The winners and losers of Halifax's Transit planning
Everyone loses when most of the city drives
by Giancarlo Cininni & Antonia Zwissler
Last week, city hall was no stranger to controversy. During public feedback at a Feb. 11 budget meeting Urchin Property Management Inc. owner Ursula Eckoldt let slip that she has a second home in Europe while bellyaching about how high taxes hurt “mom and pop” landlords. Much more boring, yet more important, transit planning was also on the agenda.
Executive director of Halifax Transit Robin Gerus presented Halifax Transit’s $66.5m 2026/27 draft budget, which costs $158m but makes up $91.6m in revenue. Four new Access-A-Busses and eight operators are to be delayed until a service review is done this year. Transit also wants to hire two electricians to repair electric bus infrastructure. Another upgrade is the 320 airport bus becoming the first 24h route in Halifax, planned for next year. And Mayor Andy Fillmore marvelled when Halifax Transit’s Mark Santilli said bank card tap and pay could be here by summer.
Many of the upcoming changes fall under a new three-year plan called the Core Service Plan (CSP). It could cost $70m between now and 2029. Much of the plan is designed to bolster transit between the HRM’s growing suburbs “We are seeing a lot more jobs and people choosing to live in the suburbs,” said Halifax Transit planning technician Reuben Walker.
This year, the plan adjusts four routes, including running the 5 more on Sundays. Next year, 21 routes would be expanded, and 20 busses added. The third year adds 10 busses and expands four routes, including the 54 and 55 to Port Wallace which would only expand once Port Wallace is denser. Furthermore, microtransit, an on-demand service that relies on smaller vehicles, is also on the way.
The Winners
Jean St. Amand (District 16) won the CSP lottery. His district is slated for a new north-south bus route, the 95. The plan also cuts Cobequid Terminal out of the 92 route, ending in West Bedford instead.
