if you are new to this city or just wanting to putter around – stop driving on the main streets with the most traffic – like Robie, Qunipool, Spring Garden and Barrington and slowing down dazed and confused holding up traffic – actually Halifax is such a small city – park your damn car and go for a walk or maybe take the bus if you are feeling brave…but seriously get your car off the road before you cause an accident!
— life in own hands taker
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2009.
So you expect someone who isn’t familiar with the main roads to be able to navigate the side roads?
There are lots of messed up intersections in Halifax that will throw a driver from another area for a whirl. Take the delayed advance green at Quinpool and Robie for instance. There are lots of new drivers to the city this time of year, like every other year, so be patient.
I’m with the OP on this. It’s one thing to not understand the lights (the ridiculous delayed green on Mumford and Chebucto for example) but it’s another to poke around at 15km/h, hit the brakes without reason, and change lanes at the last second without looking.
I’ve only been driving in this city for a month or so, but I made damn sure to get the hang of it quickly. If you miss your turn or address or whatever, that’s your problem. Loop around and get it on the next pass.
The drivers should be driving on the sidewalks instead.
That’s what bikes are for. My first night here I went and scouted all the streets to where I would be working by bike. It was after rush hour so traffic wasn’t an issue and I got to take in a million charming things about the city that residents had missed for years because they were always to busy driving. Ended up lost in Dartmouth though where the only places to ask directions were the McDonald’s with the rEAlly stoned employee, who confessed to not really knowing where he was, and Ralph’s. The strippers were very helpful, as always, to the new guy in town.
Uh, I thought the main road’s were for those that don’t KNOW the streets….
if I can avoid any street with that kind of traffic, I most certainly do.
and Why wouldn’t I? I had time to fill up and park before my parents (who’ve lived in NS for over a decade but out of the city) could barely get there while meeting for supper.