Latest news with #LinkNovaScotia
CBC
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
NDP leader wants Halifax transportation study released
Social Sharing With Nova Scotia's capital city continuing to struggle with traffic congestion and cost-of-living challenges — drawing comparisons to Canada's largest city — NDP Leader Claudia Chender says it's time for the public to see a government report on transportation in the Halifax region. Chender was responding several days after a CBC News report showed that housing and transportation costs in Halifax for 2024 were similar to those in Toronto. The Progressive Conservative government has announced steps throughout its mandates to try to boost housing stock, although Chender said more needs to be done on that front. But when it comes to public transit in Halifax Regional Municipality, there has been "almost no action," she said during a news conference on Monday. "We need action on that today. It's becoming less and less reliable to take transit in Halifax at a time when we need it more and more." Report still not public Having an effective public transit system is a way to save commuters money while also addressing congestion on the roads, which has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chender. During its first mandate, the Progressive Conservatives created the Joint Regional Transportation Agency, an entity tasked with looking at transportation throughout HRM. The organization has since been rebranded as Link Nova Scotia and given a provincewide mandate. Prior to that change, however, the agency produced a report looking at transportation issues and options to improve things for the Halifax area. The government first got a draft of the report a little less than a year ago before eventually getting the final report earlier this year. To date, however, it has not been made public. "One would have to assume that active transportation and public transportation are big chunks of that report that this government so far has not wanted to release, talk about or act upon," said Chender. Some portions of the report, which contemplate expanding the highways leading to and around HRM and exploring a commuter light-rail system, were included in the Progressive Conservative platform during last year's provincial election. But there have been no further details since then. Speaking to reporters recently, Public Works Minister Fred Tilley could not say when the report would be made public or explain why it's taking so long to share it. "We want to action the report, obviously, so we're looking at things that we can get actioned and in a timeline," he said. "I understand the frustration with it, but we will be releasing that report once we have more information to share, as opposed to just sharing the report."
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Nova Scotia government reviewing Sydney commuter rail study
Nova Scotia's deputy minister of public works says government officials are reviewing a report on commuter rail in Cape Breton to determine what track to take. Paul LaFleche told members of the legislature's public accounts committee on Wednesday that a draft version of the study was delivered to the province earlier this week. "It's a significant study," LaFleche told MLAs, stressing that the focus is commuter rail in the Sydney area. "From Sydney to maybe Glace Bay or maybe as far as the airport or [Cape Breton University]," he said. "And it's every day commuter rush hour rail." LaFleche said Sydney has "significant parameters, which are different than one would find in other areas of the province, which are conducive to maybe success and they're putting forward their case." He did not elaborate on what those factors are. Possible funding sources Staff with Link Nova Scotia, the recently-created provincewide entity that oversees all things transit related, will evaluate the study and report back with their thoughts, LaFleche told reporters following the meeting. The deputy minister said commuter rail in Canada is usually funded in a partnership that includes all three levels of government. He said that's most likely what would happen if the project were to go ahead.
CBC
20-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
N.S. government bill would give sweeping power over transportation to public works minister
Legislation introduced by the Progressive Conservative government on Thursday would give Nova Scotia's public works minister sweeping powers over transit and transportation infrastructure throughout the province. Public Works Minister Fred Tilley told reporters during a bill briefing that the changes to the Joint Regional Transportation Agency Act are intended to address traffic congestion and improve transportation options. "Growing communities need transportation options and improved connectivity. We need a system that is dependable, efficient and safe for all road users," he said. In order to do that, the changes Tilley introduced would change the name of the Joint Regional Transportation Agency to Link Nova Scotia. Its scope would be broadened to include the entire province, an expansion from the previous focus on Halifax Regional Municipality and areas within an hour of the capital city. A preference for collaboration The amendments would also give Tilley the power to order municipalities to build, change, reconfigure or remove transportation infrastructure within a municipality and make other changes the minister deems to be in the interest of "the safe, efficient and coordinated movement of people and goods." Link Nova Scotia would also have the power to take on operations and assets, such as transit, rail or roads that would help with transportation throughout the province. "So we would become an asset owner and maybe an asset operator as well," said Peter Hackett, the deputy minister of the Joint Regional Transportation Agency. Despite the new powers he would get through the legislation, Tilley said his government is not intending to take over responsibility for transit in the province. He said his government has a good relationship with Nova Scotia's municipalities. "We work with collaboration, we work together on projects all the time. At the same time, it's important that projects that are important for Nova Scotians and to grow our economy and unlock our potential — it's important that those projects get done." The minister could not provide any examples of what projects he was referring to. Future of Windsor Street exchange Tilley declined to say if he would use his new powers to force Halifax Regional Municipality to go ahead with the Windsor Street exchange project after council recently voted to abandon the plan because of mushrooming costs and the lack of dedicated bus lanes. The minister said he's looking forward to HRM council's next vote on the project when councillors could reconsider whether to move ahead. "I don't want to speculate on what may or may not happen. We're looking forward to working in collaboration with HRM on Windsor Street exchange and many other projects as we go forward." The minister also said he's not considering ordering the removal of bike lanes. Hackett told reporters that Link Nova Scotia's board would transition to an advisory capacity for the benefit of the minister. The new entity would better prepare the province to tap into the federal government's 10-year, $30-billion transit funding program, he said. Increased government powers Tilley's is the latest in a sweeping series of bills the Progressive Conservatives have introduced this session that increase the power of the provincial government. Premier Tim Houston introduced omnibus legislation on Tuesday that includes changes that would give the government the ability to fire the auditor general without cause and make portions of or complete reports from the office private. Bill 1 also would give the government the ability to fire non-unionized bureaucrats without cause and empower deputy ministers and the heads of other public entities to reject freedom-of-information requests if they decide the application is frivolous, vexatious or without enough specifics. The government has also introduced legislation that would give it greater power over the operations of universities in the province and do away with the requirement for an annual accountability report on emergency department closures in Nova Scotia.
