2016. As part of the evolution of our transit system, and in keeping with the brand strategy, the name Metro Transit was changed to Halifax Transit
13. "HRM Proposal for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Wins Funding". Archived from the original on February 26, 2005. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
14. "Introducing, MetroLink... Metro Transit's new Bus Rapid Transit System". Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
15. Metro Transit GoTimes newsletter, August 2005 Archived 2007-02-21 at the Wayback Machine (PDF document)
16. Metro Transit GoTimes newsletter Archived 2007-02-21 at the Wayback Machine , February 2006 (PDF document)
17. HRM Urban Showcase Proposal Archived 2007-10-10 at the Wayback Machine , page 7 (PDF document)
18. "Metro Transit Tickets & Monthly Transit Passes". Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
19. Bus Rapid Transit In Halifax Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine - page 3 (PDF document)
20. Metro Transit GoTimes Archives Archived 2007-02-07 at the Wayback Machine - MetroLink Service Summary
21. More Parking Space to be introduced at Portland Hills Terminal Archived 2006-06-15 at the Wayback Machine - Spring 2006
22. "Metro Transit diesel leak hits Burnside groundwater". CBC News. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
23. "Transit garage fuel leak cleanup costs spike to $2.5 million". CBC News. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
24. "AG slams city over fuel spill issue". The Chronicle Herald. May 20, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
25. "A Performance Review of Risk Management: Fuel Spill at Halifax Transit" (PDF). Office of the Auditor General. March 2015.
26. Gillis, Sean (January 6, 2014). "Transit First – Big changes for Metro Transit". Spacing Atlantic. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
27. "Moving Forward Together". Halifax Regional Municipality. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
28. "Moving Forward Together Plan" (PDF). Halifax Transit. 2016.
29. "Open Letter to Council – Halt Moving Forward, Bring in an Expert (updated)". It's More than Buses. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016.
30. Berman, Pam (November 22, 2016). "Bus routes needed to link Dartmouth communities: business groups". CBC.
31. Woodford, Zane (March 10, 2021). "Halifax Transit's budget moves forward. Here are the route changes coming this year". Halifax Examiner .
32. Taplin, Jen (August 31, 2022). "Back to school woes: Halifax Transit cancellations 'frustrating'". SaltWire Network.
33. Ryan, Haley (June 9, 2017). "Halifax Transit bus, ferry fleet now fully accessible". Metro Halifax. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017.
34. Halifax Transit, Metro Express page (with planning documents) Archived June 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
35. MacInnis, Jonathan (June 26, 2023). "Ferry service between Bedford and Halifax is on the horizon, city councillor says".
36. "Access-A-Bus". Halifax Transit. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
37. "Passes". Halifax Transit. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
38. "HFXGO". Halifax Transit. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
39. "At long last, you can finally buy Halifax Transit tickets on your smartphone". CBC. November 2, 2023.
40. "Low income transit pass program". Halifax Transit. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
41. "Student Pass Pilot Program". Halifax Transit. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
42. Farley, Sam (November 23, 2022). "More students in Dartmouth to get free transit passes". The Signal.
43. Halifax Transit, 2008 News Archive Archived June 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
44. Halifax Transit Archived December 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Stop Announcements
45. The Signal January 30 2017.
46. "Accessibility Strategy" (PDF). Halifax Regional Municipality. April 8, 2021. p. 18.
47. "Rapid Transit Strategy | Shape Your City Halifax". www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
48. Patil, Anjuli. "Halifax regional council endorses 2 rapid transit projects". CBC News.
49. "Halifax ready to go with Rapid Transit Strategy". Atlantic Business Magazine. March 16, 2021.
50. "Planning commences for new commuter ferry between Bedford and Halifax". CBC. June 17, 2021.

External links

• Media related to Halifax Transit at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
  • Route map
  • Schedules, maps for individual routes, riders guide
• Metro Transit's MetroLink website

44°41′34″N63°35′4.4″W / 44.69278°N 63.584556°W / 44.69278; -63.584556