'AAA' Bikeway (NEWEB), Halifax and West Community Counc

P.O. Box 1749 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3A5 Canada Item No. 7.1.3 Halifax and West Community Council September 8, 2020 TO: Chair and Members of Halifax and West Community Council Original Signed SUBMITTED BY: David Hubley, Acting Director, P.Eng, Transportation and Public Works Original Signed Jacques Dubé, Chief Administrative Officer DATE: July 28, 2020 SUBJECT: Implementation of North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One and West End ‘AAA’ Bikeway (NEWEB) ORIGIN Halifax Integrated Mobility Plan (2017), Action #72: Deliver the Regional Centre all ages and abilities bicycle network by 2022. Making Connections: 2014-2019 Halifax Active Transportation Priorities Plan (2014), Recommendation #20: To achieve the goal of doubling of AT mode share, the Municipality needs to focus AT plan implementation for cycling on the types of infrastructure preferred by new bicyclists. LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, Section 322(1): Council may design, lay out, open, expand, construct, maintain, improve, alter, repair, light, water, clean, and clear streets in the Municipality. Administrative Order 2016-002OP Respecting the Implementation of Local Street Bikeways: Section 6: Council shall consider whether to designate a Local Street Bikeway on its own motion or on the recommendation by a Community Council. Section 7(1): Council may designate a Local Street Bikeway if: (a) The route is designated as a candidate route in the Active Transportation Priorities Plan or Council otherwise designates the route by resolution; and (b) Schedules 1, 2, and 3 have been followed. RECOMMENDATIONS ON PAGE 2 Implementation of North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One and West End ‘AAA’ Bikeway (NEWEB) Halifax West Community Council Report - 2 - September 8, 2020 Motor Vehicle Act, 90(3): The traffic authority may also mark lanes for traffic on street pavements at such places as they may deem advisable, consistent with this Act and may erect traffic signals consistent with this Act to control the use of lanes for traffic. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Halifax and West Community Council recommend that Regional Council: 1. Approve the implementation of 2.4km of bicycle facilities and related changes to the right of way along the North End All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bikeway route Phase One between North Ridge Road and Bloomfield Street as described in the ‘Discussion’ section of this report. 2. Approve the implementation of 2.0km of bicycle facilities and related changes to the right of way along the West End All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bikeway route between Windsor Street, Bayers Road, and the West End Mall as described in the ‘Discussion’ section of this report. BACKGROUND Policy Direction These two corridors are part of the Regional Centre All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bikeway Network. The North End (AAA) Bikeway and the West End (AAA) Bikeway represent two major north-south and east- west cycling corridors on the Halifax peninsula connecting urban neighbourhoods to shopping and service centres, and to routes that connect off-peninsula. The project aligns with the following HRM plans: Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP): Novalea, Leaman, Isleville, and Maynard are identified as a ‘candidate local street bikeway’ corridor as part of the All Ages and Abilities (AAA) cycling network in the North End. In the West End, Liverpool, George Dauphinee, Peter Lowe, and Leppert are represented in a ‘candidate local street bikeway’ corridor of the AAA cycling network. Proposed bikeway treatments will also use an IMP ‘Complete Streets’ lens to incorporate improvements for all road users wherever possible, particularly those walking or taking transit. Making Connections: A 2014-2019 Halifax Active Transportation Priorities Plan (AT Plan): The above described routes through the North End and West End of the Halifax peninsula are listed in this plan as “proposed local street bikeway”. These projects also enable broader AT destination connections by connecting elements of the Provincial Blue Route and linking the rails to trails corridors that extend east and west from the Regional Centre. Implementation of North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One and West End ‘AAA’ Bikeway (NEWEB) Halifax West Community Council Report - 3 - September 8, 2020 Figure 1: Proposed IMP Bicycle Routes with Network Context Implementing All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Cycling Facilities Professional associations such as the Transportation Association of Canada and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) provide guidelines for bicycle facility-type selection and design. Criteria for implementing safer bicycling facilities include the volume and speed of motor vehicles and the complexity of intersections with major streets, The majority of streets being