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MetroLink (Halifax)
Encyclopedia
MetroLink is Halifax Regional Municipality
's BRT (Bus Rapid Transit
) express bus service, operated by Metro Transit
.
The system consists of three limited-stop fully accessible express routes, connecting downtown Halifax
's Scotia Square
bus terminal, with the Portland Hills terminal in Cole Harbour
on the Dartmouth
side, and the Sackville Terminal in Lower Sackville
.
and Transport Canada
's Urban Transportation Showcase Program, a five-year program designed to demonstrate and promote urban transportation strategies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The program selected cities across the country to showcase a number of different initiatives in reducing greenhouse gases. Halifax Regional Municipality's $13.3 million proposal for a Bus Rapid Transit
system was chosen, and $4.1 million was given by the Government of Canada
toward this project. The remainder was funded by Halifax Regional Municipality ($8.06 million), the Nova Scotia
Department of Transporatation and Public Works ($785,000) and the Nova Scotia
Department of Energy ($80,000).
Twenty low floor buses were purchased from New Flyer Industries
for the MetroLink service. These buses featured air conditioning
, high-back reclining seats with foot rests, carpeted walls and ceiling to reduce road noise and vibration, a new livery
and logo, and no advertisements both on the inside and outside. One of these buses, #600, was on public display on April 12, 2005 outside of City Hall. The bus was available for media and members of the general public to tour, and increase awareness of the new service.
The service was launched in phases, with the first phase on August 21, 2005. The first phase saw the construction of a new bus terminal in Cole Harbour
called Portland Hills Terminal, with a 230-space parking lot, including some spaces reserved for carpool
parking. Two routes were created at this time, the 159 Portland Hills Link and 165 Woodside Link.
The second phase was launched on February 20, 2006. This phase saw the construction of a new bus terminal in Lower Sackville
called the Sackville Terminal on Walker Ave, with a 315-space parking lot. One new route was created, the 185 Sackville Link.
and the Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax
via Portland Street, Alderney Drive, Wyse Road, the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
and Barrington Street. The route is a limited-stop service, with stops at the Portland Hills Terminal, Penhorn Terminal, Alderney Gate Terminal, Bridge Terminal, and Scotia Square Terminal. As a result, the total one-way trip time is about 13 minutes.
The route 159 operates Monday to Friday every 30-minutes during off-peak times, and every 10-minutes during peak (rush hour) periods. The route does not operate on weekends or holidays.
and the Woodside
Ferry
Terminal via Portland Street and Highway 111
. Passengers can transfer to and from the ferry, which provides direct service to downtown Halifax
.
The route 165 operates Monday to Friday during peak (rush hour) periods only, every 30-minutes. The Woodside Ferry also operates during peak periods only, every 30-minutes. Neither the route 165 or the Woodside Ferry operates on weekends or holidays.
and the Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax
via Highway 101
and the Bedford Bypass, the Magazine Hill, Windmill Road the A. Murray MacKay Bridge
and Barrington Street. The route is a limited-stop service, with stops at the Sackville Terminal, Wright Avenue in the Burnside Industrial Park, and the Scotia Square Terminal. As a result, the total one-way trip time is about 24 minutes.
The route 185 operates Monday to Friday every 30-minutes during off-peak times, and every 10-minutes during peak (rush hour) periods. The route does not operate on weekends or holidays.
The MetroLink service has its own fare structure, separate from the rest of the Metro Transit
system. Cash fares cost an extra fifty cents over and above the regular fares. MetroLink has its own monthly bus pass, the MetroLink Pass, which can be used on any Metro Transit service (excluding Community Transit). Passengers may use regular transit tickets or monthly bus passes (MetroPass), but must deposit an additional fifty cents into the farebox.
In 2005, Halifax Regional Municipality purchased twenty new buses from New Flyer Industries
of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was assumed at the time that HRM would purchase New Flyer's D40i Invero model, which New Flyer was marketing towards BRT
services, however HRM resisted and ordered 20 model D40LF instead, and were given fleet numbers 600 - 619. The D40LF was the current bus of choice for Metro Transit's regular fleet, so they opted to keep the status quo.
