Halifax councillors considering carpool lanes to help ease traffic congestion

The mayor said he believes moving ahead with high-occupancy (HOV) lanes could help the municipality take control of its own roadways and planning.

Could carpool lanes help ease traffic congestion in Halifax?

Councillors voted Tuesday to have staff look into that idea, as the municipality and the province both consider implementing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

Mayor Andy Fillmore, who brought forward the motion, says turning bus lanes into HOV lanes could also be cost-efficient.

“The root behind my motion is not only to solve congestion … but to do it in a very low-cost and quick way. So what is the cheapest thing we can do? We can work with the things we already have,” he said.

Designated HOV lanes are meant for vehicles carrying two or more people, as a method to encourage carpooling and improve traffic flow.

Debate on the motion was heated, with councillors raising concerns about the impact of transforming bus lanes and whether there is a point to discuss the subject if the province is already looking to implement the lanes.

Public Works Minister Fred Tilley announced the intended project during a Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week as part of the regional transportation plan and said changes could be coming soon.

“We’re studying it right now, but it won’t be a year-long study type thing. So we want to make improvements as quickly as possible. So I would say months,” he said Feb. 3.