Metro Transit (Halifax)

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Metro Transit is a Canadian public transport agency operating buses and ferries in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

Owned by the HRM, Metro Transit's operations area is the urban core in the western part of the municipality, namely the Halifax and Dartmouth Metropolitan Areas, along with adjacent outlying neighbourhoods and communities. Metro Transit is the largest transit agency in Atlantic Canada.

Contents

[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, taking its name from the Metropolitan Commission. Metro Transit Centre, the agency's headquarters and bus maintenance facility, is located in Burnside Park.

[edit] Bus Service

Metro Transit bus
Metro Transit bus
A Metro Transit articulated bus
A Metro Transit articulated bus

Currently there are 243 buses in the fleet, 145 of them low-floor vehicles (including the ones that will be in service in 2007 when they arrive), operating on 48 routes, including three Community Transit routes and three express routes operating as MetroLink, which began service in August 2005.

[edit] Regular service

Metro Transit currently operates 56 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 are numbered according to the region or type of service provided:

Routes in the 00's (1-9), the 10's (10-18) and the 20's (20 & 21) are all primarily Halifax-based routes, routes in the 30's (31-35) are rush-hour only routes serving Halifax, routes in the 40's (40-42) are university routes serving the Dalhousie University campus operating during the academic calendar only, routes in the 50's (51-59), the 60's (60-68) and 70's (72) are Dartmouth-based routes, routes in the 80's (80-88) are Sackville and Bedford routes, and routes in the 100's (159, 165 & 185) are the MetroLink routes (see below). Schedule information and route maps can be found on the Schedules and Route Maps section of the Metro Transit website.

Current Metro Transit cash fare is $2.00 for adult or student ($1.40 for senior or child), book of 20 adult/student tickets for $32 ($23 for child/senior), or a monthly bus pass (MetroPass) for $60 adult, $42 child/senior or $54 student. A U-Pass (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.

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. Transfers are only good for two hours after they have been issued.

[edit] Transit Routes

Routes:

Wheelchair - Accessible Low Floor (ALF) route.

Rush Hour Service Only.

Image:MetroLink-small.jpg MetroLink Service (see MetroLink section below).

Routes 41 and 42 operate during the academic calendar only.***

[edit] Express service

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article. (Discuss)

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-Dartmouth, for just 50 cents more ($2.50 cash fare, ticket + $0.50, transfer + $0.50, MetroPass + $0.50) than a standard bus fare.

Phase I was launched on August 21, 2005 from the newly constructed Portland Hills Terminal on Portland St. in the east end of Dartmouth. This phase introduced the first two MetroLink routes:

The route 159 Portland Hills Link provides a quick, 13-minute ride to Scotia Square in downtown Halifax. The route follows the Portland St./Alderney Drive corridor, 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. Route 159 operates every 10 minutes during peak times. There is no service on Saturday or Sunday.
The route 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. Route 165 only operates during peak times Monday-Friday.

Phase II was launched on February 20, 2006 from the newly constructed Sackville terminal on Walker Ave. in Lower Sackville.

The route 185 Sackville Link provides service to Scotia Square in downtown Halifax. The route follows Highway 101 and Windmill Road (Highway 7) through the Burnside Industrial Park, crossing the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, stopping only at Windmill Road and Wright Ave. in Burnside Industrial Park. Route 185 takes 24 minutes and operates every ten minutes during morning and evening peak times, and every half hour during off-peak times.
Route 185 has improved transit connections to downtown Halifax from Lower Sackville, since standard bus service on Route 87/Route 1 takes 43 minutes in optimal conditions and standard bus service on Route 80 takes 1 hour 10 minutes.

Phase III is expected to be introduced over the next few years and will connect Cobequid Terminal in Lower Sackville, Clayton Park and Spryfield.

Benefits derived from MetroLink express service:

  • Limited stops, reduced driving time.
  • Bus-only turning and driving lanes. Transit priority signals (bus-only traffic lights) at intersections.
  • Sensor on board buses alert traffic signal monitoring system, triggering transit priority signals, holding green lights or shortening red lights.
  • Comfortable interior features including carpeted walls and ceilings to reduce road noise and vibration, high-back reclining seats with head and foot rests, air-conditioning in the summer, and an advertisement-free zone.

More information on the MetroLink service can be found on Metro Transit's MetroLink web page.

[edit] Community Transit

Metro Transit runs a Community Transit service, allowing residents in some suburban and rural communities access to the regular and express bus system operated by Metro Transit.

Currently there are 3 Community Transit routes:

  • Beaver Bank, offering service between the new Sackville Terminal and Beaver Bank Villa in Beaver Bank via the Beaver Bank Road.
  • Fall River, offering service between the new Sackville Terminal and the Sobeys in Fall River via the Fall River Rd. and Windsor Junction Cross Rd.