These twenty buses feature a new livery
on the outside, air conditioning on the inside (a first for Metro Transit), bike racks, carpeting on the walls and ceiling to reduce road noise and vibrations, and larger plush high-back reclining chairs with arm and leg rests and custom designed fabric design. Also differing these buses from the rest of the Metro Transit fleet are onboard transmitters for the 3M
Opticom
system. Opticom is the system in place in HRM used by fire services and MetroLink, to allow emergency and transit vehicles to hold green lights and prevent them from turning red until the vehicle has got through the intersection. The system is also used to trigger transit priority signals at certain intersections, allowing MetroLink buses to move into the intersection using special bus-only lanes before the rest of the vehicles can proceed. This allows MetroLink buses at a red light to "jump" ahead of waiting cars.
and Spryfield
. Rumours exist of an additional route servicing Timberlea
, but these rumours cannot be substantiated.
Plans existed to introduce a new route to service the Cobequid Terminal, also in Lower Sackville
shortly after the 185 Sackville Link came into service. Destination signs on board the buses were even programmed with a route 184 Cobequid, and early maps of the MetroLink service showed a route 184 between Cobequid Terminal and downtown Halifax
, however this plan seems to have been abandoned.
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
's BRT (Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
) express bus service, operated by Metro Transit
Metro Transit (Halifax)
Metro Transit is a Canadian public transport agency operating buses and ferries in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality .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...
.
The system consists of three limited-stop fully accessible express routes, connecting downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
's Scotia Square
Scotia Square
Scotia Square is a large commercial development in Downtown Halifax, in the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia managed by Halifax Developments Limited . It was built in the late sixties to mid seventies...
bus terminal, with the Portland Hills terminal in Cole Harbour
Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
Cole Harbour is a Canadian suburban community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. It is the hometown of Sidney Crosby.-Geography:...
on the Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
side, and the Sackville Terminal in Lower Sackville
Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Lower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
.
History
The MetroLink service was developed in 2003 between the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Province of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
's Urban Transportation Showcase Program, a five-year program designed to demonstrate and promote urban transportation strategies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The program selected cities across the country to showcase a number of different initiatives in reducing greenhouse gases. Halifax Regional Municipality's $13.3 million proposal for a Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
system was chosen, and $4.1 million was given by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
toward this project. The remainder was funded by Halifax Regional Municipality ($8.06 million), the Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
Department of Transporatation and Public Works ($785,000) and the Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
Department of Energy ($80,000).
New Flyer Industries
New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:...
for the MetroLink service. These buses featured air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
, high-back reclining seats with foot rests, carpeted walls and ceiling to reduce road noise and vibration, a new livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
and logo, and no advertisements both on the inside and outside. One of these buses, #600, was on public display on April 12, 2005 outside of City Hall. The bus was available for media and members of the general public to tour, and increase awareness of the new service.
The service was launched in phases, with the first phase on August 21, 2005. The first phase saw the construction of a new bus terminal in Cole Harbour
Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
Cole Harbour is a Canadian suburban community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. It is the hometown of Sidney Crosby.-Geography:...
called Portland Hills Terminal, with a 230-space parking lot, including some spaces reserved for carpool
Carpool
Carpooling , is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car....
parking. Two routes were created at this time, the 159 Portland Hills Link and 165 Woodside Link.
The second phase was launched on February 20, 2006. This phase saw the construction of a new bus terminal in Lower Sackville
Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Lower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
called the Sackville Terminal on Walker Ave, with a 315-space parking lot. One new route was created, the 185 Sackville Link.
159 Portland Hills Link
The route 159 provides express service between the Portland Hills Terminal in Cole HarbourCole Harbour, Nova Scotia
Cole Harbour is a Canadian suburban community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. It is the hometown of Sidney Crosby.-Geography:...
and the Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
via Portland Street, Alderney Drive, Wyse Road, the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, locally known as "the old bridge", is a suspension bridge crossing Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada; it opened on April 2, 1955....
and Barrington Street. The route is a limited-stop service, with stops at the Portland Hills Terminal, Penhorn Terminal, Alderney Gate Terminal, Bridge Terminal, and Scotia Square Terminal. As a result, the total one-way trip time is about 13 minutes.
