Halifax (metro) Transit.

[hfx_chris]

Metro Transit seriously needs to look at how they're doing destination sign programming. They either need to contract the work out to somebody who actually knows what they're doing, or send whoever is responsible for programming them on a course.

However, chances are list a lot of things in organizations, this important task is probably just being done off the side of somebody's desk.

Seriously, the new signs for the 57, 72 and 165 are just horrible. Embarrassing really. I would imagine that the signs for the 8 and 22 are probably just as bad. I've got to try and get some video sometime for our out of towners...

[calamin]

the 22 and 8 are fine they look kind of like the what the 4 and the 1 do ( except on the nova Lfs artics). I would love to see them reprogram the 57,165,9 etc

[hfx_chris]

I applaud their attempt at making more descriptive signs...I just wish they would figure out how to do it first.

[59_Colby]

Metro Transit seriously needs to look at how they're doing destination sign programming. They either need to contract the work out to somebody who actually knows what they're doing, or send whoever is responsible for programming them on a course.

However, chances are list a lot of things in organizations, this important task is probably just being done off the side of somebody's desk.

Seriously, the new signs for the 57, 72 and 165 are just horrible. Embarrassing really. I would imagine that the signs for the 8 and 22 are probably just as bad. I've got to try and get some video sometime for our out of towners...

I agree with the 72 and 165 not being great attempts of sign programming. I'm wondering what you think is wrong with the 57, as I don't see a problem with the 57's destination signs. I'm not a huge fan of the scrolling of the 72 and 165, especially the 72.

[hfx_chris]

I think the side sign on the 57 is messed... the front is fine as I recall...

[59_Colby]

I think the side sign on the 57 is messed... the front is fine as I recall...

I've never been close enough to see the side sign of the 57. I do not like the scrolling of the signs of the 72 and 165. The only signs like that which i like were on the 56 Dartmouth Crossing or any of the buses that scrolled between "XX Portland" and "Hills" (XX represents the route number).

[59_Colby]

A couple of days ago, I saw a new destination sign. It said "3 Inglis and South Park via Downtown". I'm wondering when this change occurred, and what the other new destination sign for the 3 is because I'm assuming the 3 is removing "Manors" from its destination signs to remove the stigma that the 3 is a "seniors only" route.

[DE40LFR]

Made CTV National News tonight:

Stroller ‘discrimination’ charged

Halifax father of twins says transit driver was rude and wouldn’t let his family board bus

By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter

A Halifax man says a Metro Transit bus driver was rude to him and wouldn’t let him, his wife and two infants board a bus because his sons were in a large stroller. (Staff / File)

A Halifax father who alleges his young family was recently discriminated against by a rude bus driver who wouldn’t let them on with their stroller, is unhappy with how Metro Transit handled his complaint.

Mohammad Ehsan said Saturday that he’ll take his case to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and wants to pursue it further with Halifax Regional Municipality.

He said transit officials spoke to him Friday and "sided with the driver" of the No. 10 downtown bus the family was trying to board with a large stroller. Ehsan and his wife, Farzana Naz, have twin boys who are six months old. The couple doesn’t own a car.

Ehsan said the incident, which happened a week ago, was the first time a bus driver in metro made an issue of their stroller.

He said his complaint with the commission will allege Metro Transit "has discriminated against mothers with newborns."

Ehsan also alleged the bus operator was "so rude to us," and said his behaviour needs to be addressed by management.

A Metro Transit official has said accommodating passengers with baby strollers is at the discretion of individual drivers. There are space, passenger safety and occupational health and safety considerations at play, Metro Transit has said.

A spokesperson with the transit agency told CBC News last week that Metro Transit has received previous complaints involving strollers on city buses.

Ehsan, who teaches at Dalhousie University and is a PhD candidate there, said Metro Transit’s guidelines for passengers with strollers are fuzzy.

"Just because they have an unclear and vague rule, it doesn’t mean they’re right," he told The Chronicle Herald.

He said he spoke to two Metro Transit officials Friday "but they were not answering any of my questions."

Ehsan said he plans to contact his municipal councillor or Mayor Peter Kelly or both.

"It was discrimination for sure," Ehsan said, because his family was allegedly singled out due to their stroller use.

He said there were empty seats on the bus he and his family were trying to get on with their long, $750 stroller.

The mayor said he wasn’t familiar with all the details of Ehsan’s allegations or Metro Transit’s side of the story.

Kelly said transit staff told him Saturday that strollers can be accommodated on buses, but it depends on the situation and it remains a judgment call on the part of the operator.

"If the wheelchair areas are not in use, they can be stored in those areas," Kelly said. "Seventy-five per cent of our fleet are the low-floor vehicles and they do have the double wheelchair capacity."

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1220980.html

[2822]

Good for the driver for not allowing the stroller, Maybe they should go out and buy a less expensive and smaller stroller.

[general682002]

Good for the driver for not allowing the stroller, Maybe they should go out and buy a less expensive and smaller stroller.

