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Metro Transit
Categories: Hotels & Travel Transportation Public Transportation Active Life Boating Public Transportation, Boating [Edit]
200 Ilsley AveDartmouth, NS B3B 1V1
(902) 490-4000
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
15 reviews for Metro Transit
15 reviews in English
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Review from Tiffany T.
Halifax, NS
10/6/2011
Metro Transit, I rely on you daily and I think I have had more good than bad?
There have been times when you flew by me, never came, came late and came on time. But what can I really expect during rush hour, construction and crazy people putting you behind? I love to hate you, but you get me from Point A to Point B and occasionally Point C. Since moving I have more options now on what bus to take to where which I do enjoy but there are some routes you can modify and add more times to.
But, how do you justify having two buses, going the same way leaving within only a few minutes apart, common people does this make sense? I think not. And, the fare. Stop jacking it up. This will be my last year with the UPASS (which I love), so soon every month I will be handing you a limb until I have none left, then what? First born child?Listed in: 30 Day Yelp Challenge
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Review from Jennifer B.
Dartmouth, NS
10/11/2011
I don't drive (gasp!) so I've been relying on public transportation for a decade now.
Taking the bus in this city is a game of chance. There's a chance your bus will arrive on time and you'll make your connection. There's a chance you'll get a seat, reducing the risk of head-diving to the front of the bus during a sudden brake situation because your arms are too short to comfortably grip the hand bar. There's a chance you won't feel sick from the onslaught of smells ranging from unwashed, month-old B.O. to oversaturated first-year university cologne bathers. There is a chance that your bus ride will be uneventful. The question then becomes, are you willing to take the risk?
My experiences with Metro Transit run the gammut. I've been on buses that break down for the third time that week. I've waited in the freezing cold for 45 minutes because the bus was either early or really late. I've been nearly thrown off the bus by cranky drivers who didn't like the fact that I hadn't yet signed my new bus pass. I've also had bus drivers drop me off in front of my house between stops so I wouldn't have to walk home in the dark. I even had a bus driver stop once at a Tim Hortons and let us get coffee because he was running early and we were the only two on the bus.
There is so much that needs to be done to improve the transit system in this city. For what we have now, it'll do the trick as long as I don't need to stray far outside of the city core for the price of the daily latté I don't drink. I'm far from in love with it, but it gets me to work and back, so I guess that's the best I can hope for.Listed in: Rocktober: 30-Day Yelp…
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Review from Jill M.
10/4/2011
Oh, Metro Transit. Where shall I begin?
It would help if you showed up on time. No, scratch that - sometimes you don't show up at all. I'm a regular bus user, commuting from my home downtown to my workplace in Clayton Park twice a day for most of the past 14 months. And every day is a crap shoot.
Schedules? Forget 'em, whether they're in print, over the phone, or courtesy of Google maps. Y'all never arrive when you say you will. Or you do, but drive right past me EVEN THOUGH I'M STANDING RIGHT THERE WAVING AT YOU. Sorry, had to yell there. Sometimes you leave me standing in the cold at my bus stop, shivering as you blow by me, taking a completely different route than the one you're supposed to be on. That's always fun.
You know what else I love? Getting to a bus stop and finding out that two different buses will take me to my location, but they both leave within a minute of one another, and I've missed that time by five minutes. Have fun waiting for half an hour! Really? I mean, really? Is that the most practical way to plan routes? Come on. We can do better.
While we're at it, what's the deal with Bayer's Lake? It's a pretty big shopping centre, you know. Sure, I'd prefer to purchase everything in Downtown Halifax. But sometimes I need to get my license renewed, or the movie I want to see is only playing at 9:30 p.m. at the Bayer's Lake Empire Theatres, or I just really, really want to go to Chapters and forget any problems I have exist. But you know what? That'll take me over an hour and TWO buses each way. Two. Come on. There should be a bus that can get me from Spring Garden Road to Bayers Lake and back.
Look, I haven't knocked any stars off for other things that bother me, like weird smells and obnoxious passengers. These are things about the bus that suck, but are beyond your control. But buses are good and more people should take them, so let's work on the things you can control and make this a more bearable experience, 'K? -
Review from Calvin H.
11/13/2011
As a college student, I'm somewhat reliant on Metro Transit to get around town. That being said, my experience on the whole has not been quite so good.
My bus is almost always about 10 minutes late even in fairly low traffic, connections are horrid, and getting information is like pulling teeth.
Good thing the only place I'm going at any given time is school, I'd be hosed otherwise. -
Review from Miranda J.
