Next on the list: Bayers Road widening project

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by someone123

They have the privilege of driving a giant hunk of metal that's going to hurt you a lot more than you will hurt it if you get in the way.

Speaking of which a double-trailer gasoline truck cut-off the cars in front of me today almost causing me to ram into them on Windmill Road today.

Just how much training does one need to driver a big vehicle like a bus?

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Willow Park isn't a "park". To encrouch onto those lands from the RCMP building to Windsor would be simple, its a parking lot for over 60% of it.

Do yourself a favour and look at this on Microsoft Live.

Thanks, I know what Willow Park is, I'm not a retard. It may be a parking lot, but it's a federally owned parking lot, somehow I doubt the municipal government can expropriate federal land, especially that of the Canadian Forces.
And actually Microsoft Live is exactly what I used to judge the amount of available space, so again thanks for your excellent suggestions.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

I think they only special law the MT has is you have to legally allow the buses back onto the road when they are at a bus stop.

That was talked about a few years back, but it never went beyond that. Right now there is nothing in the MVA that says you have to let a bus back into the traffic stream.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

That was talked about a few years back, but it never went beyond that. Right now there is nothing in the MVA that says you have to let a bus back into the traffic stream.

Well nothing other than common sense and curtousy

[pnightingale]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Well nothing other than common sense and curtousy

95% of drivers do not have either of these, however.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by pnightingale

95% of drivers do not have either of these, however.

The protection of a militant union tends to do that to its members.

[Jonovision]

City buys homes for Bayers Road widening


By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE

City Hall Reporter

Widening Bayers Road in Halifax to as many as six lanes is a contentious propos al that may be years down the road, but that hasn’t stopped the municipality and province from acquiring properties.

City hall last year bought two homes on Bayers Road, a municipal staffer said Wednesday, and the province more recently bought one on nearby Abbott Drive.

The houses were bought in advance of the delivery of a consultant’s report to Halifax regional council, expected in September, and council’s debate about the street-wid ening project. “Purchasing property doesn’t commit anybody to anything," said Dave McCusk er, a transportation planning manager with Halifax Region al Municipality.

“It just gives us an opportu nity if we need it in the fu ture."

The homes were bought by government after owners offered them for sale. City hall paid $408,900 for its two acquisitions.

If the road project goes ahead, plans call for Bayers Road to be widened to five or six lanes between Connaught Avenue and the bridge over


the rail line near the Petro Canada station. McCusker said if council authorizes the road work, the job won’t be started any time soon.

“As part of the budgeting process, we develop a five year capital plan for projects like this. And there’s nothing related to Bayers Road in our five-year . . . plan that was submitted this year."

McCusker said the road widening proposal is in the works to handle increased traffic expected with the mu nicipality’s continued growth.

He said plans would probably include bus-only lanes on Bayers Road, which is consid ered a major corridor.

“That’s the direction we would like to go in."

According to declassified staff reports, the municipality paid $169,900 for one single family home and $239,000 for the other. Regional council discussed the real estate trans actions in secret in August 2009.

Both properties are to be held by the municipality and rented “pending council’s direction with respect to the project," the staff reports say.

McCusker said the project is part of the municipality’s re gional plan. If the Bayers Road widening gets the green light, it would be the second major thorough fare in Halifax in recent years to be widened. In 2008, part of Chebucto Road was expanded after community protests and an unsuccessful challenge by former councillor Sheila Foug ere.

The Bayers Road project is also controversial. Last year, a former resident took govern ment officials to task for thinking about traffic first and people in their neighbour hoods second. “With stores and offices within walking distance, these are very close to being excel lent walking and biking neigh bourhoods, except for the lack of adequate infrastructure to support healthy and sustain able transportation," Peter Rogers said in a letter to The Chronicle Herald.

“Now, for the sake of in creased suburban sprawl, we are going to make this sit uation worse."

(mlightstone@herald.ca)


Rush-hour traffic crawls along Bayers Road in Halifax. City hall bought two homes on Bayers Road last year as part of a long-term proposal to widen the thoroughfare. (ERIC WYNNE / Staff)

[halifaxboyns]

These properties are a good start; but I suspect that many properties along the route will have to get bought up.

While I normally am not pro widening roads, I think this would be helpful to eleviate congestion - my worry is that it will contribute and suggest automobile use is still okay. I would definately support this is bus only lanes (or bus and LRT provisions) are made in the design - however the bigger question with an LRT is once you run out of roads where a boulevard could use used to put the train int he middle - where does it go and how do you get it downtown?

This will certainly be interesting to see what happens.

[halifaxboyns]

I found on facebook an anti-Bayer's Road widening group - FYI.

[-Harlington-]

surprise, aha

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

surprise, aha

Whenever my friends would say something that wouldn't surprise me; I haul out my usual phrase. "Wow, I'm shocked. Here, see - this is my putting on my shocked face" and then I'd put my hand over my face and reveal - the same expression. Add one of my apparently very sarcastic eye rolls and it would usually create a laugh. That's how I've gotten into trouble in public meetings (with my eye rolls). I've learned to keep them in check.