Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal

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Revision as of 02:18, 21 December 2011 by HalifaxRoute10 (talk | contribs) (update)
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Metro Transit Logo.png
Bridge
Terminal
Bus Symbol.jpg Wheelchair symbol.png MetroLink-small.jpg
Location Wyse Road
Dartmouth
Opened
Number of routes 19

Metro Transit's Bridge terminal is located adjacent to the Dartmouth Sportsplex, at the corner of Wyse Road and Nantucket Avenue, at the foot of the MacDonald Bridge which crosses the harbour to Halifax. Due to its location, the Bridge terminal is presently one of the busiest in the system, and currently the most crowded. Plans are being developed to move the terminal slightly up Nantucket Avenue and enlarge it.

The terminal consists of an island platform with two large glass shelters in the middle. There is a single bus stop on each side of the terminal, however the sides are not separated by inbound and outbound routes. Instead, the terminal is arranged roughly so that routes originating from the eastern ends of Dartmouth (including Cole Harbour and Eastern Passage) are on one side (both inbound and outbound) and routes originating from north Dartmouth (including Burnside and Westphal) are on the other side. There is one lane that used to be dedicated to buses laying over, however that practice has been discontinued as the terminal got busier; buses now typically layover either on Wyse Road or nearby Thistle Street. Separate bus stops on Wyse Road are provided for the route 159, so it doesn't have to enter the terminal.

The terminal functions as the primary and busiest transfer point in the entire bus system; nearly all buses running from Dartmouth to Halifax run through the Bridge terminal, and nearly all other routes in Dartmouth terminate there.

The previous terminal was located across Nantucket Avenue in the parking lot of the Dartmouth Shopping Centre, and consisted of a single long platform. It was criticized for being too narrow, with buses often having a hard time getting around a corner in the terminal. Before that was built, the original Bridge terminal consisted of a simple platform located underneath the bridge deck, with no shelter except the bridge above.

In 2007, a mobile structure was put in place to provide drivers a place to sit down and relax on layovers, as the present terminal has no drivers room (or indoor passenger waiting area for that matter).

In September 2011, construction started on the new Bridge Terminal, to be located up the hill and situated perpendicular to the current terminal. The terminal is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012.

Amenities

  • Glass shelters are provided along the length of the platform
  • A GoTime display is located on the platform so passengers can check departure times
  • There is very little seating at the terminal...
  • A GoTime display is located inside of Alderney Gate near the bus terminal

Routes servicing this terminal

Metro Transit Bridge Terminal.jpg
Metro Transit Bridge Terminal-a.jpg