Halifax Transit officials want to upgrade and expand the Mumford Terminal because it is too small. The terminal is the third busiest in the municipality and handles 9,300 people a day.

The existing site is limited because it's squeezed alongside the parking lot of a shopping mall. There's not much shelter space for passengers and too few lanes, which means buses back up into Mumford Road during peak times.

"It's not an ideal layout or an ideal location. It was put in place many years ago," said Dave Reage, head of Halifax Transit.

Halifax Transit has put out a call for a consultant to find a new location. The surrounding shopping area, which includes Walmart and the Halifax Shopping Centre, means there are plenty of people who want to use the bus. But it also means challenges.

"It doesn't leave you a lot of options in terms of finding the space we need to build a proper-sized terminal," said Reage.

New location may be needed

A request for proposal from the city says a new Mumford Terminal needs to be significantly larger and have better passenger amenities.

A new terminal will also serve as a base for expanded transit in both the Halifax peninsula and the mainland north areas of the municipality.

Reage hopes a consultant will come up with some creative solutions, although he admits it may mean looking further afield for a site. The company that's selected will also provide a functional design and cost estimates.

The consultant's work on this project is expected to begin April 1 and is to be completed by the end of March 2018 in order to receive federal funding.