User:Hfx chris/metrotransit
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Metro Transit is a publicly-owned public transport agency operating buses and ferries in the greater Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia (also known as HRM), including the outlying areas. The system, which is a department of the HRM, is also the largest transit agency in Atlantic Canada.
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[edit] History
The agency's roots trace back to their four predecessors: Nova Scotia Light & Power Company (March 1928-December 1969) and Halifax Transit Corporation (January 1970-February 1981) in Halifax, and Dartmouth Transit Service Buses Ltd. (April 1957-February 1978) and Dartmouth Transit (February 1978-February 1981) in Dartmouth. In March 1981, both Halifax and Dartmouth transit agencies merged their services to become Metro Transit.
[edit] Bus Service
Currently there are 208 buses in the fleet, 96 of them low-floor vehicles, operating on 48 routes, including three Community Transit routes and three express routes operating as MetroLink, which began service in August 2005.
[edit] Transit Routes
Metro Transit currently operates 48 conventional transit routes within the metropolitan region of Halifax Regional Municipality (Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Sackville), including the areas of Eastern Passage, North Preston/Cherry Brook, Tantallon and Herring Cove.
Routes:
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Wheelchair Accessable Route
Rush Hour Service Only
MetroLink Service (see MetroLink section below) *** Routes 40, 41 and 42 operate during the academic calendar only
Schedule information and route maps can be found on the Schedules and Route Maps section of the Metro Transit website [1].
[edit] Fares
Note: The following fares are valid on conventional transit routes only. See below for MetroLink and Community Transit fares.
- Cash Fares:
- Adult: $2.00
- Student: $2.00
- Senior: $1.40
- Child: $1.40
- MetroPass (monthly bus pass):
- Adult: $60.00
- Student: $54.00 (with valid student ID)
- Senior: $23.00
- Child: $23.00
- Transit Tickets:
- 20 Adult/Student Tickets: $32.00
- 20 Senior/Child Tickets: $23.00
A U-Pass [2] (University bus pass) is also available for Saint Mary's and Dalhousie University students. The current Metro Transit fare structure can be found on the Tickets and Passes page of the Metro Transit website. [3]
Transfers are issued on all Metro Transit buses and ferries (excluding Community Transit, see below). A transfer allows the user to transfer between one bus and another, without having to pay a second fare.
[edit] MetroLink
MetroLink is Halifax Regional Municipality's new BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) limited-stop express bus service, offering passengers a quick and comfortable ride into the downtown core of Halifax.
Phase I of the service was launched on August 21, 2005 at the newly constructed Portland Hills Terminal on Portland St. in east Dartmouth. This phase introduced the first two MetroLink routes; the 159 Portland Hills Link, and the 165 Woodside Link.
Phase II launched on February 20, 2006 at the new Sackville Terminal in Sackville. This phase introduced the MetroLink route 185 Sackville Link.
[edit] Benefits of MetroLink
The main benefits of the MetroLink service are:
- Limited stops, meaning you get from point A to point B quicker.
- Bus-only lanes and transit priority signals (bus-only traffic lights) bring the MetroLink bus to the front of the queue at an intersection.
- Sensors on the buses alert the traffic signal monitoring system, triggering transit priority signals, holding green lights, and shortening red lights.
- Comfortable interior features carpeted walls and ceilings to reduce noise and vibrations, high-back reclining seats with head and foot rests, air-conditioning in the summer, and an advertisement-free zone.
[edit] MetroLink Routes
- 159 Portland Hills Link - Provides a quick, 13-minute ride to Scotia Square in downtown Halifax. The route follows the Portland St./Alderney Drive corridore, crossing the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, stopping only at Portland Hills Terminal, Penhorn Terminal, Alderney Gate, the Bridge Terminal (adjacent to the Dartmouth Sportsplex) and finally at Scotia Square. The route 159 operates every 10 minutes during peak times, and every half-hour during off-peak time and on Saturdays. There is no service on Sunday.
- 165 Woodside Link - Provides half-hour service during peak times between the Portland Hills Terminal and the Woodside Ferry Terminal. There are no other stops on this route. The route 165 only operates during peak times Monday-Friday.
