COMMUNITY TRANSIT TRANSFORMS

Beginning August 27 ^th , our Community Transit was transformed and incorporated into the Metro Transit conventional transit service group, while retaining its existing service standards. The Porter’s Lake / Seaforth Community Transit has been assigned Bus Route #401.  As with conventional bus service, community transit buses will only service designated bus stops. Metro Transit staff have assess potential sites and mounted signs to designate them as such. To catch the bus, you will have to go to the nearest bus-stop in your area. You will no longer be able to waive down the bus for service. The bus-operators will no longer be able to pick up passengers who are not at a designated stop. If you believe these bus-stops are inadequately placed, please contact me or the HRM Contact Centre at 490-4000 or by e-mail contactHRM@halifax.ca to file a request. Also Metro Transit Access-a-Bus (AAB) service has been extended to our area where it can service clients that live within a 1,000 meters (1 km) of a fixed bus route, which is consistent with the buffer zone for local transit taxation rate. Additionally, personal care attendants are no longer required to pay a fare when accompanying an AAB passenger. For more details about AAB: https://www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/access_a_bus.html  or call them at 490-6999.  AAB clients book 24 hours prior to the intended travel date, or anytime within a 7-day period for those with standing medical appointments and/or weekly errands. AAB is not only for medical appointments, but also to allow clients to participate in social, personal, and recreational activities around HRM within its service area.

MAIN STREET WIDENING UNDERWAY
As reported back in June 2012 – Issue #175, HRM Tender #12-237 for the traffic improvements and street widening of Trunk Highway # 7 – Main Street has been awarded to Dexter Construction for $1,876,500.00. The centre turning lane and bike lanes will be incorporated into Hwy # 7 from Wilfred Jackson Way / Cherry Brook Road to Lake Major Road / Ross Road. This will be a 16-week construction project with completion near the end of November. With the high traffic volumes on Hwy # 7, the contractor is only permitted to work during off peak hours. Dexter Construction has requested permits to work at night during construction of this project. They are proposing to work 4 nights completing manhole and water valve adjustments and 3 nights to pave. Working at night will reduce the impact to traffic. If possible, some or all of the work will be done over the weekends. The night work should commence by early September; however,  once the actual schedule is more refined, the contractor will provide  at least 48 hours notification to all property owners within 100 feet of the work as required under the HRM Noise By-Law.

THE ‘ NS HOME ’  GOT TALENT SHOW
In preparation for its Annual Broadcast for Funds, the NS Home for Colored Children (NSHCC) will be conducting a “Got Talent Show” on Saturday, Sept. 26 ^th from 10 AM to 4 PM in the New Beginnings Church at 26 Cherry Brook Road. Solo and group performers are welcomed. To register, contact Joanna Pugh at 434-0674 Ext 2 or by e-mail: jpugh@nshcc.ca  Come by to display your talent or drop by to enjoy the show. It should be a really good time for all!

NEW SPEED LIMIT IN SCHOOL ZONES
To protect students and make roads safer, as of September 1 ^st , the Province has enacted legislation to reduce the speed limits in school areas. The speed limit would be reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h when children are present in school areas where the surrounding speed zone is 50 km/h. In school areas where the surrounding speed zone is higher, the speed limit would remain 50 km/h when children are present. In order to comply with this legislation, new speed zone signs will have to be posted at the beginning and the end of school areas based on Transportation Association of Canada guidelines.  There will also be a driver education awareness campaign to support this initiative. Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick already have a 30 km/h speed limit in school zones as do many U.S. states. The legislation was supported by numerous groups in Nova Scotia, including The NS Chiefs of Police Association, Safe Communities HRM, the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) and the Union of NS Municipalities (UNSM). Be careful while driving near school zones. Stay on the look-out for children as you reduce your speed.