Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment

&
Transportation Demand Management
Community Workshops

Summary Report

February 2009

Prepared by:
Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission
125 Wyse Road, P.O Box 40
Dartmouth, NS
B2Y 3Y2
www.hdbc.ca
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Executive Summary……………………………………………………….page 3
Background……..…………………………………………………………page 4
Community Context………………………………………………………page 5-6
Presentations……………………………...……………………………….page 7-9
Discussion Summary.…………………………...………………...………page 10-12
Appendices
Appendix I – Event Postcard…..………………………………….page 13
Appendix II – Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment
& TDM Presentation (HDBC).…………………..page 14-17
Appendix III – TDM Presentation (HRM)………………………page 18-20
Appendix IV –FAQ’s………….…………………….…………..…page 21-24
Appendix V – Backgrounder.……………..…………..…………..page 25
Appendix VI – Fact Sheet…………………………….……..…….page 26

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In November 2008 the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission (HDBC), in partnership

with the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), hosted five community workshops to
share the results of the Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment and to lead the
community in dialogue about transportation demand management (TDM) and other
measures that could delay the need for additional cross harbour capacity.

The community workshops, which took place in Cole Harbour, Dartmouth, Bedford,
Halifax and Spryfield, attracted 51 participants and consisted of three presentations and a
question and answer period at each workshop.

During the presentation portion of the community workshops, participants heard from:
- Jon Eppell, HDBC Bridge Engineer and Maintenance Manager, regarding the
results of the Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment;
- Steven Snider, CEO and General Manager of HDBC, spoke about reducing
congestion through tolling; and,
- David McCusker, HRM Manager of Strategic Transportation Planning and
Roxane MacInnis, HRM TDM Planner, outlined the TDM measures being
implemented as part of the HRM Regional Plan.

Following the presentations, participants took part in a question and answer period
facilitated by HDBC Communications Manager, Alison MacDonald. The question period
allowed the audience to pose questions to the panel of speakers and voice their opinions
about the transportation system in HRM.

The key concerns heard were:

• The community does not want to see a third harbour crossing until all other
options are investigated and evaluated. Most participants believe the cost of
building another crossing is too great when transportation services such as Metro
Transit are so lacking in funding.
• The consensus is that the transit system needs to be more convenient and efficient
to reach the goals outlined in the HRM Regional Plan (from 18% to 23% ridership
by 2026). Participants voiced their concern over the lack of funding from the
Government of Nova Scotia for a stronger transit system.
• Issues were raised around the safety of transit and the need for direct buses to
hospitals and universities.
• In terms of tolling based TDM: road pricing, cordon tolling, peak period tolling
and increasing the cost of parking on the peninsula received significant support.

The following pages contain a full summary of the discussions that took place as well as
the opinions and solutions that were brought forward by the participants.

3
BACKGROUND

In March 2008 The Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission (HDBC) released the results
of a needs assessment study on cross harbour traffic. The study, titled Cross Harbour
Traffic Needs Assessment, points to growing traffic congestion and population growth
patterns as predictors that a third harbour crossing may be required between 2016 and
2026. Since March 2008, the HDBC has embarked on a consultation process of sharing
the results with numerous business and community groups.

Part of that consultation process involved sharing the results with the public. In
November 2008 members of HDBC, in partnership with the Halifax Regional
Municipality (HRM), hosted five community workshops to discuss with the public the
Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment and transportation demand management (TDM)
measures that can be implemented to delay the need for an additional harbour crossing.

The goal of the community workshops was not to make the case for a third harbour
crossing. It was to lead the community in dialogue about what can be done to manage the
growing congestion in HRM other than building costly infrastructure.

It is also important to note that it is not the mandate of HDBC to determine when or if
additional cross harbour capacity is needed – that decision falls to the elected officials of
HRM and the Government of Nova Scotia.

The objectives of the community workshops were:

• To share the results of the Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment with the
public;
• To lead the community in a discussion of TDM issues;
• To put forward elements of possible tolling-based TDM for discussion, in terms
of perceived benefits and challenges; and,
• To evaluate the level of interest and knowledge that exists in the community
regarding transportation issues and solutions.

