‘I feel safer’: With tolls gone, numbers show big decrease in Halifax bridge accidents

New numbers show traffic is up and accidents are down on the Halifax bridges.

Traffic on Halifax’s Mcdonald and MacKay bridges flows freely these days.

“It’s a lot more smooth sailing going through there. It seems like a lot more people are getting used to the speed limit, only slowing down a little bit so it’s been a lot easier, way less hectic,” says motorist Lee-Anne Milne.

Numbers just released by Halifax Harbour Bridges show from April to September accidents are down by 40 per cent compared to the same time period last year.

During those same six months traffic has increased by 10 per cent, going from 17.2 million crossings to 18.9 million.

This is what the province was predicting when they made the promise to remove the tolls during the last provincial election.

“The reduction in collisions is very much a positive. Anytime we can reduce collisions on our roads and highways is a positive thing for Nova Scotians,” says Public Works Minister Fred Tilley.

“I feel safer, honestly, going across and through the tolls, where the tolls used to be. It honestly does feel a little bit safer. I feel like everyone is more focused now because maybe they’re not having to dig for change if they’re out of town, if they don’t know,” Milne adds

The business community is glad to see the uptick in people heading over the bridges but the CEO of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission would like to see things go a step further.

“I’d love to see them go the next step and make the ferry between Downtown Dartmouth and Downtown Halifax free. I know that would help pedestrians and tourists and residents utilize both sides of the harbour on a daily basis,” Tim Rissesco says. “I think it’s the next step. We see it in other cities, the Staten Island ferry is free in New York and I think that helps bring the city together there and if we had a free ferry here in Halifax Harbour between downtown Dartmouth and Downtown Halifax, I think it would help the city grow as one as well.”

Free ferry service has been discussed. Rissesco says his counterparts at Downtown Halifax would also like to see free ferry service crossing the harbour.

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