Sam Austin
@samaustind5.bsky.social
Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor
District 5 Dartmouth Centre
District 5 Dartmouth Centre
Today: Budget deliberations continue with transit. Picking up where we left off with Councillor Hendsbee's motion to raise fares ($0.25 - $0.50), cancel free ferry on Canada Day/Natal Day, and eliminate special events support of free charter buses
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Budget Committee - February 11, 2026
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Today: Budget deliberations continue with transit. Picking up where we left off with Councillor Hendsbee's motion to raise fares ($0.25 - $0.50), cancel free ferry on Canada Day/Natal Day, and eliminate special events support of free charter buses
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Bus lanes aren't empty
Video of BRT working as intended on Barrington this morning. Not pictured: the mom next to me saying “There was a school shooting yesterday” and us discussing the heartbreak and the coincidence that our kiddos did lockdown drills this week.
February 11, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Bus lanes aren't empty
Today: Council budget deliberations will fill the day. Up for review today are the Transit and Public Safety budgets. This will no doubt spill into tomorrow, possibly Friday as well. Agenda and reports here pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Budget Committee - February 11, 2026
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Today: Council budget deliberations will fill the day. Up for review today are the Transit and Public Safety budgets. This will no doubt spill into tomorrow, possibly Friday as well. Agenda and reports here pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Today: It's a Regional Council day. A relatively light meeting where Councillor/Mayor motions are the main items of debate pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Halifax Regional Council - February 10, 2026
pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Today: It's a Regional Council day. A relatively light meeting where Councillor/Mayor motions are the main items of debate pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Today: On my way to Transportation Standing Committee where Transit’s Core Service Plan, and microtransit are on the agenda. Harbour East Community Council meets tonight www.halifax.ca/city-hall/st...
February 9, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Today: On my way to Transportation Standing Committee where Transit’s Core Service Plan, and microtransit are on the agenda. Harbour East Community Council meets tonight www.halifax.ca/city-hall/st...
Bike count for January. Despite the cold and snow, HRMs 11 counters still recorded 15,400 bikes over the month (Dartmouth Cove counter only gave partial results due to maintenance). Down slightly from last January, but still ahead of January 2024 @stats.hfx.bike
February 8, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Bike count for January. Despite the cold and snow, HRMs 11 counters still recorded 15,400 bikes over the month (Dartmouth Cove counter only gave partial results due to maintenance). Down slightly from last January, but still ahead of January 2024 @stats.hfx.bike
Reposted by Sam Austin
NEW VIDEO: The Bikeshare Dilemma
Bikeshares and scootershares (also known as “Shared Micromobility) is one of the fastest growing forms of transportation on the planet today, but cities appear deeply divided on how to manage them. youtu.be/qfz6AsYycA8
Bikeshares and scootershares (also known as “Shared Micromobility) is one of the fastest growing forms of transportation on the planet today, but cities appear deeply divided on how to manage them. youtu.be/qfz6AsYycA8
The Bike Share Dilemma
YouTube video by About Here
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 3:16 PM
NEW VIDEO: The Bikeshare Dilemma
Bikeshares and scootershares (also known as “Shared Micromobility) is one of the fastest growing forms of transportation on the planet today, but cities appear deeply divided on how to manage them. youtu.be/qfz6AsYycA8
Bikeshares and scootershares (also known as “Shared Micromobility) is one of the fastest growing forms of transportation on the planet today, but cities appear deeply divided on how to manage them. youtu.be/qfz6AsYycA8
Today: Budget deliberations continue with (1) Parks and Rec (2) Planning and (3) Property, Environment & Fleet
February 5, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Today: Budget deliberations continue with (1) Parks and Rec (2) Planning and (3) Property, Environment & Fleet
Today: Budget deliberations continue with operations departments. The roster for the next three days (1) Major Projects Office, (2) Strategic Infrastructure & Transportation Planning (3) Public Works (4) Parks and Rec (5) Planning (6) Property, Environment & Fleet
February 4, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Today: Budget deliberations continue with operations departments. The roster for the next three days (1) Major Projects Office, (2) Strategic Infrastructure & Transportation Planning (3) Public Works (4) Parks and Rec (5) Planning (6) Property, Environment & Fleet
My Council Update from last week's meeting: Lakes, Bike Network modifications, a One-HRM Membership for Parks and Rec, and regulating ride share companies. Read it here: samaustin.ca/council-upda...
Council Update: Lakes, Bike Network, One-Membership, Ride Share - Sam Austin
Agenda, January 27 LakeWatchersCouncil received its first detailed report into results from the LakeWatchers program. The Program launched in 2022 and involves sampling lake water in 79 lakes across H...
samaustin.ca
February 3, 2026 at 10:38 PM
My Council Update from last week's meeting: Lakes, Bike Network modifications, a One-HRM Membership for Parks and Rec, and regulating ride share companies. Read it here: samaustin.ca/council-upda...
My Council Update from our Wednesday's budget meeting. Potential trouble for two of HRM's biggest projects! samaustin.ca/council-upda...
Council Update: Forum and Ferries - Sam Austin
Forum:On Wednesday, Council resumed budget deliberations with a look at the capital budget and I’m fairly alarmed at where Mayor Fillmore wants to take us regarding the Halifax Forum project. The Foru...
samaustin.ca
January 29, 2026 at 10:34 PM
My Council Update from our Wednesday's budget meeting. Potential trouble for two of HRM's biggest projects! samaustin.ca/council-upda...
This is one heck of a speech! www.youtube.com/live/dqtDxku...
