Biggest change in decades : Halifax Transit service adjustments kick in Monday

Big changes are coming to Halifax Transit on Monday.

“This is the biggest service change we've made all at once in probably at least 30 years,” Patricia Hughes told NEWS 95.7's The Sheldon MacLeod Show.

The manager of planning and scheduling for Halifax Transit said it's part of Halifax Regional Municipality's Moving Forward Together Plan.

The aim is to create more direct and frequent routes and make the transit network faster, more reliable and easier to understand.

“It's really about redesigning what's there so it works differently,” Hughes explained. “Some people will have transfers that didn't before, some people may have to walk a bit further to get to a bus stop, but I think generally it's about a complete redesign.”

Several routes will be affected including 2, 4, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 31, 33, 34, 35, 42 and 52.

“You have corridor routes that run regularly and frequently and local routes that you transfer to and from to the corridor routes,” she said. “So it's a much different idea than what exists today.”

Halifax Transit has established three new corridor routes with frequent service and direct connections to terminals.

Route 2-Fairview starts at the Lacewood Terminal, goes through Fairview to the Bayers Rd. Centre, stops at the Mumford Terminal, heads down Chebucto Rd., then North Street, turns south on Barrington, stopping at Scotia Square and the Water Street Terminal before heading back.

Route 3-Crosstown starts at the Lacewood Terminal, goes down Joseph Howe, stops at the Mumford Terminal, heads down Chebucto Rd., then North Street across the Macdonald to the Bridge Terminal, goes north on Wyse Road to the Highfield Terminal and continues on Isley Ave. and Wright Ave. before looping back around to return.

Route 4-Universities starts at the Lacewood Terminal, goes through Clayton Park and Fairview, then heads south on Windsor, then Robie, turns down Spring Garden to South Park to Inglis where it passes Saint Mary's University, then loops back up Robie to South to Dalhousie University before heading back.

There are also four new local routes providing service between neighbourhoods and regional destinations.

Route 21-Timberlea runs from Timberlea through Greenwood Heights, Parkdale, Lakeside, Beechville before cutting through Bayers Lake to end at the Lacewood Terminal.

Route 28-Bayers Lake starts at Lacewood Terminal, cuts through Bayers Lake, down Washmill Drive through Fairview, heads down Rosedale Ave. to the Bayers Rd. Centre, then ends at the Mumford Terminal.

Route 30-Clayton Park West circles through that community starting at the Lacewood Terminal, heading along Thomas Raddall Dr., then north on Regency Park Dr., Parkland Drive, looping back south along Kearney Lake Rd., Wentworth Dr. and Dunbrack before turning on Lacewood to head back to the Terminal. It also runs in the opposite direction.

Route 39-Flamingo starts at the Lacewood Terminal, goes north on Parkland, cuts down Farnham Gate Rd. and Flamingo Dr. before taking the Bedford Highway, through the Windsor Street Exchange and over the MacKay. Once it reaches Dartmouth, it heads south on Victoria, stopping at the Highfield Terminal, then the Bridge Terminal before heading back.

Five new express routes are being added, which provides limited stop service during peak periods. There's one for Timberlea (Route 123) and four for Clayton Park (Routes 135-Flamingo Express, 136-Farnham Gate Express, 137-Clayton Park Express and 138-Parkland Express.)

Also starting Monday, Route 33 will become Rural Route 433-Tantallon.

Some other routes will see changes to their schedules.

Hughes says staff wearing bright yellow T-shirts are at the transit terminals handing out booklets to notify riders of the changes.

If you want to know how you'll be affected, she recommends loading your favourite transit app or website.

“Enter the information, change the date to Monday and see what your trip will look like.”