- 185 Sackville Link - Provides service to Scotia Square from the Sackville Terminal via Highway 101 and the Magazine Hill, the Burnside Industrial Park and the A. Murray MacKay Bridge in just 24 minutes. Aside from the Sackville Terminal and Scotia Square, the route 185 only stops on Windmill Road in Burnside at the corner of Wright Ave. The route operates every ten minutes during morning and evening peak times, and every half hour during off-peak times.
The route 185 will be a major benefit to the residents of Lower Sackville, as it makes the trip into Halifax significantly shorter than using conventional transit. During off-peak times, the route 185 takes only 24 minutes to reach downtown Halifax. Compare this to the only other alternatives during off-peak: taking the route 87 from Sackville to Dartmouth and transferring to a route 1 to take you to Halifax takes approx. 43 minutes. Taking the route 80 from Sackville into Halifax via the Bedford Highway takes approx. 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Routes serving Cobequid Terminal in Lower Sackville, Clayton Park and Spryfield are expected to be introduced within the next few years.
[edit] MetroLink Fares
- Cash Fares:
- Adult: $2.50
- Student: $2.50
- Senior: $1.90
- Child: $1.90
- MetroLink Pass (monthly MetroLink bus pass):
- Adult: $75.00
- Student: N/A
- Senior: $68.00
- Child: $68.00
Regular transit tickets, MetroPasses, U-Passes and transfers are accepted on the MetroLink service, however the user must pay an additional $0.50 to board the MetroLink bus.
More information on the MetroLink service can be found on Metro Transit's MetroLink web page.
[edit] Ferry Service
Metro Transit also provides two ferry routes, one connecting downtown Halifax with Dartmouth (which operates daily) and the other connecting downtown Halifax with Woodside (Monday through Friday during rush hours only). The fares are the same as they are for regular bus service, and transfers with the bus service are accepted. The harbour ferries are utilised by over 3000 commuters daily [4]. The unique design of the current three vessels, the Halifax III, Dartmouth III and Woodside I, have become one of the distinctive features of Halifax Harbour, and are an instantly recognizable symbol of Halifax and Dartmouth.
The ferry service connecting Halifax and Dartmouth is the oldest continually running salt water ferry service in North America. The service, originally known as the Dartmouth Ferry, began operation in 1752, and continued to be the fastest method of travelling across the harbour until 1955, when the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge was opened. In 2002, the Halifax-Dartmouth ferry service celebrated its 250th anniversary.
In recent years, the municipality has begun to plan several new ferry routes, including ones to Purcell's Cove, Bedford, and Shannon Park. These routes would be served by catamarans capable of higher speeds than Halifax's distinctive round ferries, and while no details have been finalized, it is likely that the downtown terminal would act as a hub, with all routes passing through.
[edit] Community Transit
Metro Transit runs a Community Transit service, allowing residents in some suburban and rural communities access to the conventional Metro Transit bus system.
[edit] Community Transit Routes
Currently there are 3 Community Transit routes:
- Porters Lake - Provides service between Penhorn Mall and Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth and the communities of East Preston, Lake Echo, Porters Lake and Grand Desert via Portland St, Cole Harbour Rd, Forest Hills Pkwy and Highway #7.
- Beaver Bank - Provides service between the new Sackville Terminal and Beaver Bank Villa via the Beaver Bank Road.
- Fall River - Provides service between the new Sackville Terminal and the Sobeys in Fall River via the Fall River Rd. and Windsor Junction Cross Rd.
[edit] Community Transit Fares
- Beaverbank & Fall River:
- Adult Cash Fare: $1.50
- Senior/Student/Child Cash Fare: $1.25
- Porters Lake:
- Adult Cash Fare: $2.50
- Senior/Student/Child Cash Fare: $1.25
Regular transit tickets are accepted on Community Transit. Monthy MetroPasses and U-Passes are not accepted on Community Transit. Transfers are neither issued nor accepted on Community Transit.