4
COMMUNITY CONTEXT:

In November 2008, the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission (HDBC) partnered with

HRM to host five community workshops to share the results of the Cross Harbour Traffic
Needs Assessment (“Needs Assessment”) and discuss ways in which the Halifax Regional
Municipality (HRM) and HDBC can manage growing congestion through transportation
demand management (TDM) measures.

Transportation demand management (TDM) is any action to reduce transportation

demand (for example: transit usage, active transportation, parking management, road
pricing or cordon tolling). Put simply it is any action that encourages a decrease in the
demand for the existing transportation system.

The community workshops took place from 7:00pm to 9:00pm and included
presentations about the Needs Assessment, TDM from a tolling perspective, and TDM
from HRM’s perspective. The workshops took place on:

• November 12th, Cole Harbour Place

• November 18th, Dartmouth Sportsplex
• November 19th, Basinview Community School (Bedford)
• November 25th, St. James Anglican Church (Halifax)
• November 26th, Spryfield Lions Den

To promote the sessions HDBC mailed postcards outlining event details (Appendix I), e-
mailed stakeholders and businesses, posted information on the HDBC website, placed an
advertisement in The Chronicle Herald, and sent a media release which resulted in
coverage from CBC radio, CBC television, News 95.7 All News Radio and The Chronicle
Herald.

Much of the media coverage surrounding the workshops focused on the possibility of a
third harbour crossing. The Chronicle Herald published stories titled: “Opinions sought
in need for third bridge”, and “What’ll it be: Bridge or Tunnel”. HDBC was able to use
this interest to promote TDM options to delay the need for building another harbour
crossing.

The community workshops began with an introduction and overview of the agenda from
Alison MacDonald, HDBC’s Communications Manager. This was followed by a
presentation on the Needs Assessment by the HDBC’s Bridge Engineer and Maintenance
Manager, Jon Eppell. Steven Snider, CEO and General Manager of HDBC, spoke about
ways to reduce congestion through tolling, and David McCusker, HRM Manager of
Strategic Transportation Planning and Roxane MacInnis, HRM TDM Planner, outlined
the TDM measures being implemented by HRM.

An extensive question and answer period followed the presentations at each community
workshop. The question and answer session was facilitated by Alison MacDonald, who
also posed questions to participants to learn their opinions about using tolling as a way to

5
manage growing congestion. This format maximized participant input and generated
open discussion about the topics.

6
THE PRESENTATIONS

Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment (Appendix II – presentation)

Background:
In 2007, HRM asked HDBC to conduct a needs assessment to understand whether a third
harbour crossing would be needed to handle growing traffic volumes and reduce
congestion in HRM.

The Needs Assessment was completed and made public in March of 2008. The study
indicated that due to current congestion on the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges and
estimated future demand there is a projected need for a third harbour crossing (bridge or
tunnel) some time between 2016 and 2026 (to view the complete report visit
www.needsassessment.ca).

Presentation:
Jon Eppell, Bridge Engineer and Maintenance Manager for HDBC presented information
on the results of the Needs Assessment and stressed that the community needs to change
how it uses the current transportation system if a third harbour crossing is to be delayed
or deemed unnecessary.

Highlights of the Needs Assessment presentation included:

• Why the Needs Assessment was conducted.
• A summary of the key findings of the assessment including the projected need for
a third crossing between 2016 and 2026, Highway 111 South as the location for
the crossing, and explored both bridge and tunnel options for a third crossing.
• How the bridges impact the daily travel of commuters in HRM. Seven of the 22
lanes that access the peninsula are provided by the Macdonald and MacKay
Bridges.
• How bridge traffic had increased almost 40% over the past 25 years causing both
bridges to be very close to maximum capacity. Once both Bridges reach capacity
commuters will see unstable traffic flows, more delays and longer peak hours
which result in increased fuel consumption and green house gas emissions.
• The role of HRM’s Regional Plan in assisting in the development of the Needs
Assessment by providing statistics relating to residential growth areas, downtown
employment, and population growth.
• The critical role of the transit system in helping to ease congestion on the Bridges.
• The idea that a third crossing at Highway 111 South could contribute to the
development of a circumferential bus rapid transit system.

