Halifax Active Transportation

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by someone123

The bad weather angle for Halifax is exaggerated too. I've often thought it would be fun to give people a quiz about the climate there and compare it to Environment Canada statistics.

For example, how many paralyzing snowstorms of 25 cm or greater does Halifax get during an average year? 1? 5? 10?

0.61 on average; less than one per year

Weather stats don't really paint the full picture though. Snow clearance is not great even in years with less snow and there is often ice/slush buildup that lasts for days after snowfall (often until the next real "storm"). I don't know if this actually makes cycling more difficult in practice, but fewer people would be willing to do it.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Nonsense, my friend.

All one needs to do is look around here. From around this time of year until April you only see the occasional cycling zealot actually out in the weather. The streets are usually empty of cyclists for 5-6 months here. The poor job of HRM snow clearing that results in snow/ice extending 4-6 feet out from the curbs makes it generally impossible anyway. But one suspects that if they can't dress like Lance Armstrong, most HRM cyclists don't want to ride.

I appreciate that you're conceding that they're not necessarily empty of cyclists for the other 6-7 months.

[someone123]

Two other relevant statistics are on that same page: how many days have measurable snowfall (>= 0.2 cm), and how many days have snow cover on the ground (>= 1 cm). There are about 25 days a year with measurable snowfall (January is, unsurprisingly, the worst month, with just under 7 days). Snow cover is about 2 months a year in total.

Last year was a bad winter from what I heard but statistically speaking it is an unusually severe year, and those work into the averages. For every winter like last year's there are correspondingly better than average winters.

Originally Posted by Hali87

Weather stats don't really paint the full picture though. Snow clearance is not great even in years with less snow and there is often ice/slush buildup that lasts for days after snowfall (often until the next real "storm"). I don't know if this actually makes cycling more difficult in practice, but fewer people would be willing to do it.

This sounds mostly like an infrastructure and planning issue though, and the fact is that providing good snow and ice clearance in Halifax would be much less challenging than in many other cities. Cities like Stockholm and Copenhagen are really not all that different climatologically. Most of the difference comes down to controllable factors like infrastructure, not uncontrollable factors like the weather.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by someone123

Two other relevant statistics are on that same page: how many days have measurable snowfall (>= 0.2 cm), and how many days have snow cover on the ground (>= 1 cm). There are about 25 days a year with measurable snowfall (January is, unsurprisingly, the worst month, with just under 7 days). Snow cover is about 2 months a year in total.

Last year was a bad winter from what I heard but statistically speaking it is an unusually severe year, and those work into the averages. For every winter like last year's there are correspondingly better than average winters.

You do know that they make winter tires for bikes too?

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

I should quickly defend my comment by saying on a typical week I walk, bike, drive, and bus. I encounter bad road-users all the time. Drivers that think signs are suggestions, pedestrians who don't stop or look before crossing a street, cyclists that jump on and off of the sidewalk, and bus drivers that leave the doors open even when it's -20C outside are all things that I encounter regularly but overall my comment earlier about drivers failing to stop at stop-signs are the most likely to cause harm to others so it is top of my list.

As per the other conversation going on in this thread the Rainnie Drive two-way separated on-road bike lane was not planned in advanced so with this in mind I do agree that it needs some tweaks done to make it better but considering how quickly it was thrown together I am still glad it was even installed. The aim is to extend the lane east to Brunswick and then south to Sackville or Spring Garden once those intersections can be planned in detail so the odd design of Rainnie/Gottingen is only temporary and was the only way to construct it without a budget increase.

I wasn't actually trying to single you out, though admittedly I think it came out that way.

All I was really trying to say is "can't we all just get along?"...

Good discussion, though.

[Drybrain]

Once you actually cycle daily, it becomes surprisingly apparent how infrequently inclement weather really prevents cycling.

I've been commuting via bike daily since the snow melted, which happened late this year but can generally be expected by the end of march. Since then, I've probably left the bike at home fewer than 10 times all year due to rain or cold. I'm keeping an eye on the weather forecast, and the temperatures are looking to stick above zero for at least a few weeks, which means I'll be cycling probably until Christmas break. That makes, at most, three bike-less months of the year.