considered for these two bikeway connections are low-volume, residential streets, most appropriate for a local street bikeway style facility. The aim is to create a street environment where bicyclists can comfortably share the road with motor vehicles in a shared, single file travel lane without the need for painted lanes or separation. Features of Local Street Bikeways include: • Pavement markings and wayfinding signage; • Treatments to reduce motor vehicle speed; • Treatments to reduce the number of vehicles using the street (particularly non-local shortcutting); • Treatments to facilitate the crossing of major intersections for people bicycling; and, • Additional bicycle amenities, streetscaping features and pedestrian enhancements where possible. Administrative Order 2016-002OP regarding the Implementation of Local Street Bikeways (2016) outlines the process for establishing these facilities as well as some thresholds for where traffic calming and Implementation of North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One and West End ‘AAA’ Bikeway (NEWEB) Halifax West Community Council Report - 4 - September 8, 2020 diversion may be considered. Please refer to Attachment A for a detailed summary of facility selection considerations and criteria for local street bikeway planning. Planning Process The planning process can be summarized in the following sections which were used to inform the recommended design for each bikeway corridor: • Review of context and existing conditions; • Internal and external engagement; and, • Analysis of routing and design options. Description of the recommended design treatment for each corridor can be found in the Discussion section along with the anticipated impacts on road function for users of all modes. Context and Existing Conditions: North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One As seen in Figure 1, the proposed North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway connects the northern tip of the Halifax peninsula to Cogswell Street and the Halifax Common using a series of local streets like Leaman, Isleville, Fuller, Northwood, Maynard, and Creighton Streets. The corridor of local streets serves as a north-south cycling link in between the major Gottingen/Novalea and Agricola Street corridors, providing nearby access to businesses and destinations along both corridors. The selected streets are primarily residential in nature, with some smaller-scale commercial at intersections. The corridor passes through the Hydrostone neighbourhood and intersects with the Hydrostone business district centred around the Young-Kaye-Isleville intersection. There are some industrial uses to the south (e.g. the Oland Brewery) as well as a significant amount of new residential development near Almon Street. See Figure 3 below for a breakdown of recorded traffic volumes and speeds along the corridor. The baseline observations of existing conditions found that the corridors were suitable for designation as local street bikeway but would require consideration of traffic calming and traffic diversion measures, as well as measures to improve crossings of major streets. Depending on the segment, vehicle speeds averaged between 39 and 51 km/h and vehicle volumes ranges from under 1,000 to about 3,700. See Attachment E for a breakdown of recorded traffic volumes and speeds along the corridor. North End Halifax has one of the higher rates of cycling in the Municipality where 7% of residents currently list bicycle as their primary commute mode (Statistics Canada, 2016). There is greater demand for cycling infrastructure in this community to support existing cyclists and attract new cyclists. With improvements, this area is poised to attract new riders based on the mid-high density of residents living within comfortable cycling distance of downtown (jobs) and a wide array of destinations and services. The proposed North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One would connect to several existing and planned cycling facilities (subject to Council approval) as shown in Figure 1 and described below: • Existing Devonshire Ave painted bicycle lanes (future improvements planned), with connection via Duffus Street; • Proposed Almon Street protected bicycle lanes; and, • Proposed Phase Two of the North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway with resulting connections to the Macdonald Bridge Connector (proposed), the redesigned Cogswell District with bidirectional bikeway on Cogswell (proposed), the Halifax Common pathway network (existing), and the institutional district (proposed). Implementation of North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Phase One and West End ‘AAA’ Bikeway (NEWEB) Halifax West Community Council Report - 5 - September 8, 2020 Ongoing North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway Route Planning (Almon Street to Bloomfield Street) The North End ‘AAA’ Bikeway route between Africville Lookoff Park and Cogswell Street was initiated as one

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