General Updates and News

[Dmajackson]

When I'm out biking and walking around town I tend to find myself thinking about small changes that could do wonders for the urban fabric. This has led me to wonder what others would do if they were charged with implementing small changes in the urban core that have a relatively small price tag. For example I would;

1) Install "Pedestrian Scrambles" at SGR & Queen and SGR & Dresden, and conduct studies on their need at Agricola & North, SGR & Barrington, Bell & Summer, and Alderney & Queen.

2) Underground utilities on Agricola Street between Cunard and North to allow for street trees, snow clearing and wheelchair access. Also bury power lines around the Commons and along the narrower portions of major streets (ie Almon near Isleville). And I would fund a program for undergrounding of utilities as part of future developments along arterial and major collectors in the urban core.

3) Install bike boxes at all signalized intersections where two bike lanes currently or will intersect in the future (ie Windsor & Almon, South Park & Morris).

4) Make a one-time large payment to the Urban Forest Master Plan to fill in all gaps where street trees are needed along minor streets on the Peninsula.

[Keith P.]

You really think we need MORE trees on the peninsula? Seems to me we are quite overrun with them in most areas.

That stretch of Agricola, despite recent improvements, is still a bit of an eyesore. I think it is mostly because the buildings are so close to the street. Just not much room for amenities.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

When I'm out biking and walking around town I tend to find myself thinking about small changes that could do wonders for the urban fabric. This has led me to wonder what others would do if they were charged with implementing small changes in the urban core that have a relatively small price tag. For example I would;

1) Install "Pedestrian Scrambles" at SGR & Queen and SGR & Dresden, and conduct studies on their need at Agricola & North, SGR & Barrington, Bell & Summer, and Alderney & Queen.

I agree at SGR and Queen, but I'm not sure the others would have enough pedestrian traffic, especially the latter three. (Toronto just took OUT its scramble at Bay and Bloor, which definitely has a higher pedestrian volume than all of these.)

Wholly agree on bike boxes and trees. Sure, we have lots of trees, but more is better, and there are definitely some bare patches.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Bury all lines on the peninsula.

[counterfactual]

Any notice how awesome the small, cheap, bistro chairs and tables around the waterfront, has totally transformed it.

Such a great idea, and really turns dead zones into public spaces. We should put these in the new plaza at the Library too.

Check it out:

https://twitter.com/BrentToderian/status/605403837617180672



https://twitter.com/BrentToderian/status/610600828471107584




Reminds me of similar initiatives that have seen huge success in New York City at Bryant Park and in Times Square:





Put these all over downtown. Grand Parade. Library Plaza. Waterfront.

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Any notice how awesome the small, cheap, bistro chairs and tables around the waterfront, has totally transformed it.

Such a great idea, and really turns dead zones into public spaces. We should put these in the new plaza at the Library too.

Yeah I was down at the waterfront with my son the other night, and all the tables were full, a guy was playing the piano, and overall it just had a great vibe to it. A cost-effective way to really change the dynamics of a public space without a massive investment in time or funding.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by beyeas

Yeah I was down at the waterfront with my son the other night, and all the tables were full, a guy was playing the piano, and overall it just had a great vibe to it. A cost-effective way to really change the dynamics of a public space without a massive investment in time or funding.

Absolutely! So true! Seems like a no brainer to me!

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

When I'm out biking and walking around town I tend to find myself thinking about small changes that could do wonders for the urban fabric. This has led me to wonder what others would do if they were charged with implementing small changes in the urban core that have a relatively small price tag. For example I would;

1) Install "Pedestrian Scrambles" at SGR & Queen and SGR & Dresden, and conduct studies on their need at Agricola & North, SGR & Barrington, Bell & Summer, and Alderney & Queen.

2) Underground utilities on Agricola Street between Cunard and North to allow for street trees, snow clearing and wheelchair access. Also bury power lines around the Commons and along the narrower portions of major streets (ie Almon near Isleville). And I would fund a program for undergrounding of utilities as part of future developments along arterial and major collectors in the urban core.

3) Install bike boxes at all signalized intersections where two bike lanes currently or will intersect in the future (ie Windsor & Almon, South Park & Morris).

4) Make a one-time large payment to the Urban Forest Master Plan to fill in all gaps where street trees are needed along minor streets on the Peninsula.

All excellent suggestions!

[Keith P.]

What are "bike Boxes" and why do we need them? There are very few bikes using the existing bike lanes.

[Hali87]

^You keep saying this, but there are more and more bicycles locked to bike racks around town every day.

Bike boxes are an extra painted element at intersections that facilitate turns through the intersection. I forget exactly how they work but basically it reserves a small space for bicycles at the head of the queue (usually leaving multiple lanes for cars as well) and give a bit more clarity as to when and where the bicycles will pass through the intersection, making things a little easier for everyone.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Hali87

^You keep saying this, but there are more and more bicycles locked to bike racks around town every day.

Bike boxes are an extra painted element at intersections that facilitate turns through the intersection. I forget exactly how they work but basically it reserves a small space for bicycles at the head of the queue (usually leaving multiple lanes for cars as well) and give a bit more clarity as to when and where the bicycles will pass through the intersection, making things a little easier for everyone.

The best way to increase bike usage is to build bike infrastructure. It makes it feel viable for a lot of people who may (understandably) feel timid about getting on city streets on a bike otherwise.

The city conducts annual bike counts, but I don't know if they're comparable (i.e., if they're counting in the same locations and on the same days every year).