More information on Community Transit, including detailed schedules and route maps, can be found on Metro Transit's Community Transit web page. [5]
[edit] Access-A-Bus
In addition to bus and ferry service Metro Transit also provides Access-A-Bus, a dial-a-ride service for elderly and handicapped residents in the region. [6]
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Active
| Manufacturer | Model | Years Purchased | Fleet Numbers | No. Purchased | No. Remaining in Service | Notes |
| GMDD | T6H-5307N New Look | 1981/1982 | 510 - 515 | 6 | 6 | 510 - 515 are used buses purchased from BC Transit in 2003. |
| GMDD | TC40-102N Classic | 1983 1985 1986 1987 |
870 - 881 882 - 895 896 - 910 911 - 920 |
12 14 15 10 |
7 5 8 6 |
The 1983 buses originally had rollsigns, although some have since been converted to electronic destination signs. |
| MCI | TC40-102N Classic | 1987 1988 1989 1990 |
921 - 928 929 - 940 941 - 947 948 - 952 |
8 12 7 5 |
6 11 7 5 |
|
| MCI / NovaBus | TC60-102N Articulated Classic | 1992 1993 |
701 - 707 708 - 714 |
7 7 |
7 7 |
In 1993, MCI was taken over by NovaBus in the middle of the 1993 order; as a result, 708-710 bear the MCI logo, while 711-714 bear the NovaBus logo. NovaBus discontinued the articulated Classic immediatly following the fulfillment of this order. |
| NovaBus | TC40-102N Classic | 1994 1995 1996 |
953 - 966 967 - 974 975 - 985 |
14 8 11 |
13 8 11 |
975 & 976 were test buses running on propane. The fuel provided less power than expected, and the engines were converted to diesel. |
| New Flyer Industries | D30LF |
1999 | 505 - 507 | 3 | 3 | These buses operate on the Community Transit service. |
| NovaBus | Nova LFS |
1999 2000 |
986 - 997 998 - 1000 |
12 3 |
12 3 |
|
| New Flyer Industries | D40LF |
2002 2004 2005 2006 2006 |
1001 - 1032 1033 - 1060 1061 - 1082 600 - 619 1083 - 1108 |
32 28 22 20 25 |
32 28 22 20 25 |
600 - 619 operate on the MetroLink service only. 1083 - 1108 were ordered in July 2006, and have yet to be delivered. |
[edit] Past
| Manufacturer | Model | Years Purchased | Fleet Numbers | No. Purchased | Notes/History |
| GMDD | T6H-5305 New Look | 1969 1971 |
801 - 819 820 - 823 |
19 4 |
Prior to 1981, these buses were owned by Halifax Transit Corporation |
| GMDD | T6H-4521 New Look | 1969 1971 |
401 - 455 133 - 135 |
55 3 |
Prior to 1981, 401 - 455 were owned by Halifax Transit Corp; 133 - 135 were owned by Dartmouth Transit Service |
| GMDD | TDH-3301 New Look | 1971 | 130 - 131 | 2 | Prior to 1981, these buses were owned by Dartmouth Transit Service |
| GMDD | TDH-3302N New Look | 1973 | 137 | 1 | Prior to 1981, this bus was owned by Dartmouth Transit Service |
| GMDD | T6H-4523N New Look | 1973 1975 1976 1977 |
138 - 139 143 - 144 145 - 147 148 - 150 |
2 2 3 3 |
Prior to 1981, these buses were owned by Dartmouth Transit Service |
| GMDD | T6H-5307N New Look | 1975 1978 1982 |
824 - 835 836 - 856 857 - 869 |
12 21 13 |
Prior to 1981, 824 - 856 were owned by Halifax Transit Corp; 857 - 869 were bought after HTC and DTS merged into Metro Transit |
| Orion Bus Industries | 01.501 (Orion I) | 1981 | 501 - 504 | 4 | Prior to 1990, these buses were owned by the Toronto Transit Commission. 501, 502 & 504 were sold to Kings Transit, Nova Scotia |
| Orion Bus Industries | 01.506 (Orion I) | 1985 | 308 | 1 | Prior to 1996, this bus was owned by the Pictou County Regional Transit Authority. Sold to Kings Transit, Nova Scotia |
| Saab-Scania | CN112A | 1984 | 201 - 212 | 12 |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Category:Bus transit Category:Intermodal transportation authorities Category:Transit agencies in Canada Category:Halifax Regional Municipality Category:Accessible transit services Category:Transportation in Nova Scotia
