Stop and ask any Halifax driver about traffic and you’re likely to get an earful about recent congestion and unusually long commutes.
From construction to more cars on the road as work-from-home models change, it’s evident the city is changing.
“The new Barrington Street roundabout is working so well,” one TikTok user recently shared sarcastically. “I’ve only been sitting here for an hour and 15 minutes.”
Then, there are the unexpected situations.
On Thursday afternoon, a damaged construction crane in Dartmouth forced the closure of the Macdonald Bridge just before the rush hour — snarling traffic throughout the municipality.
For first responders, it’s especially concerning.
Over the last few years, firefighters have noticed response times are stalling due to heavy traffic and construction.
“A minute could make all the difference in a fire situation or in a medical. So, when we’re not getting off the block, it’s crazy,” said Peter Grantham, a firefighter engineer.
He says traffic calming measures in busy neighbourhoods, as well as bike lanes, are also having an impact.
“You’ll get some people who will drive up on the curb to give you some room, but most people just freeze,” he explained.
“And then you’re stuck. It gets to the point where you shut your siren off because you’re not moving.”
The union representing firefighters in the municipality says the congestion is placing pressure on drivers and causing frustration for crews.
“We’re also seeing a lot of people who are in a hurry and late and maybe driving a bit impatiently. We’ve had some vehicles that have cut in front of firetrucks on their way to calls,” said Brendan Meagher, president of Halifax Professional Firefighters.
Paramedics are also feeling the impact. Kevin MacMullin, the business manager for the Nova Scotia Paramedics International Union of Operating Engineers, says it’s a problem across the municipality.
“Driving in an ambulance or fire truck or any emergency vehicle with lights and sirens is a huge responsibility,” he said.
Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency has been receiving feedback from firefighters who have expressed concern. The department also monitors and analyzes response data.
“We’ve maintained our response times over the years, but as you might note, council has approved several upgrades to the system,” Assistant Chief Scott Ramey said.
“We added some staff and apparatus into the system, which has helped us maintain those call volumes and our response times to those call volumes.”
Ramey says work is also underway with the municipality’s planning and development department to study the impact of traffic calming measures.
Election issue
The province’s political leaders are also taking notice as traffic congestion in the capital city becomes an election issue.
The Liberals are proposing to build a new six-lane bridge across the Halifax Harbour, which would replace the MacKay Bridge, to relieve congestion if elected.
“Once it’s completed we’ll have a bigger bridge with six lanes, a bus lane, and active transportation lanes, which will have a major impact on traffic congestion from the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour side of the harbour to Halifax and back,” Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said.
The party also wants to make public transit free and expand the rapid bus transit system.
Churchill is also taking aim at the Progressive Conservatives’ pledge to remove tolls for the existing Halifax bridges, saying the city is facing an infrastructure problem.
But PC Leader Tim Houston says their plan should help drivers move across the bridges faster, in addition to offering them some financial relief.
“If this is something that makes people’s lives a little easier, and that becomes a better choice for them, that’s a good thing,” Houston said.
“We understand the traffic issues, they’re real and there’s a number of things we’re looking at to support that.”
The NDP also says the congested roads are having a significant impact on commuters.
“Here in HRM, we need to address how people get from Point A to Point B in an affordable and reliable and safe way,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said.
“I think a lot of that has to do with transportation and we look forward to talking about that in the days to come.”