Bike lanes in demand

SACKVILLE - New bike lanes installed as part of the Lively Road water and sewer project are proving so popular that local councillors are looking for ways to bring more bike lanes to Sackville.

"We've requested that staff look at ways to increase bike lanes. I'm being asked more and more about this by people," Coun. Brad Johns said. "The new (bike lane) between Lucasville and Lively is being very well used and we want a few more in Sackville, especially on the Beaver Bank Road and Glendale Drive."

The issue of increasing the number of bike lanes in Sackville was brought up during last week's North West Community Council meeting. Johns said the Lively sewer and water project included the construction of bike lanes on both sides of Sackville Drive from Lucasville Road to Lively Road. Those bike lanes were completed about four weeks ago.

"Every day you go past there now, there are at least two to three people on it with their bikes," he said. "It is being very, very well used."

In addition to bringing the issue to the attention of HRM's Bikeways Task Force, Johns said they're hoping to find ways to access active transportation grants and other funding sources.

"With the higher price of gas, people are looking for alternatives to travel locally when possible. Streets like (the rest of) Sackville Drive might not be as conducive as somewhere like Glendale for bike lanes," he explained. "However, Glendale is an ideal candidate for a bike lane because it already has wide shoulders."

Several residents of Lucasville's Waterstone subdivision have in the past expressed their need for more active local recreation. Johns expects to canvas that community to find out if members are interested in having bike lanes along Waterstone Run.

"It provides the opportunity to have a bit of a sidewalk in an area that normally wouldn't have a sidewalk," he said. "This whole thing (bike lanes) seems to be catching on, although it's newer to Sackville. With the changing times it's something people are becoming more and more aware of."

Bike lanes are already in place on both sides of the Bedford Highway from Kearney Lake Road to Southgate Drive.

The municipality's traffic and transportation division noted that HRM's on-street cycling network expanded by about 16.5 kilometres this past construction season.

The network includes striped bike lanes and wide curb lanes. In addition to the Sackville Drive lanes, biking infrastructure was added at Westwood Boulevard from Hemlock Drive toward the St. Margaret Centre. A number of other HRM communities also benefited from the expansion, which nearly doubled the region's number of on-street bicycle facilities.

ydentremont@hfxnews.ca