Department of city and Roles

[Sleveless]

There are three main departments that handle AT infrastructure development. Each department also handles pedestrian and motorized traffic issues and upgrades. Although some staffers take a strong interest in cycling matters, there is no one staff person that is 100% dedicated to cycling.

The three departments are:
-Traffic and Right of Way Services
-Design and Construction Services
-Regional Trails

The roles of each department as it pertains to AT are as follows (there is some redundancy to this):

Traffic and Right of Way services

Provide Information and Guidance regarding:
-Regulatory requirements or restrictions for operations within the public right-of-way as it affects active transportation uses
-Design standards and requirements
-Sharing opportunities for expanding the active transportation network

Provide support:
-In advancing active transportation initiatives to the general public
-Via various activities
-Educational, promotional and safety campaigns
-Special events and subcommittees organized by the Active transportation advisory committee
-Attend meetings as required by the Active Transportation Advisory Committee

Design and Construction Services

Provide information:
-Approved Design and construction capital budget projects which involve active transportation infrastructure (ie, New sidewalks and Bike lanes)
-Updates on anticipated construction completion dates
-Answer general inquires regarding on-road facilities

Other roles:
-Provide design and/or tendering and construction administration services to HRM departments on active transportation projects
-Attend meetings as required by the Active Transportation Advisory Committee

Regional Trails

-Provide information on the “Off-road facilities” as they relate to the active transportation network
-Provide input on the policy recommendations of the Plan with regards to the development of the off-road network as laid out in section 4.6.5

Supporting role:
-To help committee understand the off-road priorities for the next two years
-Explain annual budget process for off-road infrastructure as it pertains to the Regional Trails program
-Attend meetings as required by the Active Transportation Advisory Committee

Assist committee with information to help advise Council on off-road priorities. Examples include
-Connect through urban core
-Complete Trans-Canada Trail
-Access to and use of trails for a variety of purposes
-Promote increase in active modes
-Connections to on-road facilities
-Recommendations on priority connections and facilities, including to transit terminals
-Safety

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Just my two cents:

Although it may not seem like it, the AT Advisory Committee is making progress. Is it slow? Of course! The committee is brand new, there was little to no carry-over from the Bikeways committee and it is part of a bureaucracy. What is the HCC's role with the AT Advisory committee? Recently, it's been providing guidance on what cyclists should have at this point (ie, connected active transportation corridor in the form of a continuous bike lane), and indicating that a vast chunk of the city is supportive of cycling improvements (ie, petitioning, letters of support from stakeholder groups and other organizations). We're making progress at the right time in the right places.

What can you do? WRITE TO YOUR COUNCILLOR AND TELL THEM THAT YOU WILL VOTE FOR THEM IF THEY SUPPORT MORE CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE/BETTER POLICY!!!!!

[Andrew]

From the 2002 Bike Plan

Safety, Promotion, Education, Enforcement Report Section

1 Work with community partners (TRAX, Bicycle NS) to support and
implement education programs such as Can-Bike
8.3.1
2 Increase support for Bike-to-Work week 8.3.2
3 Close all or part of a street as a special event to promote active transport 8.3.3
4 Work with School Board to disseminate grade 6 bicycle curriculum 8.3.4
5 Continue and expand Safe Routes to Schools Program 8.3.5
6 Host Annual Bicycle Symposium 8.3.6
7 Review collision statistics to help plan improvements 8.3.8
8 Conduct bicycle counts 8.3.9
9 ‘Commute Home Safe’ Media Campaign 8.3.10
10 Cyclist of the Year award 8.3.19
11 Improve HRM cycling website 8.3.11
12 Work with TRAX to get Share the Road information inserted into the NS
Drivers’ Handbook

and the big one

3 Make the position of Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator a full time,
permanent position
9.4.3

what we got in response to this was Hanita in 2006.. or was it 2008 even. We love Hanita and she does great things for this city but her job is not strictly for bicycles as the plan promotes some 8 years ago.

[Sleveless]

Again... 2002 plans are superseded by the 2006 AT plan.

We have got to get over the Blueprint for a Bike Friendly HRM and catch up to the AT Plan. It's a whole bunch better, in my opinion of course. Lots of info on the benefits of cycling, and a lot of info on how Halifax works and future plans. Just an all around great doc that i would not like to see replaced by something else next year.

[HaliBikinDaddy]

Again... 2002 plans are superseded by the 2006 AT plan.

We have got to get over the Blueprint for a Bike Friendly HRM and catch up to the AT Plan. It's a whole bunch better, in my opinion of course. Lots of info on the benefits of cycling, and a lot of info on how Halifax works and future plans. Just an all around great doc that i would not like to see replaced by something else next year.

Whoah! Am I reading this right?? The AT Plan is better than the 2002 Blueprint for a bicycle-friendly HRM? I have to disagree! (Wait - you're not reading the copy from the HRM website are you? that is not the complete plan if you are...they only posted sections of it).
I've read the AT Plan a few times and...well, I'm gonna be polite and not say what I really feel like saying about it. The AT Plan is a complete waste of time, imo, and we'd almost be better off if it was scrapped and we started over. Almost. Instead I think we should work on making it better, by which I mean making it any good at all. One way of doing this would be to include many aspects of the 2002 bike plan.

I'm confused - I've heard you complain about the AT Plan in the past, what is it that you feel are it's redeeming qualities?

[HaliBikinDaddy]

what? did I go too negative?

i really think that we need to initiate a discussion of the HRM AT Plan. As Roger Geller said, it starts with good policies. We should be thinking about how to improve the AT Plan asap, so that we can effectively argue for improvements when the plan is reviewed (which, unless I'm mistaken, should happen this year and next).

[Sleveless]

Not too negative at all! I've been doing shift work at the hospital for the past few days.

I agree that everything starts with policies. Although some policies and standards in the AT Plan need to be tweaked, I think there are some good ones in there too. We should concentrate on getting those policies into play just as much, or even more than reviewing policies that suck right now.

I think AT Plan review and updates are going down during the next fiscal year (2011-2012), but I'm not too sure about that. Will ask around to get that info over the next couple months.

I'm going to answer your AT versus Blueprint question... just give me some time to re-hash the blueprint.