Like many other aspects of day-to-day life, COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions changed how people get around the municipality. This was due in part to many people working or learning from home, reducing or eliminating trips outside of work and necessary errands, and maintaining physical distance in public spaces and on public transportation.
As part of Halifax's Mobility Response Plan, HRM started collecting data to understand how COVID-19 is impacting mobility patterns. This data is helpful for understanding which transportation modes people are using, and when and where they are travelling. The information is being used to inform ongoing municipal efforts, such as the Mobility Response Plan, Street Improvement Pilot Projects, and further delivery of the Integrated Mobility Plan. We’re sharing this data publicly to help people travelling in the municipality understand the impacts COVID-19 has had on our mobility network and how people are choosing to travel. Data for pedestrians, and bridge traffic volumes have been provided by our partners Develop Nova Scotia, Downtown Halifax Business Commission, and Halifax Harbour Bridges. Cycling volume data on the University Avenue Bicycle Lane has been provided by Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory.
Beginning in January 2022, the COVID-19 Mobility reports will be updated quarterly with new data to give fresh insights into how mobility patterns and behaviours are shifting over time. See below for the most recently-released reports.