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2009 Halifax Cycling Coalition Bicycle Count
On Tuesday, June 9, 2009 an ad-hoc committee of the Halifax Cycling Coalition (HCC) planned and executed a count of cyclists in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). The Bike Count report details the results of the count. It contains information on the number of cyclists at 12 intersections, as well as information on their behaviour.
The Bike Count was modeled on counts conducted in other cities and incorporated advice from the Board and HRM planning staff. The count was conducted during the morning and afternoon rush hours of Tuesday, June 9, 2009 by 23 volunteers who collected information about cyclist traffic volume, turning movements, and rule compliance at 12 intersections.
The results of the count show significant commuter bicycle use in the urban core of HRM, with a total of 1453 cyclists counted. Intersection usage ranged from a peak of 119 cyclists/hour at the Barrington and North on-ramp of the MacDonald Bridge, to 3 cyclists/hour at the intersection of Portland and Baker Streets. Over half of the intersections monitored showed an average of one cyclist per 90 seconds, indicating regular use of transportation infrastructure by cyclists.
Results also showed high rates of cyclist compliance with the Motor Vehicle Act: 98% of cyclists observed were wearing a helmet and approximately 90% of cyclists complied with the rules of the road. Intersections with cycling infrastructure such as bike lanes were well-travelled, and the dedicated lanes were used by most cyclists, with the exception of the Armdale Roundabout multi-use crosswalk/sidewalk. Intersection avoidance behaviours such as walking or cycling in a crosswalk to avoid traffic were most frequently observed at the Armdale Roundabout and at the approaches to the MacDonald Bridge.
Based on the data collected, Bike Count authors recommended that HCC:
• Publish the report to encourage its use in transportation planning and cycling policy development in HRM.
• Lobby for infrastructure improvements at identified trouble spots to improve safety and encourage active transportation.
• Continue similar data collection in future years to provide multi-year comparisons, using the recommendations contained within this report to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of future data collection and reporting.
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