Council seeking ways to relieve transit pain

Halifax regional council’s regular Tuesday meeting is back on, and councillors will be examining ideas on easing the strain of the transit strike.

This week’s meeting was originally cancelled because of a light agenda. Council held a special, secret meeting on Thursday to discuss transit negotiations, then on Friday a group of councillors requested the Tuesday meeting be held, especially in light of the strike.

“I think it’s important for council to have meetings whether it’s a transit strike or not,” said Coun. Sue Uteck on Sunday. “If you look at the status sheets of each of the community councils, those status sheets are going, so there’s a logjam somewhere in HRM.”

As of Sunday, the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting has not been accepted nor posted publicly. Uteck said council will consider opening up taxi zones for more availability and open HRM’s park-and-rides to the public, free of charge.

Coun. Peter Lund said he expects the exchange of ideas and options to occur in the public meeting since it’s not directly tied to the negotiations, which are discussed privately.

“Commuters are asking for relief,” Lund said. “Sounds like we’re in for the long haul, so we have to come up with some interim measures.”

Ken Wilson, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 508, said those are good ideas but that “it boggles my mind that Halifax regional council still doesn’t understand people can’t afford taxis and people can’t walk those distances,” he said.

Uteck has started her own initiative to help out: she posted on Facebook on the weekend that she is willing to give up some driveway space for people who are having trouble finding a parking spot.

“I’m doing a little campaign on the peninsula: Got a driveway, need a driveway?"