UPDATE: The Bikeway Connector project is being voted on at Regional Council on Tuesday, August 15th.
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At the Transportation Standing Committee last Thursday, Halifax staff presented the final recommendation to Macdonald Bridge in order to make it accessible by bike. It has been a long wait since the public consultation that took place last November, but we are excited to finally see the recommendation for a safe and easy access the Macdonald Bridge bike lane, with improvements on both sides of the harbour.
Of the two options that were proposed, the staff report recommends the flyover ramp that connects to a bike lane at North Street & Gottingen Street.
This is good news. The longer ramp has a more gradual slope and is significantly easier to bike on than a ramp that lands farther up the road at Lorne Terrace. Another important element of the recommended Gottingen/North Street option, is that it takes cyclists over the busy intersection avoiding transit, pedestrian and vehicle traffic conflict areas.
Rendering of Option 2) in the staff report, with a ramp to the MacDonald Bridge bike lane connecting at North/Gottingen Street.
Next Steps?
→ The Bikeway Connector Project will be presented to Regional Council (Fall, 2017)
→ Council votes on whether or not to approve the bike lane improvements
→ Detailed engineering design & memorandum of understanding created between the city and Halifax Harbour Bridges*
→ Construction begins in Spring of 2018*
*Only if the project is approved by council in the fall
In the months leading up to the vote, the HCC will focus our advocacy efforts on fixing the Macdonald Bridge bike lane. We will be meeting with councillors, issuing press releases, talking with community members, and generating support for the Bikeway Connector Project before the report goes to a council vote in September.
The fixes to the Macdonald Bridge bike lane can be delayed, only partially implemented, or fall through entirely if Regional Council does not vote in favor of the project. HCC will be calling on the support of the bike community to make sure this does not happen.
How you can help?
Call or E-mail your councillor, and tell them about your experience riding across the harbour, and why you want to see improvements to the Macdonald Bridge (click here for a link to your councillor’s contact information).
Attend the Council Meeting
When the proposal goes to council this fall, we will need your support to ensure they say yes! A time and date has not been announced yet, but we will let you know when the the agenda is confirmed.
For more information on fixing the Macdonald Bridge bike lane approach, links to staff reports, and answers to questions (like why a hole in the fence will not fix the access to the Macdonald Bridge?) visit: https://cyclehalifax.ca/campaigns/fix-the-macdonald-bridge/
