Latest news with #AndyFillmore


CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Halifax deputy mayor seeking report on upcoming bike lane projects, costs
Two weeks after Halifax council voted down a motion to pause the construction of new bike lanes in the municipality, the deputy mayor is seeking a report on the estimated costs of upcoming cycling projects and possible alternatives. Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini, who is also the councillor for Dartmouth East-Burnside, is bringing forward a motion that, if passed, would have the chief administrative officer write a staff report on all AAA bike network capital projects from 2026 to 2029. The report would include the estimated budgets of the projects, opportunities for additional external funding sources and assessments on the 'feasibility of alternative network solutions that could reduce future costs.' Council will vote on the motion at their meeting on Tuesday. Previous motion defeated Earlier this month council voted 12-to-five against a motion from Mayor Andy Fillmore that would have paused awarding any new contracts for new bike lane designs or construction capital projects until a staff report on traffic capacity and congestion, and possible alternative network solutions, was completed. Fillmore said he brought that motion forward over 'growing public concern over worsening traffic congestion.' 'Right now, we're seeing road space reduced before alternatives like reliable transit or safe, connected bike routes are in place,' Fillmore said in an open letter. 'Beyond the obvious frustration and quality of life factors experienced by Halifax residents, congestion also harms economic productivity and increases vehicle emissions.' The motion drew sharp criticism from the biking community, which staged a big rally outside of City Hall prior to the vote, and from councillors who voted it down. 'Bike lanes do not cause congestion,' Councillor Sam Austin said at the time. 'What does cause congestion is a municipality that has not done the work to provide alternatives. Delay makes it worse.' While the original motion was defeated, council did approve an alternative motion for a report that will provide updated alternatives to the protected bike lane option on Morris Street. Halifax's planned 53-kilometre cycling network started in 2017 and was expected to be completed in 2022, but it is running behind scheduled with nearly 60 per cent of it finished. The project was initially projected to cost $25 million but has risen to an estimated $90 million or more. More to come… For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page


CTV News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Celebration of navy, armed forces comes to Halifax this week
The HMCS Montreal is pictured in the background. (Source: Jesse Thomas/CTV News Atlantic) Halifax will host a celebration of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces this weekend. Halifax International Fleet Week runs from Thursday to Sunday, offering ship tours, concerts and a drone light show along the harbourfront. The event kicked off with the ringing of the bell at 11 a.m. on Thursday. It was followed by a pop-up concert with the Stadacona Band at the Queen's Marque Courtyard. Announcement Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, the commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, along with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, officially announced the opening of Halifax International Fleet Week 2025. (Source: Jesse Thomas/CTV News Atlantic) Highlights of the weekend include: dragon boat race at Graham's Grove Park in Dartmouth at 8:30 a.m. on Friday Navy Bike Ride at 10 a.m. on Saturday presentation on the First World War at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday Halifax Wanderers home game at the Wanderers Grounds at 3 p.m. on Saturday a drone light show over the Halifax Harbour at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday the Fleet Week Run at the CFB Stadacona at 9 a.m. on Sunday Last Post ceremony at the Last Steps Memorial Arch at 11 a.m. on Sunday a street party on Portland Street in Dartmouth from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday Fleet Week will also offer daily tours of the HDMS Vaedderen at Pier 23, the HMCS Charlottetown at Pier 20 and the HMCS Margaret Brooke at Pier 19. HMCS Montreal The HMCS Montreal is pictured in the background. (Source: Jesse Thomas/CTV News Atlantic) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page