Transportation Demand Management –HDBC (Appendix II-presentation)

Background:
Many jurisdictions in North America and around the world have turned to toll-based
methods of TDM to handle traffic growth and reduce congestion in cities. Methods such

7
as high occupancy toll lanes, peak period tolling, area-wide charging, and cordon tolling
were discussed at the community workshops.

High occupancy toll lanes: Charging a fee to drive in less congested lanes.
Peak period tolling: Increasing tolls during peak periods, and/or decreasing tolls during
shoulder periods to discourage driving during times of heavy traffic.
Area-wide charging: Charging a fee for movement within a certain area or charging a fee
for every kilometre driven within a certain area.
Cordon tolling: Charging a fee to enter or drive within a defined area during certain times
of the day or week.

Presentation:
Steven Snider, CEO and General Manager of HDBC presented TDM measures that relate
to the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges and road pricing options to help manage growing
traffic congestion.

Highlights of the presentation included:

• An update on traffic growth on the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges and that, to
the end of October 2008, HDBC has not experienced the decline in traffic other
tolled facilities in North America have experienced.
• A definition of TDM and how road pricing (also referred to as road tolling) would
allow HRM to make best use of existing infrastructure.
• An outline of how, through road pricing, to manage congestion. The methods
discussed included: high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV), peak period tolling,
area-wide charging and cordon tolling.

Transportation Demand Management within HRM (Appendix III-presentation)

Background:
The HRM Regional Plan was adopted by council in June 2006. The document breaks
down HRM’s planning strategy for the region by economy, environment, settlement
pattern, transportation, Halifax Harbour, and the capital district. The transportation
section of the document focuses on the growth and development of the Transit system,
improvements to the accessibility of active transportation in the region and introduces a
number of TDM initiatives, such as carpooling and telework programs.

Presentation:
Roxane MacInnis, HRM TDM Planner and David McCusker, HRM Manager of Strategic
Transportation Planning presented the TDM measures HRM is implementing as part of
the HRM Regional Plan.

The presentation provided a definition of TDM and highlighted the HRM Regional Plan
as it relates to transportation. Other highlights included:
• The explanation of the various TDM measures being promoted by HRM
including active transportation, transit (which includes ferries), commuter options

8
 (rideshare and guaranteed ride home programs), staggered work hours, telework,
parking and condensed work weeks.
• The importance of education and promotion of new TDM initiatives to create a
change in how the community uses the existing transportation system.
• The importance of creating change to prevent increased congestions and traffic as
well as keeping HRM an environmentally safe place to live.

9
THE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS – DISCUSSION SUMMARY

Below is a summary of what was heard at the five community workshop held by the
HDBC in partnership with HRM.

• Participants do not want to see a third harbour crossing until all other options are
investigated and evaluated. Most participants believe the cost of building another
crossing is too great when transportation services such as Metro Transit are
lacking in funding.

• A number of participants were skeptical of the bridge capacity statistics that were
presented as a part of the Needs Assessment presentation and believe that over the
next twenty years there will be a decrease in traffic because of the current
economic downturn. There were questions about the details of the statistics on
bridge usage, including the number of single-passenger vehicles contained within
the numbers.

• Most participants were curious about the construction details of a third crossing,
such as the pros and cons of a bridge versus a tunnel, how recent discussions at
HRM council about a proposal to turn the CN rail cut in the south-end of Halifax
into a truck corridor would affect the construction of a third crossing, the
environmental impacts, the timelines around construction and the anticipated toll
cost. When asked, some participants said that they would not object to the HDBC
reserving the corridor in the south-end of Halifax and Woodside for a third
crossing in the event that it may be required in the future.

Several transportation solutions were suggested including:

• Working together - HRM and the Government of Nova Scotia need to work
together to complete and make better use of the existing infrastructure. Additional
infrastructure cannot be built that will lead heavy traffic into areas of HRM that
can not handle additional traffic (such as the south-end of Halifax).