The unfortunate side is this, not everyone can buy something smaller as not everyone has a car. The only way to keep it from happening is put around the wheelchair area.

[jc.theriault]

Yes the wheelchair area is ideal but someone else will come along and expect their stroller to be accomodated as well (even though it breaks the NSURB's rules about blocking the aisles) when the courtesy seats are occupied or wheelchair spaces are already occupied by strollers or disabled passengers. What needs to happen is for transit officials to issue firm rules, not guidelines or suggestions (ie. "must" instead of "should"), then support their operators when mega strollers are turned away (or even smaller ones on overloaded buses). Perhaps the NSURB needs to voice their commitment to passenger safety as well.

But the idea that someone who doesn't own a car can't use a smaller stroller is foolish. Use the stroller for it's intended purpose - carrying the child and perhaps a few bags. But if you need to get the week's groceries and living room furniture, perhaps its time to get a babysitter and go out by yourself on transit or alternate travel methods.

[Halifax_Route10]

Well, it's taken five years to decide on a site and a plan, but Regional Council finally approved construction of a new Bridge Terminal.

For those who don't know, the Bridge Terminal is the busiest terminal in HRM, serving 17,000 people daily, and the current terminal is a god-awful concrete pad with a few inadequate shelters and safety problems. Anything would be an improvement, but I'm quite impressed with the new design:

PDF with renderings of new terminal design (starting on page 8; option 1 was the chosen design)

[hfx_chris]

I gotta admit I'm shocked that HRM council went with the more expensive option that included the pedestrian bridge from the top... I seriously wonder how many people would actually approach the terminal from that end, except maybe students from the high school.

Also interesting is the option 2 rendering on page 14 shows a bus displaying route "52 Crosstown" (the route is named Crosstown but that name doesn't appear on any of the destination signs), and a route "68 Out Of Service"

[2822]

I looked over the presentation and i like the artist concept of the new terminal. It's nice to see some trees and green space in a bus terminal.

[transit boy]

Dose any one know if they're going to replace the New Flyer D30LF soon?

[hfx_chris]

I still see them every now and then on the Community Transit routes...

[kevlo86]

Does anyone have an updated status on the Articulated Classics?

I am visiting a few Atlantic Canada systems at the end of March, any other advice that would be useful for transit fanning in Halifax?

Thanks!

[calamin]

Does anyone have an updated status on the Articulated Classics?

I am visiting a few Atlantic Canada systems at the end of March, any other advice that would be useful for transit fanning in Halifax?

Thanks!

I think we 6 have left on the road, you will see them on the 20 and the 10. Sometimes they are out side of that really no set place now that we have all those Novas. We usedto see them on three shifts that belonged to the 10 but once march hit and the canada games where done, we started using the new novas on them. I see them out on short pieces of work alot. They are not used on weekends at all anymore, you should be safe at the end of this month to see them. I am thinking that their days are numbered, we have snother 20 novas coming in the next year in half so I could see them pairing down the classic artics. I know one of them forget the number was recently scrapped and the rear end used to fix a 40ft that cuaght fire.

[59_Colby]

I think we 6 have left on the road, you will see them on the 20 and the 10. Sometimes they are out side of that really no set place now that we have all those Novas. We usedto see them on three shifts that belonged to the 10 but once march hit and the canada games where done, we started using the new novas on them. I see them out on short pieces of work alot. They are not used on weekends at all anymore, you should be safe at the end of this month to see them. I am thinking that their days are numbered, we have snother 20 novas coming in the next year in half so I could see them pairing down the classic artics. I know one of them forget the number was recently scrapped and the rear end used to fix a 40ft that cuaght fire.

That's a shame. Those were some of the best buses in the system. They've had a good life. Soon they'll be in the transit garage in the sky...

[kevlo86]

Visited Halifax for a couple days this past week, spotted 709, 711, 712 and 714 articulated Classics in service on Routes 10 and 20. Was very happy to get at least a few of them!

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

Visited Halifax for a couple days this past week, spotted 709, 711, 712 and 714 articulated Classics in service on Routes 10 and 20. Was very happy to get at least a few of them!

I hope you got a door side view of 709 as it's different from #'s 711-714. I believe you already know those differences...

[kevlo86]

I hope you got a door side view of 709 as it's different from #'s 711-714. I believe you already know those differences...

I only spotted 709 while I was driving and I didn't have time to go chasing it. So no photo, but I know others have got photos.

Here is a video of Nova LFS #993, Cummins ISC, with what I am quite sure is an Allison B400R just based on listening.

[AlexLy]

Yes it has an Allison.

[kevlo86]

Uploaded 33 of my photos from my trip. Here are a few samples, you can go to my website to view the rest.

[hfx_chris]

Awesome shots! They look great!

One correction I would make, the rear shot of Classic 975 appears to be departing on a route 60 Eastern Passage, as opposed to a 66 Penhorn (which doesn't service that terminal)