HALIFAX -The Monday morning commute may be a bit more challenging than usual as Halifax Transit introduces major route alterations.

Thirteen routes have been cancelled and are being replaced by new ones – including three corridor routes serving areas of high demand, linked through terminals.

But reactions are mixed on the coming changes.

Transit user Brian Larter’s normal bus route is being eliminated, and he’ll be catching a different bus at another stop in his neighborhood - but he has some concerns about new routes.

“I can walk the eight blocks required to catch on of the new buses, but anyone in our neighbourhood who is not able bodied – they’re out of luck,” he said.

Transit users aren’t the only ones concerned; the union that represents bus drivers says they also have some worries about the changes.

“We just got the destination sign codes today, so all the codes have changed. Most of these operators know them off the top of their head, so it’s fundamental changes from every aspect we could think of,” said Ken Wilson, president of the amalgamated transit union.

But transit advocates like Ben Edgar from the group It’s More Than Buses, say the changes may bring some positives to commuters.

“The three new corridor routes that Halifax Transit is introducing are going to have much more increased frequencies over the existing routes, so that means buses are going to come more often,” said Edgar.

Patricia Hughes works planning and scheduling for Halifax transit and she says for most commuters the changes will be good.

“It does mean for some people that it is a bit more of a walk to get to their bus stop, it might mean another transfer, but the vast majority are still able to get where they’re going – it’s just a different trip,” said Hughes.

The other thing that has Haligonians talking is a change in the size of a bus ticket.

That change isn’t coming until the new year but the size of a ticket will change from about the size of a toonie, to the size of a twenty.

The head of technical services for Halifax Transit, Marc Santilli says the size change is because transit is installing more than 600 new fare boxes on buses next year.

“This is an interim solution until we get to alternative payment methods. We haven’t decided what those alternative payment methods are yet, but hey include options like a smart card, or mobile apps, or debit or credit,” said Santilli.

Commuters will have to deal with the large tickets for at least 18 months until the alternative payment methods become available.

The city has put $150 thousand dollars into public education campaigns to prepare the public for Monday’s changes, and will have extra staff at terminals to help commuters with the transition.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Heidi Petracek.