Halifax councillors passionately debated bike lanes again at regional council, and ultimately voted in favour Tuesday for a staff report on alternatives to the much-discussed AAA network.
It led some councillors to argue that without the safer infrastructure, cyclists will die.
“I’m tired of killing people on our streets. I want to kill fewer people, not more people,” said District 9 Coun. Shawn Cleary.
“Paint is not infrastructure.”
All ages and abilities (AAA) guidelines focus on safe infrastructure for riders of all ages, and utilize physical separation from motor vehicles, as well as traffic-calming methods.
The network would consist of protected bike lanes, multi-use pathways and local street bikeways as part of the municipality’s Integrated Mobility Plan.
A new report from municipal staff last month said the projected cost of the network has risen from $25 million to $85 million.
Mayor Andy Fillmore, who has expressed concerns about the project’s cost, brought forward a motion asking staff for a report on possible cost-saving measures for the AAA network over the next two budget years.
He says given the municipality’s increasing debt, fiscally responsible options need to be considered. One of those options would be to not build to AAA standards.
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“I want to complete the network faster and cheaper, I don’t want to abandon it,” he said.
He added that unless there are cuts and changes to some programs, the municipality will be in a dangerous financial position by 2030.
“That’s going to entail in the next four years a 50-per cent increase on the average tax bill. It’s going put us at risk of defaulting on the loans that we have and losing access to borrowing in the future. This is extremely serious,” he said.
However, the whole debate had some worried about cycling infrastructure, and ultimately the safety of cyclists.
“I’m wondering what (the mayor’s) end goal here is. Is it paint on a road, because if it’s paint, I’m not interested,” said District 5 Coun. Sam Austin.
“It’s about spending the money effectively … and making sure we’re providing safe places for people to be because we have too much carnage on our streets and we need to be doing all we can to stop that.”
The municipality’s acting chief administrative officer (CAO) also warned during the spirited debate that all the back-and-forth about the network is causing delays, and staff require clarity on what direction to take.
“What is bogging down the program? I can say without question: the debate that’s leading us to pull back designs or pause designs, and that is starting to affect the delivery of the program. That’s it for sure,” said CAO Brad Anguish.
The motion for a staff report passed 10-5.
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