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  #41  
Old Posted Jan 5, 2008, 4:51 AM
hfx_chris hfx_chris is offline
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Unfortunately I don't, because I don't believe HRM has ever made anything public. Sadly to me it looks like they're just bumping along.

If there is a transit plan, only the transit planners seem to have it.
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  #42  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 9:16 PM
Halifax Hillbilly Halifax Hillbilly is offline
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Transit share is up in Halifax according to the 2006 census!

Between 2001 and 2006 transit share increased from 9.9% to 11.9% of work trips.

75.8% of commutes were made in a vehicle, down from 77.6%.

Walking and biking stayed virtually the same at around 11% combined.

They're pretty modest gains but not too shabby considering employment in the downtown is more or less stagnant and there hasn't been any huge investment in the system. I would imagine the Link routes had the most to do with the increase.
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  #43  
Old Posted Mar 16, 2008, 2:09 AM
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Yah the Link was defenitely the major help in this increase but other routes are on the increase as well. Both parking lots are overflowing. Another help was probably the insane number of people using #80 and #81 from Hemlock Ravine.

I was just on the Metro Transit site and they want people to name the new highway bus routes. I picked the Rural Express (REX).
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  #44  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2008, 2:53 AM
hfx_chris hfx_chris is offline
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No no no, pick Community Link! I'll copy and paste my rationale from another forum:


Quote:
My thoughts: Since the BRT is named MetroLINK, and I know it was mentioned they wanted to name the (potential) future high-speed ferry MetroLINK, I think they should stay with the -LINK suffix. I picked Community Link, or C-Link as it may be known (but for goodness sakes, put CommunityLINK on the buses, not C-Link.

Metro Express and Rural Express both sound too much like descriptions of the service, and less like actual names.
Metro Dash is questionable, as I doubt the drive in from Sheet Harbour (or however far out it's going) could be called a 'dash'.

Oh, and Metro Liner? That one just makes me laugh. Might make a decent name for a rail transit system, but not buses.

So, everybody vote for the C-Link!
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  #45  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2008, 3:04 AM
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They're actually planning to name the fast ferry HarbourLink but your point still works. I decided C-Link was smarter so i cancelled out my vote for now.
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  #46  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2008, 6:51 PM
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I don't live in Halifax, but I put my vote in for the "Quick Hick Stick"
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  #47  
Old Posted Mar 19, 2008, 2:03 AM
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Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ View Post
I was just on the Metro Transit site and they want people to name the new highway bus routes. I picked the Rural Express (REX).
When is this service supposed to start?

And what kind of service might it have to the airport?
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  #48  
Old Posted Mar 19, 2008, 3:46 AM
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I don't know much about the Express service but what i do know is that it would service highways 102, 103, and 107 along three corridors; Enfield, Musquodoboit, and Tantallon.

I was searching and i found the proposed future transit map for HRM which shows the rural express path and yes it looks like it will service the airport. There is no timeline that i can find but the map can be found at http://www.halifax.ca/regionalplanni...alRegPlan.html just scroll down and click Future Transit and Transportation.
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  #49  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2008, 1:26 PM
Halifax Hillbilly Halifax Hillbilly is offline
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Here we go - rural express service is expected to start this fall to Tantallon.

I like the idea - many of HRMs transit plans aren't bad they just take so long to roll out.

Rural express will make quick trip from Upper Tantallon

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
The Chronicle Herald
Thu. Mar 20 - 5:20 AM

An upcoming rural express bus service will help make the route from Hammonds Plains a road less travelled, says the area councillor.

A new Tantallon commuter route, which will originate at the Hubley Centre Mall in Upper Tantallon and make only two stops along Highway 103 at exits 4 and 3, will hopefully be launched this fall, says Coun. Gary Meade (Hammonds Plains-St. Margarets).

"It’s going to be a very important service," Mr. Meade said of the direct route that would have buses running every 15 or 30 minutes during peak morning and afternoon travel times.

Currently, a bus runs twice daily to downtown Halifax from the shopping centre but it makes stops all along the way, he said.

"It’s the milk route and it takes an hour and 15 minutes to get downtown."

The new half-hour service will entice more riders, Mr. Meade said.

