After a four-month construction period, Quinpool Road reopened ahead of schedule Monday morning. But with all the work completed and the paving done, one question remains: where are the bike lanes?
“It’s a real missed opportunity,” said Coun. Matt Whitman, referring to the lack of bike lanes installed along the refurbished bridge.
“Typically we try to add bike lanes when we do road refurbishments, which wasn’t the case here today.”
Quinpool was closed between Connaught Avenue and the Armdale Rotary while the Canadian National Railway bridge underwent repairs, a partnership between CN and the municipality.
Just as the bridge opened, a major funding announcement was made on the waterfront, as all three levels of government came on board with $25 million in funding to invest in the all-ages and abilities bikeway network that will help create 30 more kilometres of accessible transportation between Halifax and Dartmouth.
Halifax is trying to make inroads when it comes to cycling infrastructure and at the funding announcement, HRM mayor Mike Savage said the investment will pay dividends to the community for years to come.
“Finding ways for cyclists and pedestrians to move around this municipality more freely and safely and more confidently is really important, and I think it reduces traffic as well,” said Savage.
Cycling advocates applaud the funding announcement and long-term vision for cyclists, but argue any time roadwork is done like at Quinpool Road, cycling needs to be kept in mind.
“We need to start taking advantage of opportunities like that. Every time that we are thinking of repaving a road, we should ask ourselves, ‘Is this a good spot for cycling infrastructure?'” said Kelsey Lane, the sustainable transportation coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre.
Lane won’t call it a “missed opportunity” at Quinpool Road for bike lanes but instead says there is still a chance to make bike lane connections in that area and connect to the midtown infrastructure.
“For Quinpool Road, specifically, there’s still an opportunity there to start connecting to infrastructure that already exists,” said Lane. “This isn’t rocket science; we have paint, we have concrete, we have bollards. We can easily put in a bike lane, we just need the political will to make it happen.”
Jim Chandler cycles to work every day in the summer months and says the reopening of the Quinpool bridge was a pleasant surprise, as it saves him 10 minutes on his morning commute. But he’s not cycling on the road; instead, he’s sticking to the sidewalk.
“Usually I’m not on the sidewalk, but hence the double lane,” said Chandler, pointing to the busy roadway. “If there was a bike lane I’d be on the road.”
CN, who partnered with the municipality on the bridge repair project, directed all questions regarding the lack of bike lanes back to the municipality.
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In a statement to Global News, the municipality said bike lanes along Quinpool Road would have come at a huge cost and that area doesn’t fall under the municipality’s active transportation or integrated mobility plans.
As for the funding announcement, expect more connectivity among existing bike trails to be in place over the next three years.