Posted:
Wednesday, Nov., 18, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents and motorists to be prepared for significant crowds anticipated at the 20th annual Holiday Parade of Lights and the inaugural Red Nose Run, being held on Saturday, Nov. 21, in downtown Halifax.
With thousands of spectators expected to line the race and parade route, residents are urged to plan their travel in advance and consider public transit to and from downtown Halifax, as parking may be limited and traffic will be heavy.
The Red Nose Run will get underway at 5:45 p.m. just ahead of the parade, which begins at 6 p.m. on Upper Water Street, south of the CFB Halifax Dockyard. Red-nosed runners and parade participants will then travel through the Cogswell Interchange, along Barrington Street, right onto Spring Garden Road, left onto South Park Street and finally right onto University Avenue. The parade then continues past the IWK Children’s Hospital and ends at the corner of University Avenue and Robie Street.
Streets along the race and parade route will be closed to traffic beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.21, and will remain closed until the parade is over, at approximately 8 p.m. Please note that Robie Street at University Avenue will also shut down at 4:30 p.m.
There will be no parking anywhere on the race and parade route between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.21, including parking meters, which will be covered with Special Event bags. A reminder that there is no parking allowed at any time in bicycle lanes as per the Motor Vehicle Act, including the recently completed bicycle lane on the left side of Hollis Street just south of Cogswell Street to Terminal Road. Vehicles in violation will be ticketed and towed.
Halifax Transit is offering free ferry service between the Alderney and Halifax ferry terminals, beginning at 3 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., and will operate on a 15-minute frequency during this time period. Halifax Transit buses that travel on the affected downtown Halifax streets will be detoured starting at 6 p.m. Residents can visit the Service Disruptions page for more information on the affected routes.
The Macdonald Bridge is scheduled to be open on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., at which time it will close for the remainder of the weekend as part of the ongoing Big Lift re-decking project. For the most up-to-date details on Macdonald Bridge closures visit www.hdbc.ca/updatesclosure-times.
The Halifax Regional Municipality, the Chronicle Herald, Downtown Halifax Business Commission and all event sponsors appreciate your patience and cooperation to help make the inaugural Red Nose Run and the 20th annual Holiday Parade of Lights a safe and enjoyable night for everyone.
For more information on these events, please visit http://holidayparadeoflights.ca.
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