Halifax Active Transportation

[Dmajackson]

I think its about time we have a place to talk about non-car related transportation like cycling or walking. Here's an article from the Metro yesterday:

Route 333 bike lanes nearing completion
DEVIN STEVENS, METRO HALIFAX
October 17, 2008 05:00




New bike lanes covering stretches of Route 333 between Beechville and Tantallon are nearing completion.


Construction has been underway since the summer on the busy roadway, where the installation of bike lanes covering a distance of 16 kilometres is being done to accommodate the growing number of cyclists.


The new lanes are expected to be fully complete by this fall and will cost the government about
$1 million, or $65,000 per kilometre.


Cathy Guest, co-owner of Freewheeling Adventures near Hubbards, is excited to hear of the new bike lanes. Freewheeling Adventures offers bike rentals and organizes road tours to cycle enthusiasts. Those tours used to include parts of Route 333, but were stopped because of the danger cyclists faced with the increasing amounts of traffic on the stretch of road.


“It’s pretty sweet there is a bike path,” Guest said. “Seeing bike paths in Halifax, and seeing them on Route 333, I feel there is a wave of action coming favouring cyclists.


“It’s very helpful for many people.”


Route 333 was chosen for the new bike lanes because of its ability to connect with HRM bike lanes on St. Margarets Bay Road. The government is using a modified chip seal and recycled asphalt for the lane surface, which costs $60,000 less per kilometre than traditional asphalt lanes.


This section of road is one of two in the province installing new lanes for cyclists. About 60 kilometres of road on the Cabot Trail is also scheduled for widening, with work currently taking place between St. Ann’s and Cape Smokey. Those bike lanes should be complete later this fall also.


If both projects prove successful, the province plans to continue making bike-friendly improvements until both stretches of road are complete