Cash fares are as follows: $1.50 adult and $1.25 senior/children for Fall River and Beaver Bank; $2.50 adult and $1.25 senior/child for Porter's Lake. Regular transit tickets are accepted on Community Transit, however monthly bus passes are not, and transfers are neither accepted or given out.

More information on Community Transit can be found on Metro Transit's Community Transit web page.

[edit] Access-A-Bus

Metro Transit also provides Access-A-Bus service which is a dial-a-ride service for elderly and handicapped residents in the region. This service was created in 1981, the same year Metro Transit was formed.[1] There are approximately 20 Access-A-Bus vehicles[citation needed].

[edit] GoTime

GoTime is Metro Transit's automated vehicle locator (AVL) system. The GoTime AVL system, which was developed in-house by the former City of Halifax for Metro Transit between 1984 and 1987, tracks buses locations throughout the city using a number of different sensors onboard the buses: a sensor on the front-left wheel of each bus keeps track of wheel rotations, which allows the onboard computer to determine the road distance traveled from the start of the route, allowing it to calculate where along the route the bus is; a radio receiver detects when the bus passes an electronic post along each route, and the onboard computer uses the known location of the posts to further correct it's location along the route; and sensors on the bus doors detect the opening and closing of the doors, allowing the computer to further correct it's location along the route by comparing this to a list of known bus stop locations. All of this information is used to calculate the bus' exact location along a route, and transmits this data to the Metro Transit Control Centre at least once every minute during peak times, and more frequently during less busy times. Using all of this information, the central GoTime system keeps a list of estimated times when each bus in the system will reach the bus stops ahead of it along each route.

Each bus stop sign has a red 4-digit GoTime number on it. A passenger can dial 465- plus that 4-digit number, to hear an automated message telling them exactly when a bus will arrive at that stop, based on the information calculated above. Also, GoTime monitors are placed at every transit terminal, and a few major stops, listing each of the routes that service that stop and when the next two buses on those routes will arrive at that stop. This information is continually updated as the central GoTime system recalculates bus departure times, using the data collected from the buses. In addition to this, each bus is equipped with a small keypad and screen which continually updates the driver on exactly how many minutes ahead of or behind schedule they are.

Since this technology was developed in the 80's and 90's, it is beginning to show signs of approaching the end of its life. Often, the onboard systems on the buses fail to work correctly, and instead of calculating the estimated departure times based on bus location, the GoTime system frequently gives users the scheduled departure times instead. A new generation GoTime system is being planned, which would utilize GPS technology. This new generation of GoTime is expected to be implimented later in 2007.

For more detailed operating information on the present generation GoTime AVL system, see this article on GoTime, care of Transport Canada.

[edit] Fleet

[edit] Current

Manufacturer Model Model Years 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		 6
5
8
4		 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
6
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 immediately 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 - 996
997 - 1000		 11
4		 11
4		  
New Flyer Industries D40LF 2002
2004
2005
2005
2006		 1001 - 1032
1033 - 1060
1061 - 1082
600 - 619
1083 - 1107		 32
28
22
20
25		 32
28
22
20
25		 600 - 619 operate on the MetroLink service only.

[edit] Past

Manufacturer Model Model Years 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 Assembled from 'completely-knocked-down' kits by Tri-Star Industries of Yarmouth, NS; purchase subsidised by NS government in an attempt to create a provincial bus-building industry

[edit] Ferry service

Halifax III
Halifax III
Dartmouth III
Dartmouth III
A map of Metro Transit ferry routes, both existing and possible new ones. (Note: Possible route to Eastern Passage is not included)
A map of Metro Transit ferry routes, both existing and possible new ones. (Note: Possible route to Eastern Passage is not included)

[edit] Current service

Metro Transit also provides two passenger ferry routes, one connecting downtown Halifax with Alderney Landing in Dartmouth (which operates daily using 2 vessels) and the other connecting downtown Halifax with Woodside (Monday through Friday only using 1 vessel). The ferry services are integrated with the bus services; the fares are identical, and transfers are accepted between the two systems. The harbour ferries are utilised by over 3000 commuters daily [2]. Each ferry carries a maximum of 398 passengers.

[edit] Proposed high speed service

In recent years, following undelivered plans to implement commuter rail, the municipality has begun to plan several new high speed ferry routes on Halifax Harbour, including service to Purcell's Cove, Bedford, Eastern Passage and Shannon Park. These routes would be served by wave piercing catamarans capable of speeds of approximately 40 knots. Details have not been finalized, however it is likely that the downtown Halifax terminal would act as a hub, with all routes radiating outward. Studies and trials have been undertaken for a Bedford-Halifax route, which will likely be the first high speed service.

[edit] Fleet

[edit] Current

[edit] Past

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Payzant, J. & Lewis, J (1979): Like A Weaver's Shuttle: A History of the Halifax-Dartmouth Ferries. Nimbus Publishing.

[edit] External links

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