Functional Planning Study: Bedford Highway Strategic Corridor

The Regional Municipality of Halifax will be carrying out a climate mitigation study to assess the feasibility of the reconfiguration of the Bedford Highway corridor to include improved infrastructure for transit and active transportation.The study will: - Establish existing conditions in the study area to better understand the physical opportunities and constraints;- Identify and evaluate conceptual design options to understand, at a high level, the available reconfiguration options for active transportation (i.e. sidewalks, bike lanes, multi-use paths) and transit priority measures (i.e. bus lanes, queue jumps, transit signals); - Complete functional design for selected reconfiguration alternatives that provides a detailed understanding of how each option operates;- Develop estimates of projected sustainable mode shift based on the functional design options, and estimate GHG reduction;- Engage with key stakeholders, including the public, to obtain information to develop the feasibility study and design process.This project embodies the objectives of Halifax’s Integrated Mobility Plan in its efforts to design a more sustainable multimodal transportation system through infrastructure upgrades. It promotes a bold approach that seeks to implement multimodal improvements that may come at the expense of private automobile traffic. Specific project objectives identified include:• Environmental: Improved multimodal transportation infrastructure is expected to promote mode shift from trips by private automobile to transit and active transportation. Reducing the number of people driving for work and personal trips will contribute to reductions in GHG, improving the region’s climate change mitigation approach.• Social: Improved multimodal transportation infrastructure increases access to efficient and affordable means of transportation that can have important social implications. Making it easier for people to move about without using a private vehicle makes safe and convenient transportation more accessible to a wide range of the population. The recreational opportunities afforded though improved active transportation facilities also has important social benefits.• Economic: Improved multimodal transportation infrastructure helps to manage congestion and reduce the need to expand roadway infrastructure. A functional plan also enables a streamlined process for planning future capital works that reduces costs through project integration.