| dc.description.abstract | Dalhousie University’s population is growing and with this growth comes increased demand for
sustainable transportation options. Although, the Dalhousie Green Guide provides sustainable
transportation alternatives for the Dalhousie community, these options favour those who live on the
Halifax peninsula and not those who live on the mainland across from the Northwest Arm.
As a result, this study was undertaken to determine the desirability and feasibility of a passenger
ferry in the Northwest Arm. It focused primarily on the Dalhousie Community, which is comprised of
the students, staff, faculty and administration of Dalhousie University. This ferry initiative has
the potential to contribute to the overall sustainability of the university by creating an
environmentally superior transportation option for those living across the Northwest Arm. This area
is difficult to access and as a result, has not previously been incorporated into Dalhousie’s
sustainable transportation plan.
After conducting an exhaustive search for relevant literature, it was established that a
questionnaire and a face-‐to-‐face interview needed to take place to gain a better understanding
of the topic. The questionnaire was created on Opinio and distributed online to 44 academic
departments at Dalhousie. The questionnaire provided the opportunity to gather data regarding the
desirability of the Dalhousie community for a ferry that crosses the NorthWest Arm. In cooperation
with NDP MLA Michele Raymond, a face-‐to-‐face interview was conducted to gain a better
understanding of the feasibility of a ferry that runs across the Northwest Arm. This interview
proved very beneficial because Michele Raymond had previously conducted a pilot project with a
small passenger ferry crossing the Northwest Arm.
The results showed overwhelming support for ferry service in the Northwest Arm by those who would
use the ferry for leisure purposes rather than commuting. Furthermore, the majority of respondents
were students who lived on the Halifax peninsula, over half of which use motor vehicles to commute
to and from the campus. This shows that future researchers should use a research tool that can
reach a greater number of people that live on the mainland and therefore have greater potential to
use the ferry service for daily commuting purposes. The study concludes with recommendations for
further research. This includes continuing research on this topic, as it has been noted that
research should be expanded to the greater Halifax community to ensure the possibility of greater
feasibility of this service, and benefits to a wider
range of stakeholders. | en_US |
