Halifax’s First Protected Bike Lane Now Open on Rainnie Drive

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Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – The region’s first protected bicycle lane is now open on Rainnie Drive in Halifax, another of the active transportation benefits in the area made possible through the North Park Intersection Redesign project.

The two-way bike lane is approximately 300 metres long and located on the section of Rainnie Drive that was converted to one-way traffic when the new Cogswell roundabout opened earlier this summer.

Eastbound, the bike lane is connected to the multi-use pathway around the roundabout and westbound it can be accessed via a crosswalk at the new intersection of Rainnie Drive and Gottingen Street. As with any crosswalk, cyclists must dismount briefly to cross.

The bike lane is separated from vehicle traffic by a painted buffer on the road, as well as plastic posts and on-street parking next to the posts. The buffer and posts are in what’s often referred to as the ‘door zone’ to provide separation from the doors of parked vehicles and the people travelling on bikes.

Residents are reminded that the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act prevents parking in any type of bike lane. Vehicles in violation can be ticketed and towed. Parking is permitted alongside the bike lane on Rainnie Drive, next to the plastic posts. 

The Rainnie Drive location is a pilot project to better understand the operation of protected bike lanes and their potential to provide safer bicycling facilities that are attractive to a broader range of residents. There will be further consultation on future uses for Rainnie Drive and the potential to extend these bike lanes.

This project is part of the implementation of the bicycle route network proposed in the municipality’s Active Transportation Priorities Plan. It also fits in to a larger goal to create a cycling route for people of all ages and abilities from the North Common directly to the Central Library and the Spring Garden Road area.

For more information on this project and other active transportation plans in the Halifax region, please visit www.halifax.ca.

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