Bike Lane Projects in HRM

: The Hollis Street bicycle lane under construction in July 2015. Photo: Tim Davidson

: Fix the Macdonald Bridge bicycle lane

: A person riding a bicycle on Hollis Street (Hilary Beaumont/Halifax Examiner photo)

What’s happening with Halifax’s ongoing bicycle lane projects? We know that some are underway, and others are planned to be implemented by 2022, as per HRM’s Integrated Mobility Plan. To keep things straight we’ve created this page to monitor the status of all of the projects the city has promised. Check back for updates. If you would like to help make these projects a reality please sign up to become a volunteer today.

Summary of ongoing bicycle lane projects

The table below summarizes bicycle lane projects in Halifax. Click the project name to see more details.

Project name	Summary	Lane type	Budget	Approval Date	Completion Date	Status	Action
South Park Street	A one-way protected bike lane on either side of South Park Street from Sackville Street to Morris Street then extending the painted line to Inglis Street, 1.2km	Protected bicycle lane and painted bike lane	$435,000	March 6, 2018	Construction to begin Spring 2019	Tender awarded	None
Macdonald Bridge Bikeway Connectors	Fixes to the Macdonald Bridge approaches to make them accessible to people of all ages and abilities	3.5 km's of on-road bikeways on the Halifax and Dartmouth sides of the bridge and a flyover ramp	$7,300,000	August 15, 2017	TBD	Tender awarded	Contact your councillor
Hollis Street	A left-side bicycle lane running from Cogswell Street to Terminal Road, 1.0km	One-way buffered bicycle lane	$230,000	November 2010	September 18, 2015	Completed	None
Rainnie Drive	A two-way parking-protected bicycle lane on Rainnie from North Park Street to Gottingen Street, 300m	Two-way parking protected bicycle lane	$98,850	September 2015	November 24, 2015	Completed	None
University Avenue	A one-way protected bicycle lane on either side of University Avenue from Robie Street to the Killam Library, 400m	Protected bicycle lane	$150,000	September 2014	August 2016	Completed	None
Dartmouth Waterfront Trail	Completion of the trail section behind the old coast guard station, 3km	Off-street multi-use path from the Woodside Ferry Terminal to the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal	$150,000	September 2015	Summer 2016	Completed	None

Details of ongoing bicycle lane projects

Details of ongoing bicycle lane projects are listed below.

South Park Street bicycle lane

In Spring 2018 Halifax Regional Council approved upgrades to the South Park Bike Lane, which includes making the bike lane a parking-protected lane from Sackville Street to Morris Street and extending the painted bike lane south to Inglis Street. The approved upgrades are scheduled to be implemented in spring 2019. To learn more about the project visit HRM’s website.

Macdonald Bridge bikeway connectors

Halifax Regional Council has approved upgrades to the approach to the Macdonald Bridge bicycle lane on both the Halifax and Dartmouth sides. The project will cost a total of $7.3 million, which includes the following upgrades:

Macdonald Bridge Connections

C1: Enhancements at the Wyse Road / Nantucket Avenue intersections
C2: Access directly from bikeway to Lyle and Dickson Streets
C3: Flyover to ultimately connect to bicycle lanes on North Street

Bikeways

B1: A bicycle facility on Wyse Road between Nantucket Avenue and Thistle Street to connect to paths on Dartmouth Common (approx. 400 m)
B2: A bicycle facility on Wyse Road between Faulkner Street and Albro Lake Road (approx. 1050 m)
B3: A two-way Local Street Bikeway on Faulkner Street, Lyle Street and Shore Drive (approx. 1350 m)
B4: A bicycle facility on North Street from the end of the flyover to Agricola Street (approx. 650 m)

Hollis Street bicycle lane

The Hollis Street bicycle lane was approved in 2010 as part of the Downtown Streets One-way Conversion Project. It is the twin to the nearby Lower Water Street bicycle lane. The lane is a buffered lane that includes additional separation from cars and trucks. The lane runs on the left-hand side of the road. Vehicles may stop in the lane to load or unload for up to 15 minutes. The city has marked the lane as “No Stopping” from 7-9am, so no deliveries are allowed during that time. The Halifax Cycling Coalition is working with HRM Active Transportation Planning staff and the Downtown Halifax Business Commission to upgrade the lane to a protected bicycle lane for added protection. We expect a staff report with a few different options for an upgraded protected bike lane on Hollis Street to go to Halifax Regional Council for approval in Fall 2018. HRM is considering at least two options for the Hollis Street bike lane upgrade, with one option being a bi-directional protected bike lane on Hollis Street and another option being a uni-directional bike lane going southbound on Hollis Street and a uni-directional protected bike lane going northbound on Lower Water Street. The Halifax Cycling Coalition supports uni-directional bike lanes on both Hollis Street and Lower Water Street, as this will allow for the beautification of both streets and greater access for people riding bikes to the Halifax Waterfront. If you have any suggestions to enhance the bicycle lane please contact us.

Brunswick Street bicycle lane

Changes and enhancements to the Brunswick Street bicycle lane could see it upgraded to a protected bicycle lane, extended south to Spring Garden Road, and connected to the Rainnie Drive bicycle lane. Stay tuned for updates.

University Avenue bicycle lane

The University Avenue bicycle lane, phase 1, was built in 2016, which included bollard protected bike lanes going eastbound and westbound on University Avenue between Robie Street and the Dalhousie Quad. In 2017 the bike lane took a step backward, when all of the bollards that provide protection to people riding bikes, were removed in front of the Rebecca Cohen Auditorium. We are pushing the city, the IWK, and the Nova Scotia Health Authority to complete the second half, which all parties committed to in 2012 and reinstall the removed bollards. This project is part of the Urban Halifax Institutional District Bikeway Plan, which involves the city, Dalhousie University, the IWK Hospital, and the Nova Scotia Health Authority partnering to create a network of protected bicycle lanes connecting their buildings along University Avenue and Summer Street.

Dartmouth Waterfront Greenway Gaps

This trail will run from the beginning of the Shearwater Flyer Trail all the way to Shore Drive in Downtown Dartmouth. The missing pieces to this important cycling connection are scheduled to be completed by 2022.