Yellow lines --> Midtown Bikeway routes for investigation. Blue lines --> Connections to other AAA bicycle routes
Halifax Regional Municipality is working to build comfortable and convenient cycling connections for people of all ages and abilities. The Midtown All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bikeways Project will bridge the gap between existing and future AAA bikeways, enabling more people to travel by bicycle while also improving the walking and rolling experience.
OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT
Active transportation improvements are being considered for several streets and greenways in Halifax, including portions of Vernon Street, Quingate Place, Quinpool Road, the St. Pat’s Greenway, Windsor Street, Welsford Street, the Halifax Common and Bell Road.
This project will aim to improve safety, access and connectivity for active transportation users through improved pedestrian infrastructure and new AAA cycling connections while also considering transit, accessibility, public spaces, urban forestry, vehicle traffic, loading, parking and other factors. The connections that are being considered in this project include:
- Vernon Street from Pepperell Street to Quinpool Road
- Quingate Place
- St. Pat’s Greenway
- Quinpool Road from Vernon Street to Robie Street
- Windsor Street from St. Pat’s Greenway to Allan Street
- Welsford Street
- Halifax Common Connections
- Bell Road
JUNE 2026 SEGMENT UPDATE: WELSFORD STREET ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CONNECTION
Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is planning new active transportation infrastructure on Welsford Street to create a safe, comfortable, and convenient connection between Windsor Street and the Halifax Common for people walking, rolling, and cycling.
Community engagement will run from June 19, 2026 to July 3, 2026. After reviewing the concepts, you can complete the online survey and/or share specific comments directly with the project manager. A drop-in engagement pop-up event will also be held on June 22, 2026 (with rain date of June 24), with details provided in the column on the right.
Project Background
Welsford Street is identified in the Active Transportation Priorities Plan and Integrated Mobility Plan as an important connection for walking, rolling, and cycling. It is also a priority corridor within HRM’s All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bicycle Network. To achieve this, several design elements are being considered, including protected bikeways, traffic diversion, and painted sharrows.
In Summer 2025, Regional Council directed staff to prepare a report on all AAA bike network capital projects identified in the four-year (2026-2030) Capital Plan and to assess the feasibility of alternative network solutions that could reduce future costs. In the responding report, two high-potential alternatives were identified as alternatives to the raised, two-way bikeway originally proposed for the north side of Welsford Street as part of the Midtown AAA Bikeways project.
Regional Council directed staff to explore these alternatives for Welsford Street. A third concept has since been developed which combines elements of the two alternatives brought to Council. The purpose of this engagement process is to gather community feedback on the three concepts:
- Concept 1: On-street Protected 2-Way Bikeway
- Concept 2: Local Street Bikeway with Section of 2-Way Protected Bikeway
- Concept 3: Local Street Bikeway
Concepts
- Bikeway infrastructure
- On-street parking
- Traffic flow during specific times
The maps below show the concepts, while more detailed views can be found in the Welsford Street AT Connection Booklet.
Concept 1: On-Street Protected 2-Way Bikeway
This concept would:
- Add a protected, bi-directional (2-way) bikeway on the north side of Welsford Street
- Add a half traffic signal to Robie St at the intersection with Welsford Street
- Remove 8 of the existing 21 on-street parking spaces from the north side of Welfsord Street
Concept 2: Local Street Bikeway with Section of 2-Way Protected Bikeway
This concept would:
- Add sharrows pavement markings west of the protected bikeway segment
- Add a half traffic signal to Robie St at the intersection with Welsford Street
- Restrict left turns from Windsor Street to Welsford Street during the morning peak period to reduce traffic volumes and better align with local street bikeway best practices
- Add a 25-metre segment of protected bikeway between Robie Street and the furthest east driveway
Concept 3: Local Street Bikeway
This concept would:
- Add sharrows pavement markings west of the protected bikeway segment
- Add a half traffic signal to Robie St at the intersection with Welsford Street
- Restrict left turns from Windsor Street to Welsford Street during the morning peak period to reduce traffic volumes and better align with local street bikeway best practices
- Add a pedestrian crossing of Robie Street on the south side of the Welsford Street intersection and a corresponding curb ramp and connecting pathway to a new entry plaza on the Halifax Common
FEBRUARY 2025 UPDATE
The draft concepts have been released for public review. Concepts have been developed based in part on the Phase 1 engagement and are subject to change based on feedback received during the Phase 2 engagement.
Completed engagement events:
- Open House 1 – February 15, 2 - 4 p.m. at the John W. Lindsay YMCA (5640 Sackville Street, Halifax), in the Family and Child Development Room on the third floor
- Open House 2 – February 18, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the John W. Lindsay YMCA (5640 Sackville Street, Halifax), in the Family and Child Development Room on the third floor
- Open House 3 - March 6, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the John W. Lindsay YMCA (5640 Sackville Street, Halifax), in the Family and Child Development Room on the third floor
Additional information can also be found on the Open House Poster Boards and the Frequently Asked Questions document.
A What We Heard Report summarizing input from this round of public engagement is available for download.
PREVIOUS WORK
A What We Heard Report summarizing input from the first round of public engagement, which wrapped up in fall 2019, is now available for download.