CTV News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Counting cars and bikes: Unofficial survey of Halifax's morning commute
There is a debate underway in Halifax over bike lanes. Mayor Andy Fillmore brought forward a motion which called for a pause on awarding any contracts for new bike lane designs or construction capital projects until a staff report on traffic capacity and congestion and 'feasibility of alternative network solutions' was completed. After hours of debate and a rally that drew hundreds of bikers to Halifax City Hall on June 10, council voted down the motion. CTV News Atlantic decided to conduct an unscientific survey of just how many bikes and scooters use bike lanes in the city centre. With cameras set up at spots on the peninsula during the morning commute – one at South Park St, near Spring Garden Road, the second on Rainnie Drive which leads past Citadel Hill – we counted the number of vehicles, bikes, e-bikes and scooters over a two-hour period. Rainnie Drive On Rainnie Drive, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., 424 cars drove by and 113 bikes and e-bikes used the bike lane. South Park Street On South Park Street, 1,489 cars drove past and 90 bikes and e-devices used the bike lanes. CTV News observed there were periods when the bike lanes were empty, but other times when bike traffic was heavier. Following the completion of the unofficial count, CTV News asked people what they think of the bike lane debate being waged at city hall. Halifax resident Sheri Thomas says she doesn't really care for bike lanes and feels there should be fewer in the region. 'Not a lot of people I've seen using them and for me, I am visually impaired, so it's kinda a trip hazard,' said Thomas. bike lane A bike lane is pictured in Halifax, N.S., on June 17, 2025. Adrienne Richy is an avid cyclist and says she wants to be separate from cars, explaining biking is her only mode of transportation. 'I want more. We tend to prioritize the convenience of drivers over the safety of cyclists and pedestrians,' she said. Residents Sarah Fowler and David Blanchard both agree cyclists should have their own lane. 'I support them for the environment and people that enjoy biking it's wonderful but at the same time I am nervous around them when I am driving,' said Fowler. 'I find them safe as long as we understand where they belong as cars and we belong on the bike,' says Blanchard. Last week, in a statement to CTV News Atlantic, Fillmore said too much money is being spent and congestion isn't getting better. 'I brought this motion forward because the cost of the bike lane project has quadrupled from its original estimate to nearly $100 million. I also had concerns that the current design and rollout could actually worsen congestion in parts of the municipality,' he said. According to Fillmore, one area that residents and businesses have raised concerns about is Morris Street. 'I'm pleased that council did support an alternative motion I introduced, which directs staff to return with other options for Morris that would maintain two-way traffic and avoid making congestion worse; especially on Morris and Lower Water streets,' he said. There are opposing views on this topic withing city council. Councillor Sam Austin says bike lanes aren't the cause of traffic congestion. He explains the population is up to half a million people and growing, increasing the need for other transportation options. 'We are an old city with limited road space, we cannot accommodate everybody driving in a car. We need to move the needle on public transit. We need to move the needle of active transportation. We need to provide these alternatives to people,' he says. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page


