The Town of Lunenburg plans to incorporate a pilot bike lane project into their waterfront, with work scheduled to begin this summer.
The bike lane will be installed along Montague Street, beginning at the intersection of Linden Street, Bluenose Drive, and Lower Street. It will then run for two blocks, ending at Duke Street.
The area where the bike lane is going will also become a “pedestrian mall” where vehicle access is limited, the example it was likened to in the release was the recent revitalization on Argyle Street in Halifax.
The Argyle Street “pedestrian mall” in Halifax, NS. Photo: City of Halifax.
The pilot project is part of a larger vision to install a more comprehensive bike lane network across the town, with the pilot being used as a test of the viability of the project.
Meghan Doucette, a community planner with Bicycle NS says the bike lane will offer a level of protection previously unavailable in the town, “The bidirectional lane will have a bollard and painted lines which will provide cyclists a significantly safer experience,” Doucette said.
Support for the pilot project is coming from Bicycle NS and their Blue Routes Hub Project which aims to help Nova Scotian communities develop active transportation plans, and if possible provide routes between communities.
Lunenburg is set to be the first community to run a pilot bike lane as part of the project but Doucette believes more are likely to follow.
When the project was first proposed it was set to go on the south side of Montague Street, however, the Luneburg Board of Trade raised concerns that the plan would see the loss of 42 parking spaces in a prime downtown location.
Lunenburg Mayor Matt Risser says that issue was overcome by moving the bike path to the north side of Montague Street where the loss in parking is reduced.
With this project being used as a test for the viability of bike paths in Lunenburg Risser says he’ll be keeping a close eye on usage and how it impacts businesses in the area.
The pilot path was also originally intended to be installed by June, however, it will now open in October so as to avoid opening during the busy summer tourist season.