Dartmouth, NS
10/7/2011 12 Check-ins Here
Oh metro transit, how I loathe thee. Many of the complaints I have have been voiced multiple times; buses late or not showing up at all, buses leaving at the same times for the same bus routes, and the list goes on.
Luckily I have a UPass and don't have to pay an arm and a leg for terrible service.
Only gave two stars since I do take it everywhere I go. -
Review from Philip H.
Halifax, NS
4/16/2011
Nothing really to compare them with besides the transit systems in other cities. In this respect they are horrible. Inconsistency my big issue. The bus should NOT come early so the driver can take an extra 5 min break at the next terminal. I can understand late.
Most of the drivers I've talked with have been pleasant. They have a hard job and a simple thank you and a smile goes a long way.
Buses are often dirty. And I dislike the bus-wrap advertising, I enjoy looking out the window.
I also like the fact that Metro Transit are bringing in hybrid buses.
The LINK is a nice feature as well, I will gladly fork over an extra 50 cents to enjoy a direct ride into Halifax in comfy seats and no advertising. -
Review from Vanessa J.
Halifax, NS
5/23/2011
I debated between giving Metro Transit 1 or 2 stars, in the end, thanks to the new Hybrid Buses, and the fact that you can now use your transfer for 2 hours, it gets an extra star.
When I was living in the South End and working in Burnside, it would take me and hour and a half, three bus transfers and a 20 min walk on a highway to get to work. In the morning to get out of the South End, there were three buses that I could take, multiple options, great right? Wrong, all three buses showed up at the exact same time, so if you were late for one, you missed them all and had to wait 15-30 min or longer. This is the case with most of the bus routes with Metro Transit, they all follow the exact same path (Barrington, Spring Garden, Gottigen, Portland Street etc. Metro should have more variations with routes and times.
Also the fact that you have to board the bus though the front door only really slows things down, especially when the person in front of you gets into a nice long chat with the bus driver.
Where is Go time??
I got spoiled when I lived in France, now mind you, I was not living in a place like Paris, whose transit system is one of the best in the world, but I was in the suburbs of a small French city not much larger than Halifax, and the transit system was still infinitely better, so everyday I get on Metro Transit, I get slightly angry thinking of easy ways the bus system could be improved. -
Review from Brittney K.
Halifax, NS
11/4/2010
I may be a tad biased, as I lived in 4 urban centres (Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver), where the bus systems are all well developed. To me, it seems like Metro Transit isn't up to par for the largest Maritime city.
Many of the fleet are outdated (my guess is that they are retired buses from other major cities- Ottawa comes to mind), and could use some adjustments to be more comfortable.
Also, I notice that a number of buses are cruising around with practically no passengers, particularly in the suburbs. I wonder if this has to do with the fact that there are A LOT less convenient bus stop locations as there are in the other major cities. When buses aren't convenient, nobody rides them, thus the money could be better spent improving the system.
I will say that I'm a fan of the LINK system: when I lived in Sackville, it was nice to be able to get downtown in under 1/2 an hour, and not have to worry about parking.
But, if not for the LINK, I would forgo using Metro Transit altogether and stick to driving my car -
Review from Laura P.
4/20/2010
My biggest complaint about the Metro would be the inconsistency of arrival times. I cannot count the number of times I've stood waiting at a bus stop, only to be waiting for nothing. Its not one particular bus stop, its happened throughout the city. And its the most irritable thing if you have to be somewhere!
Otherwise Halifax's Transit is pretty good. Its easy to navigate, included in university tuition costs, and an overall efficient way to get around. I've also had some pretty rad bus drivers, which can be surprisingly uplifting.
Its been in the talks that we'll see some improvements in the future, and I'll be interested to hear about the new tweaks. Otherwise, ride on! -
Review from Katie M.
Halifax, NS
4/17/2010 1 photo
I really like Metro Transit. Everything about it (except maybe the advertisements for The Bounce) makes me really happy. Conserving fuel, affordable travel, running on a tight schedule. What isn't there to love?
The Metro Transit service has service all through the city and surrounding areas and can take you as far as Eastern Passage and Sackville if you don't mind the long ride. Fare is regularly $2.25 and discounted to $1.50 for seniors and children, which makes the transit the cheapest most efficient way to get across town. (I've given up biking downtown due to the uphill climb on the route home).
Just make sure you have your change ready to go when the bus arrives, the drivers have their schedule to stick too are aren't receptive to anyone slowing them down. Other passengers will also thank you for the consideration, and you wont get cursed under their breath while you rummage through your change.
Hot Hint: Using the Park and Ride option with Metro Transit will save some money on gas and parking fare downtown. Parking in designated lots is free. -
Review from Joshua Y.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2009 2 photos
Not bad but plenty of room for improvement.
