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HALIFAX — A handful of intersections may soon see an overhaul to give buses an advantage over all other vehicles on the road.

Last week, Halifax published a tender seeking a consultant to analyze seven intersections in Halifax and Dartmouth. Each intersection is a choke-point for traffic. Municipal planners want to find easy, inexpensive strategies to help speed transit buses through these points.

Halifax already has intersections where these strategies exist. The traffic lights at the approach to the Macdonald Bridge from North Street offers buses a head-start over cars. On Windmill Road, a turning lane transforms into a buses-only straightaway to sneak ahead of long lines of gridlock.

“One bus may have 30 people on it and one car has one or two people in it,” said Dave McCusker, Manager of Strategic Transportation Planning with the city.

“That’s the justification for taking certain measures to favour buses.”

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And more measures are coming. McCusker estimates the city could likely afford to redo one intersection — repaint lines and realign curbs — each year.

These changes would act as a stopgap ahead of any major transit infrastructure projects.

Proposed modifications to Pleasant Street at Hwy 111. NS Tenders Proposed modifications to Portland Street. NS Tenders Proposed modifications to Windmill Road. NS Tenders Proposed modifications to the Macdonald Bridge tolls. NS Tenders

“It is an easier tool to implement when you start thinking about what are the immediate things at our disposal to make transit better in our city,” said Ross Soward, member of It’s More Than Buses, a group advocating for a contemporary reimagination of what Halifax’s transit map could look like.

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VIDEO: “It’s More Than Buses” releases its redrawn Halifax’s transit map

The plan to rejig intersections in favour of buses is not entirely bad, though, for those wary to relinquish the comforts of their car.

With better transit options, officials say more people will choose transit. That will theoretically reduce the number of cars on the road and improve traffic flow overall.

But soon, driving a car may also have its downsides.

“If you’re stuck in traffic in a car,” said Soward, “and you see a bus fly by you with a bunch of people there who are making much better time than you, you might start thinking twice about how you plan your trip in the morning.”

READ MORE: Halifax city council votes for full transit map overhaul

The tender closes Nov. 26 and the list of intersections suited for modifications could be ready early next year.