Here's the information contained in the most recent Integrated Mobility Program quarterly update - Q2 (April, May & June) 2021. View the PDF.

COVID-19 impacts and the mobility response plan statistics

COVID-19 and Mobility in the Halifax Regional Municipality

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OUR AWARD WINNING RAPID TRANSIT STRATEGY

Our Rapid Transit Strategy (RTS) has been selected as the winner of the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) Stan Teply Outstanding Technical Project Award. The award, “recognizes an outstanding project that showcases excellent technical achievement in transportation planning and/or engineering. This award recognizes the high quality of projects within the transportation industry in Canada.”

Rapid Transit Strategy Background
•   This plan was unanimously endorsed by Halifax Regional Council in May 2020. It represents one of the most comprehensive, ambitious, strategic and well-integrated transportation and land use plans produced in Atlantic Canada.
•   It is Halifax’s comprehensive plan to build a rapid transit system by 2030 which consists of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network, new ferry service, and a direction for land use policy to align with rapid transit.
•   This RTS responds to some of the most pressing issues facing Canadian municipalities by outlining a significant investment in high-quality transit service that will improve residents’ mobility and build more sustainable, affordable, and equitable communities.
•   It reflects a “Made in Halifax” solution, building on the strongest assets in our transportation network, and the opportunity provided by our unique geography.

Image of the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) Stan Teply Outstanding Technical Project Award

Stylized map showing proposed Rapid Transit Routes

IMP Action Items and a sampling of projects

IMP Action Items & Projects

ROUND-UP

• Reviewed Regional Plan with multiple themed public engagement sessions (Actions 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 27, 28, 29)
• Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment – Held stakeholder and public engagement in April 2021 (Action 121, 122)
• Tendered Active Transportation Connector between WyseRoad, Macdonald Bridgehead and the crosswalk to the BridgeTerminal transit hub. (Action 79)
• Engaged public on Portland Street/ Cole Harbour RoadFunctional Plan (Action 83)
• Started the construction of the Spring Garden Roadstreetscaping project (Action 32, 37, 41 & 43)
• Changed all 99 signalized intersections with AccessiblePedestrian Signals (APS) to allow activation by a single press of the button. Previously, users needed to press and hold the button for 3 seconds to activate the audible tone. (Action 6)
• Changed on-street parking rates. Drivers will no longer be limited to four hours per zone per day, and hourly rates will be determined based on time-of-day demand within the parking zone (Action 132 & 133)
• Ordered equipment to complete the incorporation of the remaining intersections with traffic signals into the iNet system. iNet is a centralized “traffic responsive” system that uses detection equipment to monitor intersection traffic and determine if adjustments are needed. TheiNet system allows for more responsive and efficient operations of the traffic signal network. (Action 125)

• Constructed Drummond Court/ Leaman St. Local StreetBikeway (Action 72)
• Initiated the Centre Plan adoption process. Centre Plan & Land Use By-law documents were released on May 28 and are under review by a number of committees and Councils.(Actions 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29)
• Received MicroTraffic project safety reviews. (Action 4)
• Received safety decals from Operation Livesaver, an organization dedicated to preventing collisions at railway crossings and incidents related to railway trespassing. To be unveiled during Rail Safety Week in September (Action 5)
• Reviewed parking supply adjacent to Dalhousie University (Action 136)
• Tendered multiple traffic calming projects for the 2021/22 construction season. (Action 4)
• Initiated revisions to the Traffic Calming Administrative Order. (Action 4)
• Released mobile ticketing solution request for proposals (RFP) for Halifax Transit. (Actions 54 & 104)
• Regional Council approved the Herring Cove Road Functional Plan. (Action 121)
• Released the IMP implementation report which includes statistics & stories about the changes that have been made to our walking, rolling, cycling, & transit facilities and the road network since 2017. (Action 8)

Constructions workers working in a hole at the corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street

Spring Garden Road Construction

What IMP Projects are up next?

•Conduct stakeholder & public engagement for the RainnieDrive/Brunswick Street complete streets project. (Action72)
•Undertake Accessible Bus Stop Inventory & Assessment(Action 94)
•Install placemaking/art component at Artillery Place(Action 48)
•Install various tactical urbanism projects (Action 48)
•Launch free RideShark/hfxridematch.ca app/online ride-matching system. (Action 56)
•Progress on additional road safety action items planned for 2021/22. (Action 4)
•Initiate photo enforcement feasibility study. (Action 4)
•Install equipment to incorporate the remaining signalized intersections into the iNet system (see Round Up section above for iNet system description) (Action 125)
•Continue assessments at signalized intersections for implementation of additional advanced crossing signals for pedestrians (Leading Pedestrian Intervals-LPI's) (Action 6)

•Update general operation of pedestrian signals at 145signalized intersections to automatically bring up the pedestrian walk signal without requiring push-button activation between 6 a.m. and midnight. Pushing the button will continue to activate audible pedestrian signals (APS).(Action 6)
•Install rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) at 18crosswalk locations as outlined in the 2021/2022 capital plan. (Action 6)
•Review the current locations where dynamic speed display signs have been deployed to determine the potential for relocation/redeployment at other locations. (Action 6)
•Review MicroTraffic project recommendations which examined near-miss conflicts at 10 intersections. Identify and initiate upgrades that can be completed in 2021/22.Plan for longer-term countermeasure implementation in future budgets. (Action 4)
•Construction of new local street bikeway on Dahlia St.(Action 72

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REGIONAL PLAN REVIEW

The Regional Plan is a long-term strategy that sets out a framework for growth and change in the Halifax Regional Municipality. We are currently reviewing the Regional Plan and seeking public input to help guide our work.

What does the review entail? We are evaluating our land-use policies and making sure they represent the direction Council would like to set. We are contemplating how the municipality is physically organized and growing. We’re asking a few key questions during the review:
•The first is: How are we growing? How do we locate housing and employment in smart (strategic) locations, so that growth can happen easily, and in a way that furthers the municipality's most important goals?
•The second is: Where should we grow? Where are the best places to locate residential and employment growth?

Incorporating Regional Council’s aspirations for a sustainable future, such as the Integrated Mobility Plan’s mode share targets and the emissions reduction targets in HalifACT, allow us to update our modelling and assess how different land use growth scenarios might interact with these long-term objectives. Part of the Regional Plan Review will look at ways to make it easier for people to move around the region. The Regional Plan links land use and our mobility system by focusing on the movement of people, not just vehicles, be it by walking, rolling, cycling, transit or in a vehicle.

Visit the webpage to see how you can get involved with the Regional Plan Review.

Regional Plan Review

Transforming How We Move in Our Region

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GET THERE BY BIKE CAMPAIGN

The Get There By Bike campaign was launched in late May 2021. The goal of this campaign was to highlight real people who cycle in the region and encourage residents to cycle more often as part of their daily trips. The campaign website provides resources for people to plan their cycling trips and status updates on the planning and construction of municipal Active Transportation (AT) facilities. (Action 60)

AAA (ALL AGES & ABILITIES) BICYCLE NETWORK UPDATE

As of spring 2021, over one third of the network is in place with eight kms built since the IMP was approved in 2017. The completion of the network is expected to take longer than the 2022 completion target set in the Integrated Mobility Plan. While there are a number of factors that influence the delivery of the AAA program, it is anticipated a significant portion of the network will be constructed by 2024. Check out the website updates and interactive map. (Action 72)