And Halifax has plenty of mild winter days. I'd be on my bike plenty during January and February if street clearance was better.

As for hills, eh. My route isn't bad: Islevilla to Agricola, down through the North Park roundabouts, to Trollope, Bell Road, South Park down to Inglis. Reverse it in the evening.

I used to work in the Historic Properties, and I'd usually walk up to Gottingen and Cogswell due to the hill, but that only took five extra minutes.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Hali87

I appreciate that you're conceding that they're not necessarily empty of cyclists for the other 6-7 months.

Not at all. Even the handful of fair-weather cyclists does not justify the investment and disruption HRM has created to accommodate them.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

As for hills, eh. My route isn't bad: Islevilla to Agricola, down through the North Park roundabouts, to Trollope, Bell Road, South Park down to Inglis. Reverse it in the evening.

I used to work in the Historic Properties, and I'd usually walk up to Gottingen and Cogswell due to the hill, but that only took five extra minutes.

Sounds like you live in the Hydrostone/Deep North somewhere. You may be interested to hear that there will be public consultation soon for a proposed bike lane on Devonshire between Barrington and Isleville with a short off-street connection to Niobe Gate.

Also there is potential next year for the extension of South Park bike lane to Inglis.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I've been commuting via bike daily since the snow melted, which happened late this year but can generally be expected by the end of march.

Part of my perspective comes from the fact that I've lived in Vancouver for a while. The weather is better for cycling here but there's a weird night-and-day difference in the perspective. You'd think that Vancouver's climate provided a sort of cycling paradise while Halifax is in Siberia. There's definitely a large subjective component much like all the other ways in which people on the East Coast like to put a negative spin on things.

I said Halifax gets 24 days with measurable snow per year. Vancouver actually gets 9. People in Halifax talk as though they are snow-bound for 6 months of the year whereas people in Vancouver are convinced that it does not snow here. If you accept that Vancouver's weather allows for year-round cycling then you pretty much have to accept that Halifax's weather is good for nearly the entire year as well, because the number of days where conditions are markedly worse is not that large.

We've got -6 in our forecast here right now and it's actually been pretty cold lately. This cold November here would also register as cold weather were it to happen in Halifax. Conversely a lot of Vancouver winter days would register as pretty normal there. It's not like comparing Vancouver and Whitehorse or Halifax and Havana.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

Part of my perspective comes from the fact that I've lived in Vancouver for a while. The weather is better for cycling here but there's a weird night-and-day difference in the perspective. You'd think that Vancouver's climate provided a sort of cycling paradise while Halifax is in Siberia. There's definitely a large subjective component much like all the other ways in which people on the East Coast like to put a negative spin on things.

I said Halifax gets 24 days with measurable snow per year. Vancouver actually gets 9. People in Halifax talk as though they are snow-bound for 6 months of the year whereas people in Vancouver are convinced that it does not snow here. If you accept that Vancouver's weather allows for year-round cycling then you pretty much have to accept that Halifax's weather is good for nearly the entire year as well, because the number of days where conditions are markedly worse is not that large.

We've got -6 in our forecast here right now and it's actually been pretty cold lately. This cold November here would also register as cold weather were it to happen in Halifax. Conversely a lot of Vancouver winter days would register as pretty normal there. It's not like comparing Vancouver and Whitehorse or Halifax and Havana.

When people casually drop "We get six months of winter!" I wonder if they think winter is just any day with a high temperature below 20 degrees.

Toronto has a very similar winter as ours, and it's seen a huge increase in cycling in the past decade. There are legit cycling traffic jams on major bike lane routes. Obviously a lot of people put the bikes away in winter (and the increased congestion on transit is obvious) but for nine months of the year, it makes a big difference.