A park ’n’ ride for about 200 cars would be located either in the Sobeys parking lot or at the nearby St. Margaret’s Centre.

"We’re negotiating with Sobeys right now."

There is no set cost for the service, but it will likely be higher than the $2 that MetroLink commuters are charged to go from Portland Hills or Lower Sackville into downtown, Mr. Meade said.

However, it will be well worth the saving in gas and parking costs in downtown Halifax, he said.

A report on the service will come before council in the next few weeks.

The new bus route folds perfectly into a new study released Wednesday by GPI Atlantic Inc.

The study reveals that even though 71 per cent of Halifax’s residents live in Metro Transit’s service area — and 90 per cent of those in urban and suburban areas live within 500 metres of a transit stop — the vast majority don’t use public transit.

In fact, 76 per cent of commuters use private vehicles, while only 12 per cent ride buses and 11 per cent walk or cycle.

However, the report notes that the popularity of Metro Transit’s new express bus services shows that many commuters are willing and ready to switch to mass transit if it is fast and convenient.

Mr. Meade says those elements will be key in winning over new ridership from his district.

"And I imagine after awhile that people who live in Hubbards and Chester will come in and park their cars and go into town that way too," he said.

Other express routes are also in the works, Mr. Meade said.

Those include express transit services between the downtown core and communities along the Highway 107 and Highway 102 corridors.

Like the service to Upper Tantallon, the other routes would provide regional transit express services designed for the commuter market from local stops and park ’n’ ride lots in the highway corridors.

They include the Musquodoboit Harbour corridor, including Porters Lake, Lake Echo, East Preston and Minesville, and the Enfield corridor that includes Fall River.
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  #50  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2008, 3:14 PM
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Hopefully this service is as popular as the Link in Sackville. Those buses really helped to relieve congestion in Burnside. I heard they are planning to use a different type of bus for this service. Does anyone know if its like the Link buses or something else entirely?
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  #51  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2008, 3:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ View Post
I don't know much about the Express service but what i do know is that it would service highways 102, 103, and 107 along three corridors; Enfield, Musquodoboit, and Tantallon.

I was searching and i found the proposed future transit map for HRM which shows the rural express path and yes it looks like it will service the airport. There is no timeline that i can find but the map can be found at http://www.halifax.ca/regionalplanni...alRegPlan.html just scroll down and click Future Transit and Transportation.
Now Im probably not alone in thinking this, but is that route to out past sheet harbour and back even financially feasible? It seems like an incredibly long route with what would be a very small passenger volume.
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  #52  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2008, 3:47 PM
Halifax Hillbilly Halifax Hillbilly is offline
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Originally Posted by Wishblade View Post
Now Im probably not alone in thinking this, but is that route to out past sheet harbour and back even financially feasible? It seems like an incredibly long route with what would be a very small passenger volume.
It's a good question. We'll see what the proposed fares are to go that far out of town.
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  #53  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2008, 3:48 PM
Halifax Hillbilly Halifax Hillbilly is offline
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Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ View Post
Hopefully this service is as popular as the Link in Sackville. Those buses really helped to relieve congestion in Burnside. I heard they are planning to use a different type of bus for this service. Does anyone know if its like the Link buses or something else entirely?
They need buses that can operate safely at highway speeds so it will be something entirely different.
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  #54  
Old Posted Mar 20, 2008, 3:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wishblade View Post
Now Im probably not alone in thinking this, but is that route to out past sheet harbour and back even financially feasible? It seems like an incredibly long route with what would be a very small passenger volume.
The rural bus routes do seem unfeasible of all those ones i can only see the Peggy's Cove area one being possible and that one would only make money in the summer unless the fares were very high (at least $5.00 or more).
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  #55  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2008, 2:57 AM
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I hope they quickly add some new routes, like the proposed. I would really use a bus a lot if it came into Fall River frequently.
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  #56  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2008, 4:35 AM
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Being a student on the SMU campus i commonly take the 18 "Universities". To me though this title is somewhat misleading. It directy services SMU and MSVU but not Dal. In my opinion they should create a route that really services all the universities along a route something like this: Inglis Street (with a loop near Tower Road), Robie St, University Ave (up to Dal terminal), Coburg Rd, Oxford St, Jubilee, Connaught, Windsor, and out to MSVU via Bedford Highway. From there it could go up to Lacewood. This is a simple route and would only operate during the university calender year. To make it more effect they could try to fit it around class times, if possible.

