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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Herring Cove Road bike lanes nixed by Halifax council

Posted by Tim Bousquet on Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 3:05 PM

Halifax council Tuesday voted 13-9 against placing bike lanes on Herring Cove Road in Spryfield. The road is scheduled for a $1.2 million repaving project from Old Sambro Road to Hartlen Avenue, and the present four car lanes are considered excessive for the 18,000 cars a day using them. So the city's traffic division recommended that after the paving project, the road be repainted with just two traffic lanes and two new bike lanes.

It's long been established that bike lanes, narrower roads and slower car traffic are good for adjoining businesses---fast moving cars have a hard time slowing down to turn into parking lots---but the Spryfield & District Business Commission would have none of the bike lane plan. "It is vital to the vitality of our Business District and for the Community as a whole that the four lanes of traffic that have served both businesses and the community effectively should continue to do so uninterrupted," the commission wrote in a letter to councillors.

Councillor Stephen Adams presented a petition from over 2,000 Spryfield residents against the plan. While councillor Sue Uteck noted wryly that petitions from thousands opposed to the widening of Chebucto Road fell on deaf ears, the majority of council was not disposed to upset the business commission, and so Herring Cove Road will have no bike lanes.

For the full vote tally, see here.

Tags: Bike lanes, Stephen Adams, Sue Uteck

Comments (7) RSS

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Oh, and BTW I AM paying attention to the issue, and the issue is "Bikes suck and get in the way of real traffic, let them ride on the sidewalk where they belong."

Posted by hishighness on July 13, 2010 at 2:15 PM | Report this comment

Thanks for the list of emails, I just emailed all the No's and said thank you and all the Yes' and told em to shape up.

Posted by hishighness on July 13, 2010 at 2:14 PM | Report this comment

I just wrote all the councilors on this. I think we need to have a bigger vision for the city, as well as for all of Nova Scotia. Twinning highways, adding extra roads, lanes, and roundabouts are not innovative, thoughtful, or suggested to constituents with a sense of vision for a sane and healthy future.
This may have not been the best place for a bike lane, but I'm of the opinion that, as we increase the amount of bike lanes, we should really make traveling by car more difficult, in order to deter people from using cars.

Posted by Nyima on July 7, 2010 at 11:22 PM | Report this comment

Also, if you want to fire off a mass email, you can just cut and paste the whole section below for an email to all of the councilors who voted against bike lanes. Cheerful discourse!

adamss@halifax.ca, barry.dalrymple@halifax.ca, humd@halifax.ca, brad.johns@halifax.ca, karsteb@halifax.ca, kellyp@halifax.ca, lundp@halifax.ca, mcclusg@halifax.ca, rankinr@halifax.ca, walkerr@halifax.ca, smithj@halifax.ca, streats@halifax.ca, wilema@halifax.ca

Posted by Nyima on July 7, 2010 at 11:16 PM | Report this comment

Does anyone want all the councilors emails? Just to make your response a little easier:
"A "yes"' vote was against the bike lanes: "
Yes:
Adams - adamss@halifax.ca
Dalrymple - barry.dalrymple@halifax.ca
Hum - humd@halifax.ca
Johns - brad.johns@halifax.ca
Karsten - karsteb@halifax.ca
Kelly - kellyp@halifax.ca
Lund - lundp@halifax.ca
McCluskey - mcclusg@halifax.ca
Rankin - rankinr@halifax.ca
Walker - walkerr@halifax.ca
Smith - smithj@halifax.ca
Streatch - streats@halifax.ca
Wile - wilema@halifax.ca

No:
Barkhouse - barkhoj@halifax.ca
Fisher - darren.fisher@halifax.ca
Harvey - harveyb@halifax.ca
Hendsbee - david.hendsbee@halifax.ca
Nicoll - Lorelei.Nicoll@halifax.ca
Outhit - outhitt@halifax.ca
Sloane - sloaned@halifax.ca
Uteck - utecks@halifax.ca
Watts - jennifer.watts@halifax.ca

Did not cast vote:
Blumenthal - blumenj@halifax.ca

Absent:
Mosher - linda.mosher@halifax.ca