Of course I sometimes heard the "six months of winter" claim in TO too. One city councillor opposed a protected cycling lane by claiming that it was 20 below zero for four months of the year, which I think is only true above the Arctic circle.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Of course I sometimes heard the "six months of winter" claim in TO too. One city councillor opposed a protected cycling lane by claiming that it was 20 below zero for four months of the year, which I think is only true above the Arctic circle.

The -20 claims are funny too. According to those same stats, it goes below -20 in Halifax, at night, only for a fraction of a day on average per year (0.8). What this means in practice is that there are no hours of -20 most years and a few hours of -20 during colder years. Few people actually experience -20 degree temperatures at all during a typical year in Halifax.

This past February was if not the coldest then in the top 5 coldest months ever recorded at the Stanfield weather station. The average high temperature was -5. It did go below -20 in 2015, at the airport, but only for a total of 7 hours (February 24; the high temperature was -12.1, which is undeniably also pretty damned cold). None of the weather stations in the city went below -20 at all in 2015.

I know people will counter that the statistics don't tell the whole story, etc., but is it really true that a subjective personal account of past weather is going to be more accurate than meteorological data? If we do accept the data, why is Halifax worse than other cities with similar or worse (often much worse) climate data? People who dislike winter in Halifax should spend a December in Stockholm where they get less than 1/3 as much sunlight and temperatures are slightly colder.

[someone123]

The average winter high temperatures in Halifax are:

November: +8.1
December: +2.8
January: -0.1
Feburary: +0.4
March: +3.6

The statistics are actually kind of out of date (~1995, because it is an average from 1981-2010). Temperatures have been warming by around 0.3 degrees every 10 years traditionally at the Halifax weather station, so actual temperatures should be about half a degree warmer. In other words, there probably aren't any months now where the temperature during a typical day doesn't get above freezing.

[Keith P.]

Temp data leaves out wind, precip, and humidity. The typical Halifax winter day of wind and damp cold makes being outside a very unpleasant place to be. But feel free to rely on charts instead of human reactions.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

I know people will counter that the statistics don't tell the whole story, etc.

Yes, and here's where I do it.

Your data relating number of measurable snowfalls in Vancouver vs Halifax is leaving out a key point. Vancouver snowfalls tend to melt away shortly thereafter whereas Halifax's become cumulative over the winter. The reason is that Vancouver's winter temperatures consistently remain above the freezing point whereas Halifax's tend to be just above or at the freezing point during the day, and consistently below the freezing point at night.



Source 1 Source 2

In my opinion, the biggest factor that prevents many people from cycling in the winter is ice. Halifax's conditions of melting snow during the day which then freezes at night can create ice conditions which can take you by surprise. Even though there is plowing and salting of the roads, it's quite common for the snowbanks to melt a little during the day and freeze once the sun goes down (which happens just around the evening "rush hour"). While many cyclists have found ways to deal with it, there are many who choose to avoid it.

I can tell you from personal experience that it can be very hazardous to hit an ice patch unexpectedly on a bicycle. Have done it and it is painful.

Statistical analysis alone will not illustrate this point.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

But feel free to rely on charts instead of human reactions.

But that's the point. There are places all over the world with similar charts to Halifax yet people have a different reaction and cycling is prevalent. "Human reactions" are a product of culture and attitudes, and they are certainly changeable. Our weather is not that terrible, we just need to accept that and learn how to work with it.

And actually, that's already happening. I walk home every day (and will continue to do so in the depths of winter) along North Park Street, Ahern Ave, and Bell Road. It's the middle of November, it's cold and wet, and yet I still see tons of cyclists.

As an analogy, the winters in Newfoundland are terrible. That doesn't mean people stop driving. It just means they adapt and buy trucks and winter tires. "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear."

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

In my opinion, the biggest factor that prevents many people from cycling in the winter is ice.

No doubt this is a particular annoyance in Halifax (though certainly not restricted to here). In the short term it does probably mean cycling from January to mid-March will be mostly restricted the the hardest-of-core cyclists. But it is something that can also be overcome in the medium-term. As cycling grows in the other 9.5 months of the year we will see better infrastructure, more awareness about bike gear options (studded tires, etc.), and changing ice and snow clearing routines. Sure, cycling numbers will likely always be higher in August than February, but it doesn't mean that we cannot have a winter cycling culture here.

