If things go as planned, students at Halifax’s Dalhousie University will soon find it much more convenient and safe to ride their bikes around the school.
The province recently announced a commitment to put $150,000 towards the construction of a two-year pilot project that, if it is adopted by the city, will see a separate lane for bicycle traffic around Dalhousie’s campus.
The lane will be separated from the motor vehicle traffic by a divider, which would make it the first one like that in the Halifax region.
Dalhousie students already use their bikes for transportation more than the rest of the general population, and it is hoped that this will encourage even more to make that same choice.
The city council has not yet committed to the project, but it will discuss doing so at its next meeting. One fact that will be taken into consideration is that the new be lane may reduce the number of parking spaces and meters, which could result in reduced levels of revenue for the city.
It is expected that some of these metered spaces will be moved to other streets, which should help to recoup some of the losses.
If the city decides to go ahead with the plan, it may need to obtain signage to mark the bike route, which a printing company will be able to provide.
