Halifax Transit wants to make Gottingen Street, Bayers Road routes faster

Halifax Transit wants ideas from the public on how to get buses moving faster along Bayers Road and Gottingen Street.

Under the transit plan approved in 2016, both streets are now considered transit corridors. But the designation for Gottingen Street is not going over well with the North End Business Association.

Its executive director says it means even more buses will use the route.

Noise, dust, safety concerns

"Having 60 to 70 buses during peak hours is detrimental," said Patty Cuttell-Busby. "It's just too many buses."

Cuttell-Busby says the buses create noise, dust and safety concerns for pedestrians, and many of the buses don't even stop along Gottingen Street because they're express routes for commuters.

Some local business owners think the buses should be more evenly distributed with other north-south streets such as Barrington Street, Cuttell-Busby says.

"It's four to six lanes wide, it has few pedestrians and, between downtown and the bridge, not a lot of residents," she said.

Pushing traffic to Barrington Street

A volunteer with transit advocacy group It's More Than Buses agrees that a lot of the traffic on Gottingen Street could be pushed to Barrington Street.

Scott Edgar says Gottingen Street is not wide enough for bus-only lanes in both directions, even if the parking is removed. He adds in the short term, a reversible, bus-only lane is possible. 

But in the long term, Edgar has another vision for Gottingen Street.

"It could be made for local traffic only, which would free up the street for pedestrians, cyclists, transit, taxis and people who live in the neighbourhood," said Edgar.

Open houses coming

Edgar does believe that adding bus lanes in both directions is doable on Bayers Road. "It would require widening the road in a couple of places," said Edgar.

"The city has considered doing this in the past for cars, but if they do it, they should only do it for bus lanes."

The open house on the Bayers Road Transit Corridor will take place Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Maritime Hall of the Halifax Forum. The session on Gottingen Street will be held on Oct. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dixon Centre.