CBC
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Halifax mayor's move to pause bike lane construction defeated
Social Sharing Halifax will continue to move ahead with its bike network after councillors voted 12-5 to defeat a motion by the mayor asking to temporarily pause awarding new design and construction contracts for bike lanes. Mayor Andy Fillmore made the motion at regional council on Tuesday afternoon. During the meeting, Fillmore said he was concerned that the costs of the AAA (all ages and abilities) bicycle network were escalating and it was contributing to Halifax's increased traffic congestion. "Halifax now has the third-worst congestion in Canada and the fifth-worst congestion in North America," Fillmore said. "People here are spending 83 hours a year stuck in traffic. That's the equivalent of 12 working days behind the wheel in gridlock." The pause would have lasted until staff came back with a report providing the list of bike lane projects over the next four years that could result in reduced vehicle traffic capacity and increased congestion. The mayor also asked that the report assess the feasibility of alternative network options that could achieve active transportation goals while "sustaining or improving current traffic flow." 'This is foolish' Fillmore has not offered any evidence or details about how the current or future network segments increase traffic congestion. Coun. Sam Austin said he was disappointed in Fillmore's motion and said bike lanes do not cause traffic congestion. He said delaying the work on bike lanes will worsen traffic. "It's the people of this city who want to move around sustainably, who we've been left hanging by having this project run years behind schedule, and now we're proposing to add yet more time to that," Austin said. "This isn't good governing, this is foolish." Coun. Becky Kent agreed, adding any talks about pausing bike lanes should have happened when the budget was being discussed. 'It's not good for stability' Coun. Laura White said the motion wasn't in line with the municipality's strategic plans. "Think of people that bid on our contracts, if they think that at any time that we're going to change direction. It's not good for stability, for business," White said. Coun. Trish Purdy said there didn't seem to be an accurate understanding of Fillmore's motion. "The vast majority of bike lane projects will move forward unhindered. This is looking at, from what the mayor has said, the red light projects, the ones that are going to negatively impact our traffic congestion," Purdy said. 'It's going to take a long time' Coun. Billy Gillis said he would support Fillmore's motion. "Cycling is a great way to commute. The more cars we get off the road, the better, 100 per cent. But it's not for everyone. And we live in the here and now," Gillis said. "It's going to take a long time to get enough people cycling to make an impact on relieving congestion." Hundreds of people, many on bikes, came to Grand Parade before the council meeting to protest Fillmore's motion. A few residents wearing bike helmets sat in the public gallery to listen to the council debate in the afternoon. The bicycle network's original expected cost of about $25 million has more than tripled, now reaching about $93 million. The provincial and federal governments have contributed about $20.8 million, leaving about $66 million for the Halifax Regional Municipality to pay over the next few years. The Halifax Cycling Coalition has said it believed Fillmore's motion was not rooted in facts, because the most congested choke points for Halifax — including the Armdale roundabout, the Windsor Street exchange and North Street — do not have bike lanes. Rising costs, inflation Originally planned to be completed in 2022, about 60 per cent of the 53 kilometres of network has been done so far with temporary or permanent measures. These include protected lanes, multi-use paths or painted signals on side streets. Staff have said the network should be finished — with the exception of one section — by 2028. Municipal staff have said costs have risen because of inflation and labour market issues, but also because the network sections have become more complicated and include improvements for the whole street. For example, the upcoming Brunswick Street project for this year would install a two-way bike lane and would also include a new plaza at the foot of Citadel Hill, sidewalk changes, and a redesign of the Sackville Street intersection to improve car traffic. Halifax spends more than $50 million each year to repave streets, with this year's capital budget totalling $314 million. The municipality's 2024 citizen survey showed most respondents preferred to maintain or increase the service levels for bike lanes (65 per cent), with 35 per cent saying it should be decreased. Another Halifax resident survey showed 48 per cent of respondents said that safer, more comfortable and more connected infrastructure is the No. 1 thing that would encourage them to cycle more often. Construction on the network began in 2017, as part of Halifax's integrated mobility plan. Halifax aims to have at least 30 per cent of trips made by walking, biking or taking transit by 2031.


Global News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Halifax councillors caught off guard by mayor's bike lane pushback
Regional councillors in Halifax say they were blindsided by the mayor's decision to bring a motion forward asking for a pause on all future bike lane construction. Mayor Andy Fillmore has indicated in a memo to council that he's looking to put a pause on future bike lane development until a staff report on road congestion can be completed. The matter will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting. Coun. Sam Austin says the news came as a surprise. 'I mean, this is not a small thing the mayor is proposing,' he said. 'This isn't a, 'Well, let's go look at this question and bring back a report.' It's to stop work that's literally planned that we voted on in our budget just two months ago now. So that's pretty significant.' Story continues below advertisement Coun. Kathryn Morse takes issue with the idea that cyclists and biking infrastructure are causing congestion in the city. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We certainly have congestion issues. We shouldn't be blaming that on cyclists and other people who are using alternatives to private cars,' she said. She added that pausing the project won't ease the burden of building cycling infrastructure. 'All of our infrastructure costs have gone way up in the last few years. Everything — playgrounds, roads, anything that we're building — is now almost twice as expensive as it was five years ago, so it's the cost of delay,' she said. Meanwhile, Coun. Shawn Cleary says he's concerned that if the motion passes, it will be a step backwards for active transportation in Halifax — not just for cycling, but also rapid transit. 'My fear is that the mayor's going to try and remove that next because that also takes up some roadway space from certain vehicles in certain times in certain places,' he said. All three councillors say they have been inundated with emails and calls from constituents expressing their concerns with the motion. For more on this story, watch the video above.