LIVE: Canadian PM Mark Carney Special Address at Davos WEF 2026
YouTube video by DRM News
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:59 PM
This is one heck of a speech! www.youtube.com/live/dqtDxku...
My Council Update: Missing Middle Housing and the building code, plus the HRM pension plan. Read it here samaustin.ca/council-upda...
Council Update: Missing Middle, Pensions - Sam Austin
Missing Middle Housing and the Building CodeA motion of mine was back before Council around eliminating barriers to Missing Middle Housing. The situation I’m trying to change is our restrictive rules ...
samaustin.ca
January 15, 2026 at 3:32 PM
My Council Update: Missing Middle Housing and the building code, plus the HRM pension plan. Read it here samaustin.ca/council-upda...
Today: Was a quiet one. A few phone calls, some emails, an interview with King's journalism students, and I finished my Council blog (will post that tomorrow).
January 15, 2026 at 2:38 AM
Today: Was a quiet one. A few phone calls, some emails, an interview with King's journalism students, and I finished my Council blog (will post that tomorrow).
Reposted by Sam Austin
An update on the Alderney Ferry service disruption: www.halifax.ca/home/news/up...
January 14, 2026 at 8:49 PM
An update on the Alderney Ferry service disruption: www.halifax.ca/home/news/up...
Today: Heading over to City Hall for Regional Council. Full agenda that includes discussions on litter, missing middle housing, and taxi/ride share licensing. Agenda here pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
January 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Today: Heading over to City Hall for Regional Council. Full agenda that includes discussions on litter, missing middle housing, and taxi/ride share licensing. Agenda here pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Today: A busy one. Chatted with the Herald about bike stats, meetings with staff regarding missing middle housing and building code. Briefing on the suburban plan. Also catching up with the Halifax Partnership, and the weekly check-in with my coordinator.
January 9, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Today: A busy one. Chatted with the Herald about bike stats, meetings with staff regarding missing middle housing and building code. Briefing on the suburban plan. Also catching up with the Halifax Partnership, and the weekly check-in with my coordinator.
Today: Coffee meetings for the morning, including with the Park Avenue Oven folks. Emails and Transportation Standing Committee Agenda Review to round out the day.
January 8, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Today: Coffee meetings for the morning, including with the Park Avenue Oven folks. Emails and Transportation Standing Committee Agenda Review to round out the day.
Today: Back into the office after the holidays. Started the day with Councillors on the Hot Seat with News 95.7. A few other media inquiries about Dartmouth Cove (all quiet today). Email and phone calls with the balance of the day.
January 5, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Today: Back into the office after the holidays. Started the day with Councillors on the Hot Seat with News 95.7. A few other media inquiries about Dartmouth Cove (all quiet today). Email and phone calls with the balance of the day.
Reposted by Sam Austin
The Utrecht morning rush hour in the snow did not disappoint!
January 5, 2026 at 7:26 AM
The Utrecht morning rush hour in the snow did not disappoint!
2025's bike stats. Over half a million bikes counted at HRM's 12 counters with several posting all-time highs (Hollis, Barrington, Dartmouth Cove, South Park, Vernon, Windsor).
Previous year counts:
2025: 561,109
2024: 519,798
2023: 383,304
2022: 264,790
2021: 265,574
2020: 64,332
2019: 32,510
2018: 57,902
2025: 561,109
2024: 519,798
2023: 383,304
2022: 264,790
2021: 265,574
2020: 64,332
2019: 32,510
2018: 57,902
January 1, 2026 at 8:46 PM
2025's bike stats. Over half a million bikes counted at HRM's 12 counters with several posting all-time highs (Hollis, Barrington, Dartmouth Cove, South Park, Vernon, Windsor).
Bit of a strange one to share on Christmas Eve but there was a fleury of Dartmouth Cove correspondence this week. Province to HRM and HRM back to Province. Plus a threat of action by a landowner on Jan 5 cdn.halifax.ca/sites/defaul...
cdn.halifax.ca
December 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Bit of a strange one to share on Christmas Eve but there was a fleury of Dartmouth Cove correspondence this week. Province to HRM and HRM back to Province. Plus a threat of action by a landowner on Jan 5 cdn.halifax.ca/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Sam Austin
Heads up – a new southbound transit-only lane is now open from Artz Street to the Cogswell District roundabout. This lane is for buses only and completes a missing link in the Barrington Street transit corridor from the north end to downtown, helping transit move faster and more reliably.
December 18, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Heads up – a new southbound transit-only lane is now open from Artz Street to the Cogswell District roundabout. This lane is for buses only and completes a missing link in the Barrington Street transit corridor from the north end to downtown, helping transit move faster and more reliably.
Reposted by Sam Austin
We're advising residents that the municipal overnight winter parking ban is in effect from Dec. 15, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The parking ban is enforced from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. during declared weather events and snow removal operations. More details: www.halifax.ca/home/news/mu...
December 12, 2025 at 3:59 PM
We're advising residents that the municipal overnight winter parking ban is in effect from Dec. 15, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The parking ban is enforced from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. during declared weather events and snow removal operations. More details: www.halifax.ca/home/news/mu...
Last Council blog of 2025! The Banook Plan and some thoughts on the Capped Assessment Program samaustin.ca/council-upda...
Council Update: Banook Plan, CAP - Sam Austin
Agenda December 9Agenda December 2 Banook PlanThe Lake Banook Coordination Plan was approved by Council this week. Banook is a special place. It’s both a prized community recreational hub, and an inte...
samaustin.ca
December 11, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Last Council blog of 2025! The Banook Plan and some thoughts on the Capped Assessment Program samaustin.ca/council-upda...