• Transit - the community, including businesses and governments, need to work

together to fund solutions for better transit, active transportation and alternative
transportation to delay or diminish the need for an additional crossing.

• The transit system needs to be more convenient and efficient in order to reach the
goals outlined in the HRM Regional Plan (18% to 23% ridership by 2026).
Participants voiced their concern over the lack of funding from the Government of
Nova Scotia for a stronger transit system and question why the provincial
government does not provide a higher level of funding for Metro Transit.

• Issues were raised around the safety of transit and the need for direct buses to
hospitals and universities.

10
• Many participants felt that the ferry system would be better utilized if it was better
coordinated with the bus system.

• Road / parking pricing – in several sessions there was discussion about the need
for having tolls on the bridges to deter people from driving. Many participants
seem to be supportive of introducing other tolls for things like cordon tolling,
peak period tolling and increasing the cost of parking on the peninsula as TDM
tools. There was, however, a school of thought advanced by a number of
participants that the tolls should be eliminated from the bridges.

• Participants had mixed levels of understanding of the ways in which road pricing
can help reduce congestion and how it relates to their community. Participants
were split in their opinions about high occupancy vehicle lane, peak period
tolling, area-wide tolling and cordon tolling. Some support using tolls to make
driving more expensive if the result would be to push people out of their vehicles
onto transit or active transit. Others believe effective TDM lies in making
alternate modes of transportation, such as walking, transit or bicycling, more
convenient and time effective.

• High occupancy vehicle lanes – participants recognize that HRM does not have
adequate road structure to support this form of TDM. It was felt that it would be
too expensive and negatively affect the community to build additional lanes onto
existing roads.

• Peak period tolling – was favoured among participants. Many felt that the HDBC
should take steps to initiate this as soon as possible. It was recognized that this
system could not be implemented until employers support alternate work hours
and condensed work weeks so people have more choice as to when they travel.

• Cordon tolling - was a popular suggestion because many participants have lived in
other jurisdictions or know of examples where cordon tolling has been a success.
There were some misgivings about how those living within the cordon would be
impacted by this.

• TDM - Participants also suggested a number of other transportation options

including street cars, express lanes, one-way tolling, go train system, and placing
more focus on solutions surrounding freight transport.

• Many stressed that solutions need to be environmentally-grounded.

• Participants also said that change must begin with businesses and all levels of
government. Programs such as rideshare, telework and staggered work hours can
not work unless employers are supportive. Active transportation cannot work
unless employers provide showers and lockers for people who walk, bike or jog to
work.

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• A number of participants voiced their concern over the lack of promotion for
many of the TDM options that are currently available through HRM. Most felt
that programs cannot succeed if the community does not know they exist.

• Criticism was made of HRM for continuing to build the peninsula of Halifax.
Some felt that development should be expanded to include, or focus on, the
downtown Dartmouth area. HRM responded by explaining that a strong transit
system can only be built if the areas where people want to go are more dense.

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 Appendix I:
Event Postcard

(FRONT)

(BACK)

13
 Appendix II:
A) Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment Presentation
B) Transportation Demand Management – HDBC Presentation

A) Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment Presentation:

14
15
B) Transportation Demand Management – HDBC Presentation:

16
17
 Appendix III
Transportation Demand Management - HRM Presentation

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19
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 Appendix IV:
Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment

The Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment was completed by the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge
Commission (HDBC) in March 2008 at the request of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). The
assessment was created for long-term planning purposes only and detailed consideration and
planning has not yet occurred. To find out more information or to obtain a copy of the assessment
we invite you to visit www.needsassessment.ca.

Why was the Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment conducted?

We have growing traffic delays on the bridges. It is the job of the HDBC to look at how to deal with
those delays. During peak travel periods, the existing bridges are nearing their capacity to safely
handle traffic and manage incidents (accidents or other unexpected occurrences) without seriously
affecting traffic on and approaching the bridges.

How congested is traffic on the bridges now?

There are now over 32 million crossings per year on the Halifax Harbour bridges. The bridges
contain 7 of the 22 lanes - representing 55% of the road capacity to and from the Halifax Peninsula
- and are a key element of the commuting link given population growth and residential development
patterns. The average commute time using the bridges was 21 minutes in 2001. It is projected to
be 44 minutes by 2026 (if no change in public transit usage occurs).

