[Dmajackson]

Natural Gas Construction to Bring Multi-Use Trail to Downtown Halifax



(Friday, August 15, 2008) – Work will begin this week to bring more than natural gas to downtown Halifax. Heritage Gas will be installing a new natural gas pipeline from the Macdonald Bridge to Upper Water Street, and Halifax Regional Municipality is pleased to announce that a new four metre wide, multi-use trail will be prepared along with the construction.

"The trail will meet HRM's new Active Transportation standard, contributing to recreational amenities in central Halifax and form a part of a long-term vision to extend a pathway around the entire peninsula," says Peter Bigelow, HRM's Manager of Real Property Planning. The trail will be a paved surface suitable for walkers, cyclists, skateboarders, and in-line skaters, and will connect the Macdonald Bridge to downtown Halifax; a welcome connection for many cyclists.

Construction of the trail will include fill, to build up the trail base, and clearing some trees along the trail way. Project planners and HRM arborists will preserve as many of the higher value, older trees as possible. Extensive landscaping, including the planting of new shade trees along Barrington Street, will form an integral part of the project.

The project is largely being funded by Heritage Gas who are proud to partner with HRM to facilitate the construction of the future trail in conjunction with the pipeline installation. Completion is anticipated by late summer, 2009.

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For more information, please contact:
Don Ambler, HRM Trails Specialist, 490-7359
Peter Bigelow, HRM Manager Real Property Planning, 490-6047

[hfx_chris]

I assume this is going in on the harbour side of the street, in that little green belt area.

[Dmajackson]

Yep. I've already seen some construction crews on the Harbourside at the on-ramp. The last time i went by there was even a trailer there. Getting ready for the long haul i guess. It's too bad its impossible for them to directly connect this to the waterfront. Imagine being able to go from Pier 21 all the way to McDonald Bridge without going on a street.

[hfx_chris]

Well, the boardwalk ends at the casino, and this trail will end at upper water and barrington, so it's only about a block away.

[worldlyhaligonian]

this kind of partnership is great! i hope they install lamp-posts along the urban trail.

[Dmajackson]

This path will defenitely provide some excellent, unobstructed views of downtown Dartmouth and you don't even have to go into the Dockyards :D

Funny how that one block seperating this from the waterfront has the WWTP on it....

[Takeo]

I just wonder if the trail will hug the edge of that old wall at the back of the Navy parking lot... or hug the edge of Barrington Street. Would be nicer if it went through the woods... but I'm guessing it will be right beside the street... since that's where they would most likely put the gas line. In that case... it would essentially an extra wide sidewalk with a line painted down the center. The other odd thing is... I thought that portion of the gas line... at least up the to off ramp... was already in place. Anyway... this will be a nice little addition.

[Dmajackson]

I believe it will hug the edge of Barrington Street. I'm starting to feel bad for whaat this trail goes by; Spice, WWTP, Dockyards, and the idling buses on Upper Water. Arguable one of the worst looking areas in town.

[Keith P.]

This path will defenitely provide some excellent, unobstructed views of downtown Dartmouth and you don't even have to go into the Dockyards :D

Funny how that one block seperating this from the waterfront has the WWTP on it....

Yeah... some really good planning and design took place on that project. Not. An ugly box on Barrington and equally bad on Upper Water.


I believe it will hug the edge of Barrington Street. I'm starting to feel bad for whaat this trail goes by; Spice, WWTP, Dockyards, and the idling buses on Upper Water. Arguable one of the worst looking areas in town.

Don't forget Bedbug Towers. :yuck:

[Dmajackson]

Yeah... some really good planning and design took place on that project. Not. An ugly box on Barrington and equally bad on Upper Water.



Don't forget Bedbug Towers. :yuck:

And the Square is nearby to make it even worse...

[Spitfire75]

Don't forget Bedbug Towers. :yuck:

:haha:, love it. So happy I got out of there when I did.

Agreed this isn't the best part of town. Here's hoping when they finally get around to redeveloping the Cogswell lands, that will change.

[Jonovision]

Good news. We need a lot more of these trails all over the city.

[alps]

A good start...

I'm living in Boulder, Colorado until late this year (pop ~100k). It puts Halifax to shame in terms of the number of bike lanes and trails.

[Dmajackson]

I was by this tonight and eventhough i only got a quick glance at it, it looked like they move the guardrail back a few metres. Of course this was at night-time so i really dont know what it looks like there.

[Dmajackson]

Construction on this is going along quicker than I thought it would. They already have most of the trail down and its covered with asphalt i believe, then again i was driving so i didn't get a good look.

[Keith P.]

Unfortunately it looks like they have done nothing to fix the crosswalk that is at the base of the ramp from Barrington to the MacDonald Bridge, an absolutely ridiculous and dangerous place for a crosswalk. People working at the Navy base shortcut up the bank across this trail and then use the crosswalk to get to the bus stops across the street. This is very unsafe and needs to be fixed.

[Dmajackson]

Unfortunately it looks like they have done nothing to fix the crosswalk that is at the base of the ramp from Barrington to the MacDonald Bridge, an absolutely ridiculous and dangerous place for a crosswalk. People working at the Navy base shortcut up the bank across this trail and then use the crosswalk to get to the bus stops across the street. This is very unsafe and needs to be fixed.

That would be difficult to fix i imagine. It would probably require the ramp to be raised earlier or have the sidewalk divert around it. From what I saw the trail doesn't even connect to the crosswalk. It just goes under the ramp further down.

One thing i also noticed is when they built the WWTP they put an asphalt trail (or driveway) down on the Barrington side. I imagine if it is a trail it will connect with the new one somewheres but its very strange because theres a sidewalk right next to it.

[worldlyhaligonian]

That would be difficult to fix i imagine. It would probably require the ramp to be raised earlier or have the sidewalk divert around it. From what I saw the trail doesn't even connect to the crosswalk. It just goes under the ramp further down.

One thing i also noticed is when they built the WWTP they put an asphalt trail (or driveway) down on the Barrington side. I imagine if it is a trail it will connect with the new one somewheres but its very strange because theres a sidewalk right next to it.

Yes, but that is how it should be... Halifax usually has dangerous bike paths like Bell Rd. In Europe there is often a sidewalk with a lane further inside for cyclists and people running.

[Dmajackson]

Yes, but that is how it should be... Halifax usually has dangerous bike paths like Bell Rd. In Europe there is often a sidewalk with a lane further inside for cyclists and people running.

I do agree that it should be set up like that especially on a road like Barrington but well unfortunately we all know HRM is not that determined to be bicycle friendly. At least the path will help get people off the sidewalk in that area.

One thing I would love to see done is at the very least having "Share the Road" signs on every major street in Halifax, Bedford, and Dartmouth. And for this particular area a bicycle lane on either Barrington or Brunswick up to the bridge would be really helpful.

[Keith P.]

That would be difficult to fix i imagine. It would probably require the ramp to be raised earlier or have the sidewalk divert around it.

The latter would be an easy fix and is the way it should have been built in the first place. The crosswalk could be eliminated by moving the pedestrian traffic a few feet northwards so they walk under the ramp.

[Dmajackson]

So has anybody been in this area in the last few months?

I haven't been done Barrington in ages ... :(

[Jstaleness]

I drove by yesterday. Excavators are in behind the few trees along the path and more huge dirt piles where the pipelines have been stored for the past while. I would say its progressing pretty good.