HALIFAX – People who need to get around Halifax on Thursday will finally have a few more options.
Halifax Transit announced a limited bus service would be offered for free starting at 3 p.m. on Thursday and running through the end of Sunday.
It’s an effort to help residents who have been stuck due to the latest snowstorm to hit the city. Buses were pulled off the road and people who couldn’t brave the streets in their cars had to either walk or try to call on overloaded taxi companies.
READ MORE: Snowstorm makes navigating Halifax nearly impossible for residents
According to Halifax Transit, only 40 per cent of its fleet is accessible due to snow load on the roof of its transit centre in Dartmouth, which was forced to close as a result.
In addition to the bus service, both harbour ferries resumed service on Thursday and are running on their regular schedules.
Access-A-Bus service is expected to resume on Friday along with regular bus service.
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From 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, the limited bus service will run on the following routes:
- Route #1 – Spring Garden – 4 buses
- Route #2 – Wedgewood – 2 buses
- Route #4 – Rosedale – 2 buses
- Route #7 – Robie – 2 buses
- Route #9 – Barrington – 1 bus
- Route #10 – Dalhousie – 2 buses
- Route #14 – Leiblin Park – 1 bus
- Route #18 – Universities – 1 bus
- Route #20 -Herring Cove – 2 buses
- Route #21 – Lakeside/Timberlea – 1 bus
- Route #22 – Armdale – 1 bus
- Route #52 – Crosstown – 4 buses
- Route #53 – Notting Park – 1 bus
- Route #59 – Colby – 1 bus
- Route #60 – Eastern Passage – 2 buses
- Route #61 – Auburn/North Preston – 2 buses
- Route #62 – Wildwood – 1 bus
- Route #66 – Penhorn – 2 buses
- Route #68 – Cherrybrook – 1 bus
- Route #80 – Sackville – 4 buses
- Route #90 – Larry Uteck – 1 bus
Halifax Transit said the buses will not be running on a regular schedule, and GoTime functionality is not working.
City spokesperson Jennifer Stairs confirmed Thursday afternoon that a sweeping on-street parking ban would continue indefinitely to aid in snow-clearing efforts.
READ MORE: Where can you find free off-street parking in Halifax?
Forty-one centimetres of snow was recorded at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Wednesday, but there are reports that up to 60 centimetres fell in Hammonds Plains and Lower Sackville.
Stairs said police are fully enforcing the parking ban by ticketing and towing vehicles on the street.
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said at a press conference Thursday morning he’s confident work crews can dig the city out without declaring a state of emergency.
He said the extra powers that the city would get from declaring a state of emergency aren’t necessary and the municipality has taken additional steps to deal with the snow that fell.
READ MORE: Haligonians make the best out of a bad winter storm
- Halifax city offices will open at noon
- Provincial offices will open at 10 a.m.
- Garbage collection cancelled.
- Military Family Resource centre (including daycare) is closed.
- Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market is closed.
- University of King’s College is closed until noon.
- NSCC Metro campuses are closed.
- NSCAD University will open at 1 p.m.
- Dalhousie University is closed until noon.
- Saint Mary’s University will open at 1 p.m.
- Mount St. Vincent University is closed.
- Canada Games Centre will open at 8:30 a.m.
- Halifax Public Libraries will open at 2 p.m.
- CFB Halifax is closed.
With files from The Canadian Press and Rebecca Joseph, Global News
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