Would the third crossing be a bridge or a tunnel?

There are pros and cons to both options, though either a bridge or a tunnel would serve the needs
of Halifax.

If a bridge was built it would be six lanes – three lanes in each direction. One lane in each direction
could be dedicated to high occupancy travel or bus rapid transit. A bridge would also allow for active
transportation with a bike path and walkway.

A tunnel would be four lanes and could also accommodate bus rapid transit. However, a tunnel
could not accommodate active transportation.

Where would the third crossing be located?

The report indicates that a crossing at the south-end of the peninsula provides the most sustainable
and effective crossing. It will balance demand between a new crossing and the existing bridges.

Because this location would get people where they want to go more directly, it will help reduce
vehicle emissions by cross-harbour travel, lower travel times and costs and reduce the amount of
trucking through downtown Halifax.

Does the south-end have the infrastructure to accommodate a third crossing?

If a third crossing does need to be built in the future, the south-end is the best suited location to
handle the infrastructure and traffic changes without causing dramatic impacts on the community.

Who paid for the study?

HDBC was asked by HRM to conduct the study. The commission paid the consultants for their work
on this important analysis of transportation issues and possible solutions.

What is the cost of constructing a third crossing?

Both the bridge and tunnel options would be approximately the same amount - between $1.1 to
$1.4 billion dollars.

What does that cost include?

The cost includes the cost to build the approaches to the crossing and the actual cost of the
structure. It does not include the cost of acquiring the land.

21
How would HDBC pay for a third crossing?
The assessment is in the very early stages of analysis and funding options have not yet been
discussed or decided upon. However, funding arrangements would have to be considered with all
levels of government. Like the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges, the third crossing would be a tolled
facility that would help in the payment of debt incurred.

Can regional transportation projects be jointly funded?

HDBC currently does sit on a regional transportation committee along with representatives from
HRM and the Government of Nova Scotia. However, the current mandate of the HDBC does not
permit tolls obtained from bridge users to be used for anything other then the building, operating,
and maintenance of the bridges over the Halifax Harbour and Northwest Arm.

Why all this focus on the south-end to ease traffic congestion?

The engineering analysis within this report considered 23 possible solutions to ease congestion
through additional crossing capacity, undertaking a detailed evaluation of the six most feasible
options. In the final analysis put forward by the consultants, the options which make the most
environmental, engineering and transportation sense because of growing population and
development patterns are located at the Woodside area in Dartmouth and crossing to peninsular
south Halifax.

Why not twin the MacKay Bridge?

This report is an early-stage analysis of how to address growing traffic congestion in HRM. Its
recommendations are not binding on any party, and it is not a blueprint of where, how or when
additional cross-harbour transportation capacity will or may take place. However, this report
concludes that this option does not service the actual demand by bridge users and that there would
be significant disruption to residents in the Central/North Dartmouth and North/West Halifax
Peninsula area because of improvements needed to enable this change.

Why not just increase public transit?

Metro Transit is pursuing the mandate within the HRM Regional Plan to increase transit use
significantly (to 23% by 2026). Metro Transit reports an 18% use of transit by commuters at the
present time. A near-doubling of transit use will take a significant financial investment in order to be
achieved within this time frame or beyond. Ottawa, long regarded as North America’s public transit
leader, invested billions of dollars and now has a 22% regional transit use rate among commuters.

In addition, current traffic increases show that even if the 23% transit is achieved, the Macdonald
and MacKay Bridges would still be nearing capacity by 2026.

Why focus on more cars traveling to the peninsula instead of "green" solutions and less
single-car use?
One of the primary concerns of all transportation planners in the region is to pursue change that is
environmentally sound. Many current bridge users who live in Eastern HRM (Eastern Passage, Cole
Harbour and out the Eastern Shore) use the MacKay Bridge to cross to the peninsula. This involves
a significant extra distance traveled - and therefore more fuel used and greenhouse gasses emitted
- than if they had an option to cross the harbour at the southern end.

