Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says the province is looking at both short‑term and long‑term options to ease growing traffic congestion in Halifax, following a new report that ranks the city among the worst in North America for delays.
The annual TomTom Traffic Index released this week places Halifax third‑worst for congestion in Canada, behind only Vancouver and Toronto.
The report says drivers in the city now face congestion levels of 45 per cent and lose an average of 111 hours a year to rush‑hour traffic, the equivalent of more than four full days on the road.
Houston said none of the findings come as a surprise to anyone trying to drive across the city. “Certainly anyone that drives around the city can understand it’s a major, major issue, a major source of frustration,” he said.
He added that the province believes there are practical steps that can be taken to improve the situation. “We understand this is a big issue. There are things that can be done. We just need to make sure that we get on the right path.”
The premier said some measures could be implemented quickly, including reviewing how high‑occupancy vehicle lanes function. “We keep looking at the high‑occupancy vehicle lanes for sure,” he said, noting that empty lanes sitting beside bumper‑to‑bumper traffic don’t make sense for commuters. He also pointed to improving the flow of vehicles by adjusting signals along busy routes. “Looking at the synchronization and the flow of lights along major thoroughfares… those are short‑term initiatives we’re looking at.”
Houston said the removal of bridge tolls last year also provided insight into how eliminating stop‑and‑go points can help traffic move more freely. “Lots of people mentioned that to me as well,” he said. “If we can remove these places where people have to stop and back some things up, then those are short‑term initiatives we’re looking at.”
Longer‑term options are also on the table, with the premier saying the province is exploring large‑scale transportation projects. He said rapid ferry service is one possibility. “We’ll look at rapid transit initiatives for sure,” Houston said, referring specifically to work underway on a potential fast ferry between Dartmouth and downtown Halifax.
He also repeated his interest in using the CN rail corridor for traffic. “I’d like to see the rail cut used for traffic, for sure,” Houston said, though he noted that other parties are involved and discussions would be required.
Houston said all of these ideas reflect the need to address a problem that drivers experience daily. “It’s a major issue… and there’s still a lot of work to do,” he said.