On that train of thought, I think one of the most important effects of Keith's other favourite piece of civic infrastructure (The Oval) is that it has made people in Halifax realize winter outdoor recreation is possible and fun and that you don't need to shut yourself inside for three months of the year.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

No doubt this is a particular annoyance in Halifax (though certainly not restricted to here). In the short term it does probably mean cycling from January to mid-March will be mostly restricted the the hardest-of-core cyclists. But it is something that can also be overcome in the medium-term. As cycling grows in the other 9.5 months of the year we will see better infrastructure, more awareness about bike gear options (studded tires, etc.), and changing ice and snow clearing routines. Sure, cycling numbers will likely always be higher in August than February, but it doesn't mean that we cannot have a winter cycling culture here.

Undoubtedly, and I hope to see it.

On that train of thought, I think one of the most important effects of Keith's other favourite piece of civic infrastructure (The Oval) is that it has made people in Halifax realize winter outdoor recreation is possible and fun and that you don't need to shut yourself inside for three months of the year.

I do support The Oval, but I don't think it's that revolutionary other than to bring outdoor skating to the peninsula. As long as there have been ice skates (which has been very long here, due to Starr Manufacturing http://www.hockeyshome.ns.ca/starr.htm), people have been taking to the many frozen lakes in Halifax-Dartmouth for some winter fun. Unless I'm missing something here and people have stopped going outside in the winter, Haligonians have long enjoyed outdoor activities during all 4 seasons.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

No doubt this is a particular annoyance in Halifax (though certainly not restricted to here). In the short term it does probably mean cycling from January to mid-March will be mostly restricted the the hardest-of-core cyclists. But it is something that can also be overcome in the medium-term. As cycling grows in the other 9.5 months of the year we will see better infrastructure, more awareness about bike gear options (studded tires, etc.), and changing ice and snow clearing routines. Sure, cycling numbers will likely always be higher in August than February, but it doesn't mean that we cannot have a winter cycling culture here.

Paraphrasing something that was once said by a Scotsman about the game of golf, pursuing something with implements remarkably ill-suited to the task at hand seems something that only a person without a full grasp of their senses would do. A bicycle is never going to be a suitable conveyance in winter conditions.

On that train of thought, I think one of the most important effects of Keith's other favourite piece of civic infrastructure (The Oval) is that it has made people in Halifax realize winter outdoor recreation is possible and fun and that you don't need to shut yourself inside for three months of the year.

I despise winter but if you live here it means you have to put up with it. That does not mean you need a $15 million oval on the Common. I have long advocated for the Rockefeller Center type of public outdoor skating areas, something that could have been easily and inexpensively accommodated on any number of locations around the city. But nooooo... we had to spend millions on what is largely a giant white elephant. Thank you Dawn Sloane.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

. A bicycle is never going to be a suitable conveyance in winter conditions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Bay,_Ontario#Climate

I rode a POS Canadian Tire special Year round to get to work in North Bay ON. I was never late, and I never called in to say I was not coming in because of the weather.

I hit black ice, and when down.

I was struck by a minivan's mirror with them doing 80 km/hr. It was -30C out, so I was bundled up pretty good. The padding meant I did not feel a thing.

Next argument please.

[Nouvellecosse]

The only thing that makes me reluctant to drive in the winter is that in cool temperatures, my nose runs constantly if my breathing is even slightly elevated, and my core always sweats while my extremities are too cold. So my shirt is so wet it's stuck to my back under my jacket, and my hands and face are so cold they're numb.

But as for the actual biking, unless it's actually snowing or sleeting (which tends to be painful when it hits my eyes) the biking is perfectly fine. Maybe it's just because I'm an experienced driver, but the danger from snow and ice is basically non-existent. Certainly no more of an issue than in a car.

Oh, and I also don't like to get my good bike dirty or salty, but I have another one I can use if I want.