In the near-term measures such as extending MACPASS use to more commuters, encouraging
pedestrian and cyclist uptake, greater transit use and exploring other functional and policy solutions
(e.g. rideshare incentives, high-occupancy vehicle routing, video tolling, peak-hour or variable
pricing, cordon tolling) to help manage transportation demand are key challenges facing all
governments.

Will tolls go up to fund a third crossing?

At this time there is no proposal to build a new bridge or tunnel. Current toll rates have been in
effect for over a decade.

When will a third crossing be built?

There is no active proposal for a new bridge or tunnel. This study looked at cross-harbour traffic,
and projected that a new crossing would be required between 2016 and 2026 - something that
politicians, the business community and bridge users can now consider in tandem with how
transportation demand is managed in the region.

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How long would it take to build a third crossing?
If municipal and provincial levels of government did decide to move forward with the construction of
a third crossing, it would take a minimum of approximately eight year to build.

Could the south-end rail cut be used as an arterial connection for a third crossing?
HDBC has not yet reserved any land for the building of a third harbour crossing. However, the
location of the rail cut is in the suggested location of the third crossing in the needs assessment.

Was the assessment done in response to or because of the announcement about the
Atlantic Gateway?
This process took place between 2006 and 2008 in response to concerns by HRM and HDBC about
growing congestion on the bridges. This report provides important considerations related to how
traffic moves around HRM, and particularly how traffic moves across the harbour.

What is the percentage of traffic traveling the bridge during peak hours?
The percentage of traffic traveling the bridge during peak hours varies daily. However, for the
month of October 2008, the morning and evening peak hours accounted for 42% the total traffic for
the month.

What do tolls pay for?

In 2007, toll dollars were spent on the following:
• Debt Interest Expense: 24.50%
• Debt Reduction: 21.35%
• Operating Expenses: 20.60%
• Capital Expenses: 16.85%
• Maintenance Expenses: 16.70%

What would be the costs of the tolls on a third crossing?

Like the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges, a third crossing would be toll facility. However, HDBC is in
the very early stages of evaluating the assessment and have not yet had any discussion
surrounding the cost of tolls if a third crossing was needed.

Could any of the lanes at the MacKay Bridge be turned into express lanes?
Express lane tolling is something that HDBC is looking towards to change the way we toll for the
future. Express based tolling would mean that the toll plaza would be arranged so that vehicles with
a transponder would be able to free flow onto the bridge without stopping or significantly reducing
speeds, while cash paying vehicles use outside lanes to deposit cash.

Currently, HDBC has made steps to prepare for express tolling such as the shift to axle-based tolling
and recently installing six cameras in the lanes at the MacKay Bridge.

Where is this information about increasing population and congestion coming from?
The report takes into account cross-harbour demand based on population and employment growth
projections. The data was taken from the HRM Regional Plan and other sources.

It demonstrates that during the morning and evening rush hours the two bridges will be over
capacity by 2016. When the bridges are over capacity there is an increased risk of accidents and
incidents and increases the average commute time from 21 minutes in 2001 to 44 minutes in 2026.

Who was hired to complete the needs assessment?

HDBC issued a tender for the work which was awarded to McCormick Rankin Corporation (MRC), an
internationally recognized transportation engineering firm. The lead consultants for this project were
traffic engineering experts who consulted extensively with HRM staff who work on transportation
projects.

Who will decide which option, is best for Halifax?

HDBC is not mandated to make a decision regarding the building of an additional crossing. However,
the study offers options for the politicians, the business community and our bridge users to
consider. We hope it will be considered in the long-term planning of HRM because we believe it
would be part of a transportation system that will help HRM and the province grow.

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Does the Bridge Commission have land to build a crossing in the area discussed?
No, HDBC have not obtained the land needed for a third crossing. However, as part of our long–
term strategic planning, HDBC is in support of reserving the corridor of land that would be needed
should construction of a third crossing be required in the future.

How would this impact port traffic?

The Port Authority of Halifax is a very important partner in the study. HDBC have consulted with
them and they are aware of the outcomes of the report and are very interested in the ability for a
third crossing to provide a gateway link.