The route 159 operates Monday to Friday every 30-minutes during off-peak times, and every 10-minutes during peak (rush hour) periods. The route does not operate on weekends or holidays.
165 Woodside Link
The route 165 provides direct express service between the Portland Hills Terminal in Cole HarbourCole Harbour, Nova Scotia
Cole Harbour is a Canadian suburban community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. It is the hometown of Sidney Crosby.-Geography:...
and the Woodside
Woodside, Nova Scotia
Woodside is an unincorporated lower to middle income urban community of Dartmouth, within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. The community is divided into North Woodside and South Woodside. Woodside is home to two hospitals: the Dartmouth General Hospital and the Nova Scotia...
Ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
Terminal via Portland Street and Highway 111
Nova Scotia Highway 111
Highway 111 is a 13-kilometre controlled access freeway in Nova Scotia, Canada.Highway 111 varies from 4-12 lanes and is known informally as the Dartmouth "Circumferential Highway", or, more recently, "The Circ", since it is a partial orbital road. The highway runs from Pleasant Street in the...
. Passengers can transfer to and from the ferry, which provides direct service to downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
.
The route 165 operates Monday to Friday during peak (rush hour) periods only, every 30-minutes. The Woodside Ferry also operates during peak periods only, every 30-minutes. Neither the route 165 or the Woodside Ferry operates on weekends or holidays.
185 Sackville Link
The route 185 provides express service between the Sackville Terminal in Lower SackvilleLower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Lower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
and the Scotia Square Terminal in downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
via Highway 101
Nova Scotia Highway 101
Highway 101 is an east-west highway in Nova Scotia that runs from Bedford to Yarmouth.The highway follows a route along the southern coast of the Bay of Fundy through the Annapolis Valley. Between its western terminus at Yarmouth to Weymouth, the highway is 2-lane controlled access. Between...
and the Bedford Bypass, the Magazine Hill, Windmill Road the A. Murray MacKay Bridge
A. Murray MacKay Bridge
The A. Murray MacKay Bridge locally known as "the new bridge" is the second suspension bridge linking the Halifax Peninsula with Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and opened on July 10, 1970....
and Barrington Street. The route is a limited-stop service, with stops at the Sackville Terminal, Wright Avenue in the Burnside Industrial Park, and the Scotia Square Terminal. As a result, the total one-way trip time is about 24 minutes.
The route 185 operates Monday to Friday every 30-minutes during off-peak times, and every 10-minutes during peak (rush hour) periods. The route does not operate on weekends or holidays.
Fare Structure
Effective July 1, 2009The MetroLink service has its own fare structure, separate from the rest of the Metro Transit
Metro Transit (Halifax)
Metro Transit is a Canadian public transport agency operating buses and ferries in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality .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...
system. Cash fares cost an extra fifty cents over and above the regular fares. MetroLink has its own monthly bus pass, the MetroLink Pass, which can be used on any Metro Transit service (excluding Community Transit). Passengers may use regular transit tickets or monthly bus passes (MetroPass), but must deposit an additional fifty cents into the farebox.
| Category | Cash Fare | MetroLink Pass | With Transit Ticket, MetroPass, UPass or Transfer |
| Adult | $2.75 | $85.00 | +50 cents |
| Senior/Child | $2.00 | n/a | +50 cents |
| Student | $2.75 | n/a | +50 cents |
Vehicles
New Flyer Industries
New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:...
of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was assumed at the time that HRM would purchase New Flyer's D40i Invero model, which New Flyer was marketing towards BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
services, however HRM resisted and ordered 20 model D40LF instead, and were given fleet numbers 600 - 619. The D40LF was the current bus of choice for Metro Transit's regular fleet, so they opted to keep the status quo.
These twenty buses feature a new livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
on the outside, air conditioning on the inside (a first for Metro Transit), bike racks, carpeting on the walls and ceiling to reduce road noise and vibrations, and larger plush high-back reclining chairs with arm and leg rests and custom designed fabric design. Also differing these buses from the rest of the Metro Transit fleet are onboard transmitters for the 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
Opticom
Opticom
Opticom may refer to:*Opticom ASA, a Norwegian electronics company*Opticom System, a Signal Preemption device produced by 3M...
system. Opticom is the system in place in HRM used by fire services and MetroLink, to allow emergency and transit vehicles to hold green lights and prevent them from turning red until the vehicle has got through the intersection. The system is also used to trigger transit priority signals at certain intersections, allowing MetroLink buses to move into the intersection using special bus-only lanes before the rest of the vehicles can proceed. This allows MetroLink buses at a red light to "jump" ahead of waiting cars.
