New cycling corridor being proposed for Halifax peninsula

When it comes increasing cycling ridership in Halifax, one advocate says it all comes down to changes that make people feel safer.

“The number one reason why people don’t ride a bicycle is because they don’t feel safe doing it,” said Kelsey Lane, the executive director with the Halifax Cycling Coalition.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The number one reason why people don't ride a bicycle is because they don't feel safe doing it," said Kelsey Lane, the executive director with the Halifax Cycling Coalition.

The municipality is working to expand the cycling network throughout the peninsula.

READ MORE: Halifax’s integrated transit plan moves to public consultations

“We have a priority to build bicycle lanes in the regional centre, that comes out of our 2014 active transportation plan,” said David MacIsaac, the Active Transportation supervisor with the municipality.

A new east-to-west corridor is on the municipality’s radar for a new bike lane this summer and would run all along Almon Street, from Gottingen to Connaught Avenue.

The municipality is resurfacing some of the streets in the area and wants to use the opportunity to add in cycling infrastructure.

“What we’re going to propose to the public is to implement a painted bike lane option in 2017,” MacIsaac said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What we're going to propose to the public is to implement a painted bike lane option in 2017," MacIsaac said.

Lane said painted bike lanes aren’t nearly as safe as protected ones and aren’t nearly as beneficial for increasing ridership, which is one of the goals outlined in the “Making Connections: Halifax Active Transportation Priorities Plan.”

“Protected bike lanes are safer because they provide a barrier between the person on a bike and the line of traffic,” Lane said.

MacIsaac said there’s no arguing protected bike lanes are safer then painted ones, but said the width of the three segments are too narrow to accommodate those protected lanes at present.

“There’s a lot of additional steps that we need to go through before we could even propose a protected bike lane. Right now, to do a protected bike lane, you need at least 11 meters. In two sections of Almon Street, the widths are between 8.5 and nine meters,” he said.

But Lane said according to national standards in the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, the current width of the corridor should accommodate the minimum standards required for a protected bike-lane.

“The NACTO standards say, you can go down to the minimum width and you’ll have enough room for bicycle lanes and two lines of traffic,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The NACTO standards say, you can go down to the minimum width and you'll have enough room for bicycle lanes and two lines of traffic," she said.

The city is encouraging public feedback for all cycling projects before information is presented to Regional Council for approval.