Does anyone else think is a good idea. I would like some feedback before i attempt to email either Uteck or Metro Transit.
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  #57  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2008, 4:52 AM
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I'm not sure it makes sense since the number of people trying to travel between universities is small and making the trip to all of them would simply add unnecessary time.

The current Dal/SMU routes are also packed as it is and Metro Transit doesn't have much of an incentive to improve them because of the passes.
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  #58  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2008, 4:55 PM
Halifax Hillbilly Halifax Hillbilly is offline
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Originally Posted by someone123 View Post
I'm not sure it makes sense since the number of people trying to travel between universities is small and making the trip to all of them would simply add unnecessary time.

The current Dal/SMU routes are also packed as it is and Metro Transit doesn't have much of an incentive to improve them because of the passes.
Agreed. I would rather see higher frequencies on the 1 and other buses to deal with the universities than chaning the routes around. IMO the university routes (17,18) are some of the most sensible right now. If I was to write Metro Transit about anything it would be the over-crowding, not the route design.

What is lacking is fast service between the universities/hospitals and the ferry terminal. Apparently this will be addressed by Metro Transit with downtown shuttles shortly.
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  #59  
Old Posted Mar 27, 2008, 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Halifax Hillbilly View Post
Agreed. I would rather see higher frequencies on the 1 and other buses to deal with the universities than chaning the routes around. IMO the university routes (17,18) are some of the most sensible right now. If I was to write Metro Transit about anything it would be the over-crowding, not the route design.

What is lacking is fast service between the universities/hospitals and the ferry terminal. Apparently this will be addressed by Metro Transit with downtown shuttles shortly.
For this route it wouldn't alter the 17 or 18 at all it would just add a new route ("19" probably). Depending on travel time this could solve overcrowding on these partciular routes.

As for route 1 i dont see what everyone is complaining about. That route has buses every 10 minutes during peak and from looking in it while it passes me multiple times a day i've never seen it overly crowded. If it was up to me route 1 would be one of the last i would upgrade i woud rather spend the money on possible bus lanes, better waiting areas for major stops, or upgrading the really busy routes.

I do agree with the shuttle thing though. Only 2 full-time routes go to the Halifax ferry terminal (five including peak routes).
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  #60  
Old Posted Mar 28, 2008, 12:48 PM
Halifax Hillbilly Halifax Hillbilly is offline
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Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ View Post
For this route it wouldn't alter the 17 or 18 at all it would just add a new route ("19" probably). Depending on travel time this could solve overcrowding on these partciular routes.

As for route 1 i dont see what everyone is complaining about. That route has buses every 10 minutes during peak and from looking in it while it passes me multiple times a day i've never seen it overly crowded. If it was up to me route 1 would be one of the last i would upgrade i woud rather spend the money on possible bus lanes, better waiting areas for major stops, or upgrading the really busy routes.

I do agree with the shuttle thing though. Only 2 full-time routes go to the Halifax ferry terminal (five including peak routes).
I just feel we have so many long winding routes already in this city, that adding another bus route that is similar to two others would confuse the problem.

As for the 1 the worst crowding happens along Coburg near Dal and Oxford between Coburg and Quinpool. I take the bus a lot and it can get very crowded. I've been on full-sized buses that had to stop picking up passengers near Dal. Coming into the city in the morning during peak hours the bus gets extremely full along the same stretch. It's not just standing room only, sometimes it's full to the doors.

10 minutes frequencies only seem high because the other routes come so infrequently (generally 30 minutes). I really believe the 1 needs a service upgrade because it's consistently overcrowded. Ideally I think Metro Transit would put in a short-turn route from Barrington to Quinpool Rd. on the 1 running a couple of times an hour in rush hour just to get some more capacity on the section that needs it.

There may be more crowded routes on the system but this is the worst one I ride. People who have the choice won't ride the bus if it's unreliable (too full to get on) and uncomfortable (too crowded). Better service is needed to attract new riders, or just to properly serve the existing ones.
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