Wednesday, Jan.

22, 2014 (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Regional Municipality is encouraging residents to get involved in the redesign of two major intersections on North Park Street in downtown Halifax.

Planning is underway to construct roundabouts at the intersections of North Park, Agricola and Cunard streets, and North Park, Cogswell, Rainnie, Trollope and Ahern streets, as neither intersection meets national transportation standards. Both suffer from aging underground infrastructure, problematic traffic flow, poor connectivity from street to street and a high number of collisions.

In May 2010, Regional Council adopted in principle the use of modern roundabouts on municipal roads, where appropriate design guidelines and standards can be met. Staff in Traffic and Right of Way is now recommending the North Park Street intersections be redesigned into roundabouts.

The changes would improve safety and street use for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles, reduce delays for all users, repatriate land back to the North Common, improve aesthetics and profile a key gateway to the downtown. The project would also support several key objectives and anticipated improvements laid out in the Halifax Common Plan, which was approved by Regional Council on March 30, 2010: http://www.halifax.ca/RealPropertyPlanning/documents/HalifaxNorthCommon_PowerPointPresentation_000.pdf.

HRM held its first public engagement session on the North Park intersection redesign on Feb. 27, 2013. Feedback from that session helped to develop the first round of design drawings, which will be presented at a second public engagement session on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The meeting will be held from 7-9 p.m. at the Halifax Forum, 6209 Almon St., in the Maritime Hall building.

Print and online advertising encouraging residents to share their thoughts on the project starts today, Jan. 22. Residents can complete a simple survey online at http://shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/North-Park-Intersection-Redesign or in person at next week’s public engagement session. The survey focuses on what residents think about options for active transportation, outdoor art and new public spaces in relation to the North Park project.

Feedback will be accepted up until Feb. 14. This information will be used to inform Regional Council’s decision about how the intersections and the North Park Street corridor will be improved. If the decision is to move forward with this project, all of the public input will be considered as the final design drawings are completed in the coming months.

For more information on the North Park intersection redesign project, go online at http://www.halifax.ca/shapeyourcity/NorthParkIntersectionRedesign.html.

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Jennifer Stewart HRM Communications 902-476-5975

Source: Release