Infrastructure
Bus Stops
Part of Halifax Regional Municipality's plans for distinguishing the MetroLink service from the rest of the Metro Transit system involved creating special bus stop signs, bus shelters and info posts at MetroLink bus stops. The new bus stop signs feature the same colours and design as the livery on the buses, the new shelters feature the gold and blue MetroLink "swirl" along the back wall, and the new info posts, which display maps and schedule information for the three MetroLink routes, are also done in the same gold and blue swirl, with the stop name vertically oriented along the side.Traffic Changes
A number of changes were made to streets and intersections along the routes to help the MetroLink buses get ahead of the rest of traffic. The following changes were introduced:- Bus-only lanes and traffic priority signals along Portland Street in DartmouthDartmouth, Nova ScotiaDartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
for the route 159 and 165. The lanes and signals are located at the intersection of Portland Street and Woodlawn Road. The bus-only lanes allow the MetroLink buses to bypass traffic waiting at a red light. Just before the light turns green, a special transit priority signal (a white vertical bar above the red stop light) comes on, allowing the bus to enter the intersection ahead of waiting vehicles.
- Bus-only lanes and traffic priority signals along Windmill Road in the Burnside Industrial Park for the route 185. The lanes and signals are located at the intersections of Windmill Road, Wright Ave and Akerley Blvd. They work in the same manner as described above.
Future Development
Phase three of the MetroLink service is expected to take place within the next five years. This phase will see new terminals and MetroLink routes in other busy corridores such as Clayton ParkClayton Park, Nova Scotia
Clayton Park is a Canadian suburban development in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality inside the city of Halifax.-Original development:...
and Spryfield
Spryfield, Nova Scotia
Spryfield is a community in Mainland Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded about 1770, by Captain William Spry, who purchased land there and established the settlement with the aid of stationed soldiers from the nearby Halifax garrison...
. Rumours exist of an additional route servicing Timberlea
Timberlea, Nova Scotia
Timberlea is a community located on the rural/suburban fringe of the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada, along the St. Margaret's Bay Rd , which extends from the Armdale Rotary to the Head of St. Margaret's Bay. It begins about 8 miles/13 km from downtown Halifax...
, but these rumours cannot be substantiated.
Plans existed to introduce a new route to service the Cobequid Terminal, also in Lower Sackville
Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Lower Sackville is a suburban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of the urban area of Halifax ....
shortly after the 185 Sackville Link came into service. Destination signs on board the buses were even programmed with a route 184 Cobequid, and early maps of the MetroLink service showed a route 184 between Cobequid Terminal and downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
, however this plan seems to have been abandoned.
- 159 Portland Hills Link
- 165 Woodside Link
- 185 Sackville Link
Impacts
- The route 185 Sackville Link has improved transit connections to downtown Halifax from Lower Sackville, since standard bus service on routes 87 & 1 takes 43 minutes in optimal conditions, and bus service on the route 80 (which travels via BedfordBedford, Nova ScotiaBedford is a community in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was an independent town from 1980-1996. Bedford lies on the northwestern end of Bedford Basin, an extension of the Halifax Harbour...
) takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Both routes 159 Portland Hills Link and 185 Sackville Link saw unprecedented ridership in the first few months of service. Initial rush hour schedules saw both routes running on 15-minute frequencies, however within months this was changed to 10-minutes. Also, both Portland Hills Terminal and the Sackville Terminal recently underwent expansions to their parking lots, bringing the combined capacity of both lots to 545 cars. Still, both parking lots are frequently full, with people parking on the driveways to the lots.
See also
- Metro Transit (Halifax)Metro Transit (Halifax)Metro Transit is a Canadian public transport agency operating buses and ferries in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality .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...
- Halifax Regional Municipality
- Bus Rapid TransitBus rapid transitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...