What is the impact on the environment?

A third harbour crossing would not be built unless it was a part of the environmental solution for
HRM. A crossing at the south-end would reduce travel times by getting people to where they want
to be in a more direct route, reducing emissions and idle times.

Can we delay the needs for a third crossing if we all work together to change our
transportation patterns?
HDBC fully supports using sustainable transportation options such as alternative tolling methods,
increased transit, car pooling and active transportation to help reduce vehicle traffic and delay the
need for a third crossing.

How does the Halifax regional plan fit in with this plan?
Data regarding population and employment growths and development patterns from the HRM
regional plan was used a great deal by consultants during the development of the needs
assessment.

How can you expect to be supported by the political environment?

A third crossing would only be constructed at the request of HRM and/or the Government of Nova
Scotia.

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 Appendix V:
Backgrounder

• Traffic volumes continue to increase and we are approaching capacity at both

the Macdonald and MacKay Bridges. There is no further capacity for
improvements to the existing bridges and at this stage all we can do is make
adjustments.

• In 2007, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) asked the Halifax-Dartmouth

Bridge Commission (HDBC) to conduct a needs assessment. This request was
in response to the councils desire to understand whether a third crossing
would be needed and if so, when would it be needed.

• HDBC issued a public tender for the work which was awarded to McCormick
Rankin Corporation (MRC) an internationally recognized transportation
engineering firm.

• HDBC received the Cross Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment in March of 2008.
The report indicates that there is a projected need for a third harbour crossing
some time between 2016 and 2026.

• It also indicates that based on where people live and work, the best location
for the crossing would be at the south-end in Halifax and at the end of the
Circumferential Highway (highway 111) in Dartmouth.

• The report took into consideration the HRM Regional Plan, travel patterns and
other economic and population growth indicators.

• The evaluation indicates that the preferred crossing would either be a bridge
or a tunnel.

• HDBC first presented the report to the public on March 25th, 2008.

• There is no plan to build a third harbour crossing. The report that was
conducted for the Bridge Commission, at HRM’s request, is a part of sound,
long-term strategic planning and offers options for the politicians, business
community and bridge users to consider.

• The report represents strategic planning. It is an early analysis of how to

address growing congestion in HRM.

• Transit and transportation demand management can delay the need for a
third harbour crossing.

• You can view the full report by visiting www.needsassessment.ca

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 Appendix VI:
Fact Sheet

What is Transportation Demand Management?

• Municipalities throughout North America are experiencing increasing levels of
traffic congestion, resulting in longer commuting times.

• One way to deal with this significant issue is by implementing various

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies. TDM provides alternatives
to the traditional way in which we travel and can reduce congestion, pollution and
the need to spend a considerable amount of money on the expansion or
significant upgrading of the transportation network.

• TDM is not meant to eliminate the car from the road system, nor is it meant to
prevent road construction. It is designed to turn the emphasis simply from road
infrastructure improvement and construction to making the system work more
efficiently.

Methods of TDM
• Active Transportation - any non-motorized mode of transportation such as
cycling, walking, in-line skating and cross country skiing.

• Car and Van Pools - sharing rides with others saves money, reduces congestion
and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Cordon tolling – some jurisdictions around the world charge a fee to enter or
drive within a congested area.

• Parking - Reducing parking supply and charging full rates to encourage the use
of other modes.

• Telework/Variable Work hours - Working from home, even occasionally, can

reduce the number of cars on the road. Also working variable hours to reduce the
number of cars travelling at peak times.

• Variable toll pricing (also known as peak period pricing) – toll facilities
charge different rates for people using a toll facility based on the time of day or
the number of passengers in the vehicle. This form of “value pricing” shifts the
demand for roadway travel away from the peak hour onto the shoulders of the
peak period where greater capacity is available.

• Transit - Taking the bus or ferry is another way to reduce congestion and help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Useful Links
HDBC Needs Assessment: www.needsassessment.ca
HRM TDM Initiatives: http://www.halifax.ca/TDM/
Ecology Action Centre:
http://www.ecologyaction.ca/transportation_issues/transportation.shtm

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