HRM; In a release, HRM Mayoral candidate Pam Lovelace said she will make light rail a priority.
The message comes in an email sent out to media on Sept. 13, where she included a bit that mentioned Mayor Mike Savage, back in 2017, declaring “Come hell or high water, Halifax will be a biking city.”
Former MP Andy Fillmore and federal infrastructure money financed bike lanes instead of mass transit, Lovelace’s release said.
“As Mayor, I’ll prioritize light rail to develop a reliable and more efficient first-class transit system,” she said.
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HRM Council and the federal government have focused on bike lanes downtown rather than connectivity for rural and suburban communities such as Fall River, Cole Harbour, Eastern Passage, Hammonds Plains, Elmsdale, Truro and Windsor.
The congestion caused by people driving into HRM will never be solved by bike lanes.
“The productivity of Nova Scotia’s Capital Region is dropping quickly,” she said.
“Traffic congestion is costing us.”
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Lovelace said she will do something about that if she becomes Mayor on Oct. 19.
“Our Capital Region will have Light Rail” and partner with neighboring municipalities and the Province of Nova Scotia to build a first-class public transportation system,” she said.
She listed what she will do:
Transform Halifax Transit into a Capital Region Transportation Commission with neighbouring municipalities.
Develop a phased plan to build light rail along provincial corridors with Premier Houston and Minister of Public Works.
Establish a Harbour Plan with all stakeholders to ensure our industrial Harbour remains competitive and create certainty for residents, businesses and governments.
Reduce traffic congestion by immediately establishing Park & Rides in neighboring municipalities.
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Lovelace ended her release saying her plan is a solution for residents.
“While other Mayoral candidates complain about traffic congestion they created with their poor planning decisions of the past decades,” added Lovelace.
“I’m offering solutions to voters that will get people moving on a reliable and affordable mass transit system.”
