Halifax Transit

[Dmajackson]

Annual Service Plan - 2024/25

Nothing big or surprising planned for this year. Routes 1, 10 and 192 should be implemented which will complete "Moving Forward Together Plan" (except the dead-in-the-water Middle Sackville Express). Public feedback for a new plan for standard service will begin sometime later this year.

Interesting note, apparently Route 90 is the most overcrowded route. They're doubling the peak-hour service by removing routes 26 and 57. The area is home to a lot of immigrants, which is driving the high transit usage. This is probably why they're also rerouting 64 into The Parks of Lake Charles before the area even gets built.

Mill Cove Ferry may start construction this year. The BRT is still stalled without any funding support announced.

[AnotherNorthender]

Is BRT stalled due to a lack of funding from the province? My understanding was that the Feds and City are on board but the province is holding it up?

[Nouvellecosse]

Has anyone had a chance to try the new transit app yet? We finally have a cashless payment option for anyone with a credit card and smartphone and I've seen quite a few people using it. And the way they did it by having people show their ticket vouchers to te driver on the phone screen is definitely a faster and cheaper method than installing card readers where people tap onto every bus. Makes me wonder if Hfx transit actually lucked out on not having installed expensive infrastructure before powerful smartphones were ubiquitous, or if this solution is janky and second rate.

• Video Link

I haven't tried it yet since I have an annual Upass but I might over summer.

[AnotherNorthender]

I have a UPass as well but in the council meeting/quarterly KPI meeting they said HFXGo accounted for 10% of revenue in November and 20% in December. It was a Q3 meeting so they just mentioned the Q4 performance from the App, but it seems to be doing pretty good and is growing in usage.

[Drybrain]

It works well for me, and it’s led to me using transit more than I did previously. I rarely had tickets in my wallet, and I even more rarely had exact change, so even though I live in a location where transit is reasonably convenient for getting downtown or to Dartmouth, I rarely used it. The app is simple and easy and I probably use the bus once every couple of weeks now, whereas before I might have gone six months. (I don’t commute so no daily travel.)

But they ARE installing care readers, so who knows if that will be as effective and quick as just showing the driver. But my understanding is that the card readers will also eventually accept debit/credit tap. So that will be a pretty huge shift.

[bartekci]

Originally Posted by AnotherNorthender

Is BRT stalled due to a lack of funding from the province? My understanding was that the Feds and City are on board but the province is holding it up?

The linked annual service plan references a need to apply and present a case for funding. So the wait is due to the city needing to re-propose their need wrt BRT?

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

It works well for me, and it’s led to me using transit more than I did previously. I rarely had tickets in my wallet, and I even more rarely had exact change, so even though I live in a location where transit is reasonably convenient for getting downtown or to Dartmouth, I rarely used it. The app is simple and easy and I probably use the bus once every couple of weeks now, whereas before I might have gone six months. (I don’t commute so no daily travel.)

But they ARE installing care readers, so who knows if that will be as effective and quick as just showing the driver. But my understanding is that the card readers will also eventually accept debit/credit tap. So that will be a pretty huge shift.

Hmm, that's interesting. I didn't know there would be enough people who have credit cards but who lack smartphones to justify the cost of such infrastructure on top of what they already paid to develop the app. Especially since people without smartphone are probably disproportionately cash friendly anyway. But hey if their research tells them differently.

[Summerville]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Hmm, that's interesting. I didn't know there would be enough people who have credit cards but who lack smartphones to justify the cost of such infrastructure on top of what they already paid to develop the app. Especially since people without smartphone are probably disproportionately cash friendly anyway. But hey if their research tells them differently.

I think that it’s more for people that don’t have the app on their phone such tourists.

For example, you can use your Apple wallet on the New York subway system.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Summerville

I think that it’s more for people that don’t have the app on their phone such tourists.

For example, you can use your Apple wallet on the New York subway system.

Yes, and for locals who either don't have a phone (not many people anymore, to be sure, but a few) and people who don't want to download an app or aren't very tech savvy. I have a hard time imagining some of my older relatives paying via app, for example, but they'd be fine to tap their debit cards.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Yes, and for locals who either don't have a phone (not many people anymore, to be sure, but a few) and people who don't want to download an app or aren't very tech savvy. I have a hard time imagining some of my older relatives paying via app, for example, but they'd be fine to tap their debit cards.

Yes, not all of us have their mobile devices surgically attached to our bodies.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Yes, and for locals who either don't have a phone (not many people anymore, to be sure, but a few) and people who don't want to download an app or aren't very tech savvy. I have a hard time imagining some of my older relatives paying via app, for example, but they'd be fine to tap their debit cards.

Well sure, I'm not suggesting that there isn't anyone who would use or benefit from it. Just questioning if it's enough people getting enough benefit to justify it as a spending priority (cost-benefit proposition). Just seems odd that we didn't think any electronic payment infrastructure was useful or affordable enough for like 15 years after Montreal installed the Opus smart card system. Yet we're installing physical readers now after we finally got an app that offers most of the benefits?

But yes, physical readers would certainly be better overall.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Yes, and for locals who either don't have a phone (not many people anymore, to be sure, but a few) and people who don't want to download an app or aren't very tech savvy. I have a hard time imagining some of my older relatives paying via app, for example, but they'd be fine to tap their debit cards.

I'm sure not everybody wants to connect their financial information to their phone as well.

Or people who might be forced to use older technology that can't run up-to-date operating systems that still receive security updates... but they will likely have a debit or credit card, as few people operate using cash anymore.

Some folks also can't afford phone plans that have a lot of data usage included. If you have to pay for extra data usage just to use the HFXGO app, taking the bus suddenly becomes more expensive.

Etc.

[Nouvellecosse]

The app doesn't require a data connection since the fare purchase can be done of wifi and still displayed on the screen while not connected. Bu there might be people who have the other concerns.

[IanWatson]

The app has made a huge difference for me. I've been bussing to work pretty much exclusively since the snow started. Previously I would bus occasionally but would forget to replenish my tickets and then would get put off by the frustration of trying to find somewhere that sold them.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

The app has made a huge difference for me. I've been bussing to work pretty much exclusively since the snow started.

My condolences.

Make sure you are taking a supplement to boost your immune system and step up the frequency of hand-washing once you depart the bus. They are a major source of illness.

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

My condolences.

Make sure you are taking a supplement to boost your immune system and step up the frequency of hand-washing once you depart the bus. They are a major source of illness.

It is, glove season Keith.

[Nouvellecosse]

They're no more a source of illness than any other public space if you go to other places that are equally as crowded as the bus is when you travel. If anything less so since they're so well ventilated with the doors constantly opening and closing. Last time I got sick was Oct before last when i had covid and I wasn't even taking the bus then.

[Keith P.]

When I took the bus to work I was constantly getting colds, flu, respiratory illnesses, whatever. The minute I began driving to work that all stopped. It had to be due to the bus since nothing else changed.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

The app doesn't require a data connection since the fare purchase can be done of wifi and still displayed on the screen while not connected. Bu there might be people who have the other concerns.

Oh, I thought there might be some connection required for a status update or whatever as the credits were being used.

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

Buses are far tighter spaces than LRT cars...at least in my experience. Germs and viruses aside, on a bus it's difficult to get your nose at any distance from the stench of the breakfast pot smoker that sat down next to you on your morning commute whereas on a rail car an extra 30cm or so can make a world of difference in air quality.