Students call for return of bus route cut in Halifax Transit overhaul
CBC News | Posted: October 15, 2018 3:28 PM | Last Updated: October 15, 2018
'We've had a lot of students that are not only showing up late, but are unable to take the bus'
Students at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax are saying that the loss of the No. 18 bus route has led to long and complicated commutes and has served to segregate the university from other institutions on the peninsula.
Until August of this year, the No. 18 — the city's 'universities' bus — went from the Lacewood terminal to Saint Mary's University in the south end and back, stopping at Mount Saint Vincent along the way.
It was phased out in August as part of a major overhaul of the HRM's bus routes.
Brody Stuart-Verner, a recent graduate and current employee at Mount Saint Vincent, said since the end of the No. 18, his 10-minute commute has stretched to 40 minutes.
"I now have to take two separate buses to get back to my apartment and when the 18 was in operation I was able to go straight from the school to my apartment."
Students 'unable to take the bus'
Stuart-Verner isn't the only person who's been affected.
The MSVU student union told CBC's Information Morning that leading up to the implementation of the transit plan, and since the start of the semester in September, they've been hearing from people impacted by the loss of the route.
"We've had a lot of students that are not only showing up late, but are unable to take the bus," said Nikki Jamieson, student union president.
Jamieson said many classes end at 10 p.m. The No. 39 bus, which has replaced the No. 18, stops service at 10:15 p.m., leaving many students stranded.
"If they miss that 10:15 bus, they're either taking a cab, or … they're walking."
No. 18 best option for students headed to Clayton Park
Jamieson said while some students are struggling to make it downtown, the biggest impact has been for those who are trying to make it from the university to Clayton Park. That's a neighborhood the student union had suggested as a good residential option for MSVU students since it was a short commute on the No. 18.
The No. 18 "was the only bus that was able to effectively take students … outbound and back up the hill [to Clayton Park]." she said.
Jamieson said she recently heard from a student that it's now taking 40 minutes "just to walk up to Clayton Park."
MSVU not served by 'universities' bus route
It adds insult to injury, Jamieson said, that the new 'universities' bus — the No. 4 — goes by universities in the downtown but does not serve MSVU.
"So it almost makes us feel like we're not a recognized university within the city and kind of shows contempt for us being off the peninsula."
The student union is circulating a petition calling for the reinstatement of the No. 18 and has compiled a report on the impact of its loss.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Halifax Transit said it received feedback from MSVU students during consultation about the importance of a connection to Robie Street, which is provided by No. 80 and No. 90.
The statement also read that during consultation, "feedback indicated that demand for ridership between MSVU and SMU was not significant," and that connections between MSVU and Clayton Park are provided by several buses.
The statement read that the redesign of the network was designed to remove redundancy and make it easier to understand.