The head of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission says the city’s timing of new bike lane construction is unfortunate for local businesses.
Halifax staff shut down the intersection of Brunswick and Sackville streets as crews build new bike lanes as part of the Brunswick Street AAA Bikeway Complete Project.
The project aims to create a protected two-way bike lane, a new landscaped public space at the foot of Citadel Hill, and improved sidewalk accessibility, among other upgrades.
Paul MacKinnon, CEO of the Halifax BIA, tells 95.7 NewsRadio he supports bike lane construction but believes the timing could have been better.
“It’s too bad that this is happening now in August and couldn’t have been done much earlier in the summer, maybe when traffic was a bit slower,” said MacKinnon. “Anytime you have to block a traffic lane due to construction, people get frustrated by that.”
He says he’s heard from several businesses that aren’t on board with the project, citing the loss of parking spaces and increased congestion.
The project is expected to continue until December.