Anecdotally I feel like there are more bikes out this summer than last, even, but I wouldn't count on my vague intuition as useful data for policymaking.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I agree at SGR and Queen, but I'm not sure the others would have enough pedestrian traffic, especially the latter three. (Toronto just took OUT its scramble at Bay and Bloor, which definitely has a higher pedestrian volume than all of these.)

Wholly agree on bike boxes and trees. Sure, we have lots of trees, but more is better, and there are definitely some bare patches.

SGR & Queen is the no-brainer of the bunch that's for sure.

SGR & Dresden is small intersection with a lot of cross pedestrian movement due to the retail nature of the area. Simply allowing a diagonal crossing every couple of minutes would decongest the sidewalks.

SGR & Barrington is a tight intersection with a lot of turning bus traffic which is severely impacted by pedestrian movements. If all of the pedestrians were accommodated at once it would allow buses to turn quickly without blocking both lanes for extended periods.

The others are more questionable but I think they have merit due to unique circumstances;

Summer & Bell has decently high pedestrian usage and the unusual convergence of paths at the intersection so a scramble could allow for better bike movement onto and off of the paths and bike lanes.

Agricola & North also has decently high pedestrian usage and very narrow waiting areas.

Alderney & Queen is the only spot in Dartmouth that could come close to being reasonable and it is mainly due to being in the middle of a transit terminal. Being a T-intersection likely makes it useless though.

Originally Posted by Keith P.

What are "bike Boxes" and why do we need them? There are very few bikes using the existing bike lanes.

Calgary has some;

Google Streetview - 8 AVE SW & 7 ST SW

This is a different type than I propose since there are no separated two-way bike lanes in Halifax yet.

Ottawa also has some

Bike boxes are coloured areas at intersections that allow a bicycle to "queue jump" ahead of traffic and are designed to facilitate left-turns.

Imagine the intersection of Almon and Windsor if both had bike lanes installed. A bike box on each approach would clearly state that both streets are bicycle priority and it would allow cyclists to make left-turns safely therefore encouraging more people to use the routes.

Originally Posted by Drybrain

The best way to increase bike usage is to build bike infrastructure. It makes it feel viable for a lot of people who may (understandably) feel timid about getting on city streets on a bike otherwise.

The city conducts annual bike counts, but I don't know if they're comparable (i.e., if they're counting in the same locations and on the same days every year).

Anecdotally I feel like there are more bikes out this summer than last, even, but I wouldn't count on my vague intuition as useful data for policymaking.

Halifax conducts three types of bicycle counts;

1) Baseline counts before a bicycle project is implemented and regular counts in the years following to determine the changes in usage.

2) Trail counts are done by automated counters installed on major AT trails across the region. For example COLTA has ~120'000 users per year (all AT forms included).

3) The Peninsula Screenline count is conducted manually once a year. The volunteers are placed at crossings of the Quinpool-Cogswell corridor and this determines how many people are biking north-south across the peninsula and along what streets. The Vernon/Quingate stoplight is currently ranked the highest IIRC.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

SGR & Queen is the no-brainer of the bunch that's for sure.

Not sure if it's true but I recall hearing that the new lights at that intersection support a pedestrian scramble mode. In other words, the intersection would just need to be painted and the signals would need to be switched over.

It seems like pedestrian traffic is only one factor in whether or not a scramble makes sense. Two other factors are the relative importance of car traffic and the direction of pedestrian traffic. A scramble would make lots of sense on a moderately busy foot traffic street with little throughput of vehicular traffic. It wouldn't be as useful at an intersection with tons of foot traffic in one direction but not in the other.

[Keith P.]

SGR and Queen is already a scramble of sorts as most pedestrians simply ignore the signals and walk in front of moving traffic anyway.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

SGR and Queen is already a scramble of sorts as most pedestrians simply ignore the signals and walk in front of moving traffic anyway.

"most?"
I'm suspicious of that particular bit of quantitative information. I've seen plenty try, but even in that "plenty" I'd never say it was a large enough percentage to realistically be described as "most."

[Dmajackson]

The old-fashioned Ultramar at Gottingen & Almon has been demolished and the owners have a construction permit to construct a new commercial building of some kind. Given that the Ultramars in Sunnyside and Mill Cove also closed recently I imagine the land has been sold to a developer.

[hokus83]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

The old-fashioned Ultramar at Gottingen & Almon has been demolished and the owners have a construction permit to construct a new commercial building of some kind. Given that the Ultramars in Sunnyside and Mill Cove also closed recently I imagine the land has been sold to a developer.

What going on with the empty lot on the other corner of Gottingen & Almon, I thought something was going to be built there.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

The old-fashioned Ultramar at Gottingen & Almon has been demolished and the owners have a construction permit to construct a new commercial building of some kind. Given that the Ultramars in Sunnyside and Mill Cove also closed recently I imagine the land has been sold to a developer.

No they are just building a modern ultramar there. That's what the person behind the counter told me just before they closed.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

No they are just building a modern ultramar there. That's what the person behind the counter told me just before they closed.

Damn it was wishful thinking I guess then!

A gas station is really a slap in the face for the urban renewal that's going on in the neighbourhood. This site would be best suited for a large scale retail space that does not deter from the walk-ability of the neighbourhood.

Do you know what is happening to the Sunnyside and Mill Cove locations?

[alps]

Nice to see this place, for the first time in my lifetime, fully renovated and with a real tenant (Oak and Oxford St.):