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Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse
I agree that city centres should be for the access and use of all residents across the entire metro area, but that access definitely has to be done in an efficient, respectful way that doesn't degrade its livability and attractiveness. There needs to be a balance, and currently the balance is in favour of those coming in from the outside. There are many people living in urban Halifax such as those attending university who are not wealthy or elite and for whom active transportation would be a great option if things were improved. Halifax is not gentrified nearly to the point where the central urban areas can be plausibly presented as a bastion of wealthy elites.
Also, the idea of cycle lanes being built to coax people to drive into town via bike is false as the majority of active transport occurs within the urban area itself across distances that are manageable for many people rather than from suburban to urban. I don't know if that talking point is an honest misunderstanding or an intentional strawman, but it needs to end.
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But that is what is going on. Bike lanes on the Bedford Highway and Bay Road, the trail on the former rail line that ends at Ashburn, and of course the megabucks bike flyover lane off the Macdonald bridge. If you are saying those initiatives need to be cancelled then I am in full agreement.
It is interesting that the usual suspects on Council (Mason, Cleary and Austin) derailed the move yesterday to appoint a new traffic authority in HRM because they were not getting the decisions they wanted. Clearly was complaining in the press today that the authority made it impossible for Councillors to get traffic lights, directional signage and other street changes put in place as they wanted. I sure as heck hope so! The last thing anyone should want is having those jackwagons tinkering with things like that. It's bad enough that they have co-opted much of the planning dept in HRM to do their evil bidding.
I had a medical appt today that forced me onto SGR for the first time in months. There I saw the latest HRM Planning lunacy, the "slow streets" initiative as applied to the retail district part of SGR. Metal crown control barriers lined either side of the street several feet out from the curbs. Not only did that take away any on-street parking and loading areas but also bus stops were in the middle of the street. I am unsure but I think the cab stand is gone also. But the space is fairly useless for pedestrians and others to use as the legs of those barriers are perpendicular to the fences and thus jut into the space, leaving only a very narrow corridor. What is the cost of all this foolishness? Did HRM not get the memo that COVID requires financial prudence going forward? When their commercial tax revenue tanks next year as a result of business failures hopefully there can be a much-needed downsizing of the bureaucracy.