Metro Transit is of course our main transit service in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The buses are cleaner than a lot that I have seen in other cities. The driver's can go from some of the best and friendliest to some of the worst with led feet that make people topple over and fall to the ground. I understand how someone working for a transit service could be grumpy given the fact that they see all sorts of individuals who could test their stress levels in a day. But when you start being grumpy at people having a good day, well that's just mean.
The pricing for a bus ride has just risen again. This time it is $2.25. But the good news is we have more bus routes than ever, the buses themselves have been refurbished and there are more buses on the road for more frequent pickups. Just kidding. As usual Metro Transit has risen their prices for no reason besides profit and is giving the public nothing new. I will say that I notice security cameras on the buses which I think is a new addition and I do enjoy. But of course we are paying for those cameras and it would be great if we have some softer seats while we are being watched.
I'm giving Metro Transit three stars because they do a good enough job for me to still want to use them from time to time. They keep raising the cost of their fare once every four or five years for no reason and are not giving anything new to the public which is why they have two stars missing. Many people keep asking for the same areas that are a bit out of town to have buses that run for longer hours but in the fifteen years that I have used Metro Transit, I have almost never seen them improve or increase their route's. So there is tons of room for improvement which I hope they do. But in the mean time, three stars it is. -
Review from Adam B.
Halifax, NS
1/27/2010
Oh Metro Transit, so much love and so much hate.
First of all, I love that your routes are pretty extensive. You can get a lot of different places in the city and in the surrounding suburbs. This is nice. If you're willing to wait you can get just about anywhere in the city. You technically have no need for a vehicle in Halifax thanks to Metro Transit.
Second, you offer free rides on New Years Eve. This is a great service and gives me the feeling that you do genuinely care about the people of the HRM.
Now, what do I hate about you? Well, you've recently changed your price from $2.00 to $2.25. This is annoying because you do not make change on your bus and it is annoying having to carry around additional loose change. It was nice to need two toonies to arrive and depart your location. Tossing the quarters into the mix creates additional hassle that I do not care for.
Second, you never seem to run exactly on time. Sometimes your bus is early, sometimes your bus is late, sometimes it seems like your bus never arrives at all. I know you can't control traffic, but it would be nice if your system was a little more reliable.
So that's the way it is. Metro Transit can get you anywhere in the city, which is great, but the schedules are unreliable and the pricing is annoying.
So you win some and you lose some. Overall, Metro Transit is a fine way of getting around if you're not on a tight schedule. -
Review from Bethany J.
Halifax, NS
4/17/2010
I lived in Halifax for four years without a car, and Metro Transit got me everywhere I needed to go.
Metro Transit is one of the most efficient transit authorities I've ever used. The routes are generally on-time, which is essential to getting around. Like a previous reviewer said, there's almost nowhere in the greater metro area that you can't get to using Metro Transit.
Metro Transit suggests building in 15 minutes between buses in order to make connections. In practice, however, I rarely leave that much time, and I've only missed the bus a couple of times. Add in the busiest routes that run every 15 minutes, and you're good to go.
One of the downfalls is that Metro Transit seems to underestimate the number of buses required at peak times. It can be almost impossible to get a seat on the bus during rush hour. For the balance-challenged (like me!), this can be a real pain. I generally try to be one of the first onto the bus so that I can try to get a seat, but this doesn't always work if your bus has been filling up along the route. Metro Transit should do more of an analysis of seats required at busy times and increase their routes accordingly, particularly the 52 and the 1. -
Review from Courtney M.
Halifax, NS
4/17/2010
I'm torn with regard to Metro Transit these days. I love love love the ferries and new hybrid buses! Things I am not a fan of: buses that refuse to come or go within 5-10 minutes of their scheduled time. Things I dislike even less: buses that speed past you even as you wait in broad daylight at your specified stop. Get with in Metro Transit! Two steps forward, one step really need not be the case.
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Review from Anna H.
Halifax, NS
12/18/2009
I don't own a car (gladly), so I rely on public transit and my bike to get me just about everywhere I go. After a few months in town I'm just starting to figure out the Halifax bus routes which best suit my needs, and I am pretty pleased with what I've found to far. Drivers are hit or miss, as usual. On my 41 route there's one guy I particularly like - he's always friendly with everyone.
On to the complaints! What is the deal with the absence of bike racks on the buses here? A lot of people cycle in Halifax, I was shocked to realize that planning a bike and bus route is basically impossible here. Demerits, Metro Transit.
Next up, it would help to have buses running a bit more frequently, but that may just be part of living in a smaller city. I can deal with it.
