Bayers Road Widening

[KMcK]

The completed Phase 1 looks good, although I noticed something unfortunate when looking at Halifax Transit's route map. Apart from two routes (1 and 29) turning in an out of the HSC driveway only two routes (8 and 28) currently use the new transit lanes and only 8 is a corridor route. This seems like a very expensive piece of infrastructure relative to its use, unless more routes are planned to use it (BRT, maybe?).

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by KMcK

The completed Phase 1 looks good, although I noticed something unfortunate when looking at Halifax Transit's route map. Apart from two routes (1 and 29) turning in an out of the HSC driveway only two routes (8 and 28) currently use the new transit lanes and only 8 is a corridor route. This seems like a very expensive piece of infrastructure relative to its use, unless more routes are planned to use it (BRT, maybe?).

The Purple Line BRT will use the corridor as well. That route will run from Larry Uteck West to Dartmouth Crossing.

Also the 330 - Tantallon MetroX uses the corridor. It just doesn't have any stops along this section.

The 8 is something like the 4th/5th busiest route in the system right now and it's long length makes this transit priority a major boost even if it's seldom used by other routes. Once Phase II is built the 8 will have a transit priority corridor from Robie/Quinpool outbound to Bayers/102 (minus a short gap at Robie/Young).

I'm interested to see what street gets the next transit priority corridor built. My hope is Herring Cove Road but other options might be easier to build first.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

The Purple Line BRT will use the corridor as well. That route will run from Larry Uteck West to Dartmouth Crossing.

Also the 330 - Tantallon MetroX uses the corridor. It just doesn't have any stops along this section.

The 8 is something like the 4th/5th busiest route in the system right now and it's long length makes this transit priority a major boost even if it's seldom used by other routes. Once Phase II is built the 8 will have a transit priority corridor from Robie/Quinpool outbound to Bayers/102 (minus a short gap at Robie/Young).

I'm interested to see what street gets the next transit priority corridor built. My hope is Herring Cove Road but other options might be easier to build first.

I think the section of Portland St from the Circumferential to the Superstore is next. I remember completing a survey a few months ago about upgrades to this section.

[fatscat]

City confirmed their interim painting due to delays in land purchases.

https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/city-...f-bayers-road/

[Dmajackson]

Canadian Tire Gas at Bayers & Connaught is going to be demolished and rebuilt into a six-pump, 2'500 sq ft convenience store. This will allow Halifax to purchase land along Bayers.

Case 24638 Details

Also Halifax owns 6524 Bayers and has tendered its demolition.

[LikesBikes]

Does anyone know how much this project is going to cost the City?

[fatscat]

The days of Look Ho Ho seem numbered. I hope they find a new home on or near the peninsula!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Does anyone know how much this project is going to cost the City?

Probably not as much as the bicycle flyover at the MacDonald Bridge.

[LikesBikes]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Probably not as much as the bicycle flyover at the MacDonald Bridge.

Care to provide any piece of proof or just spreading misinformation again?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Care to provide any piece of proof or just spreading misinformation again?

Just an opinion.

[GTG_78]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Care to provide any piece of proof or just spreading misinformation again?

You mean misinformation like this?

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Also, if you think a highway expansion is going to fix traffic and car accidents then I think you're going to be pretty disappointed in a few year's time...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand

[Summerville]

I believe that the widening of the road is to facilitate the redevelopment of the road as an active transportation route.

So,…bus lane. Is third car lane added as well?

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Summerville

I believe that the widening of the road is to facilitate the redevelopment of the road as an active transportation route.

So,…bus lane. Is third car lane added as well?

Sounds like just a bus lane, though active transportation is included in the form of a sidewalk at least:

It is understood that the HRM is in the process of purchasing land to widen the existing Bayers Road corridor right-of-way to accommodate future public transit priority lanes.

Source



I found this interesting. If I'm reading this correctly, it seems that new service stations are no longer allowed in the Centre Plan Area.

Service Stations are currently not a permitted use within the Regional Centre Plan Area, and the site is operating as an existing non-conforming use, therefore a Development Agreement is necessary to permit the redevelopment and continued operation of a service station (convenience store and gas dispensers).

Source

Probably makes sense as over the next decade there will be less need for gas stations as they will be gradually replaced by charging stations, which can be placed anywhere, pretty much.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Sounds like just a bus lane, though active transportation is included in the form of a sidewalk at least:

I found this interesting. If I'm reading this correctly, it seems that new service stations are no longer allowed in the Centre Plan Area.

It's just a transit lane. Bayers from Connaught to Windsor will have four lanes. One general traffic and one transit in each direction. They'll likely sign the transit lanes as bikes allowed like they are on Robie, Young, Gottingen, etc, but it won't be designed for them. There will be a second general traffic lane WB at Connaught and EB at Young to keep traffic flowing through those intersections.

