Title : Halifax man launches rush-hour ferry to help commuters in wake of city traffic chaos
link : Halifax man launches rush-hour ferry to help commuters in wake of city traffic chaos
Halifax man launches rush-hour ferry to help commuters in wake of city traffic chaos
CTVNews.ca Staff, With a report from CTV Atlantic's Paul Hollingsworth
Published Tuesday, June 4, 2019 7:53PM EDT
A Halifax entrepreneur is hoping to capitalize on the city’s traffic congestion while also helping commuters to get to where they need to be by launching a “throwback” ferry shuttle across the Northwest Arm.
On Tuesday, David Backman, ferry owner and operator of North West Arm Ferry, began shuttling commuters looking to dodge traffic delays caused by Quinpool Road construction project.
"The closing of Quinpool Road gave us the opportunity to resurrect this once traditional ferry route," Backman told CTV Atlantic.
Ferries used to shuttle people across the Northwest Arm since the early 1900s, a service Backman is hoping will regain popularity, with shuttles running for the morning and evening commutes.
“Starting about 6:30 a.m. we depart the north side of Dingle Park, and we make trips every 15 minutes,” Backman said.
Backman said it’s about a six-minute trip and he charges $4 per person for a one-way trip.
“I spend more than 45 minutes on a route that normally would have taken me 15, and most of it is just sitting traffic,” commuter Melanie Kelly told CTV Atlantic.
Construction started April 1 to replace a CN bridge at one end of Quinpool Road, causing traffic congestion and commuter frustration.
Backman is taking advantage of public infrastructure, using docks on the harbour to shuttle his passengers.
“These are public docks that are being used,” Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor Shawn Cleary explained to CTV Atlantic. “So any member of the public, whether they are a private business or a canoer, paddler, kayaker, it doesn’t matter.”
With its maiden voyage out of the way, Backman is offering free shuttle services this week, hoping to drum up more paying customers going forward.
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