New gas stations are prohibited from the Regional Centre. It's part of the effort to make the urban core a more pedestrian friendly area while reducing land-use conflicts that come from car-oriented facilities. I believe drive-thrus and car dealerships have similarly strict rules on new builds.

There will be gas stations in the Regional Centre for a long time to come. What I imagine will happen is each brand will try to keep existing key high-profile locations in operation so they can continue as grandfathered non-conforming uses. They can't expand or relocate but they can keep operating. What I'm interested to see is once electric cars are dominant will gas stations simply close and sell the land for redevelopment or will the companies remove the fuel tanks and expand the convenience stores?

Shell - 1 (Robie)

Irving - 6 (Highfield, Victoria, Pleasant, Inglis, Robie, Quinpool)

Mobil - 2 (Joe Howe, Barrington)

Esso - 5 (Robie, Wyse, Ochterlonely, Pleasant, Chebucto)

Canadian Tire - 1 (Bayers)

Petro Canada - 3 (Victoria, Quinpool, Bayers)

Ultramar - 1 (Gottingen)

Wilsons - 1 (Windmill)

Fast Fuel - 2 (Prince Albert, Portland)

BTW it should be noted that in my post above I forgot to mention the gas station on Bayers will be rebranded as Irving Oil.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Probably not as much as the bicycle flyover at the MacDonald Bridge.

Few things can reach that lofty goal. At least this benefits more than a handful of activists. I do wonder, though, if the people who chained themselves to trees during the Chebucto Rd widening brouhaha a few years back will do the same here.

Widening this section of Bayers is badly needed but will seem to require a lot more property acquisition by the city than just a few houses.

[IanWatson]

Can we at least confine the flyover rants to one thread. Jeeze.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

Can we at least confine the flyover rants to one thread. Jeeze.

I'm surprised the HCC haven't been demanding a giant flyover from the top of Fairview to the top of Bayers Road. All those nasty hills...

[LikesBikes]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

Can we at least confine the flyover rants to one thread. Jeeze.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

It's just a transit lane. Bayers from Connaught to Windsor will have four lanes. One general traffic and one transit in each direction. They'll likely sign the transit lanes as bikes allowed like they are on Robie, Young, Gottingen, etc, but it won't be designed for them. There will be a second general traffic lane WB at Connaught and EB at Young to keep traffic flowing through those intersections.

Thanks. That's what I assumed from the documents, and from existing at the lower part of Bayers. The "active transportation" details weren't really addressed in the documents, that I saw, though they did mention replacement of sidewalks in the new alignment as part of the "active transportation" infrastructure, since walking is indeed "active transportation".

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

New gas stations are prohibited from the Regional Centre. It's part of the effort to make the urban core a more pedestrian friendly area while reducing land-use conflicts that come from car-oriented facilities. I believe drive-thrus and car dealerships have similarly strict rules on new builds.

There will be gas stations in the Regional Centre for a long time to come. What I imagine will happen is each brand will try to keep existing key high-profile locations in operation so they can continue as grandfathered non-conforming uses. They can't expand or relocate but they can keep operating. What I'm interested to see is once electric cars are dominant will gas stations simply close and sell the land for redevelopment or will the companies remove the fuel tanks and expand the convenience stores?

Shell - 1 (Robie)

Irving - 6 (Highfield, Victoria, Pleasant, Inglis, Robie, Quinpool)

Mobil - 2 (Joe Howe, Barrington)

Esso - 5 (Robie, Wyse, Ochterlonely, Pleasant, Chebucto)

Canadian Tire - 1 (Bayers)

Petro Canada - 3 (Victoria, Quinpool, Bayers)

Ultramar - 1 (Gottingen)

Wilsons - 1 (Windmill)

Fast Fuel - 2 (Prince Albert, Portland)

BTW it should be noted that in my post above I forgot to mention the gas station on Bayers will be rebranded as Irving Oil.

This is what has been happening organically over the past fifty years. In the neighbourhood in Dartmouth where I grew up, there were once 7 gas stations (with service bays), and today it's down to 1 with a convenience store. I just hadn't seen it explicitly laid out that basically new gas stations are now prohibited from the city centre. i.e. If a gas station owner decides to sell his land for development with the intention of opening up a new one at another location in the neighbourhood, he/she would have to get a special development agreement (as in this case), that would more than likely not be approved if it weren't providing some benefit to the city (as in this case).

IMHO, the business model for the petroleum companies in the future is not clear. It's possible that some will want to use their property assets for charging stations with convenience stores, and others will continue to offer the sale of diesel/gasoline, as legacy petrol-powered vehicles will still exist for some time. Additionally, there will be a demand (though vastly reduced) for gasoline for generators, lawn equipment/power tools, etc. I imagine the vast number of these lots will eventually be redeveloped for residential/commercial, though.

[Dmajackson]

Demolition permit has been issued for Canadian Tire Gas Bar. The development agreement for the new station was recently approved. This will open up the right-of-way to allow for the widening to get underway hopefully later this year.