Halifax by Bike: June 2015

Monday, June 29, 2015

Behind St. Pats

Just a quick update: The throughway behind St. Pats former high school that connects Vernon St to Windsor St via St Vincent's Nursing Home is paved and coming together pretty well. The next step in that area is to pave the route from the end of Quingate Pl. all the way behind St. Pats and to Windsor St.

Pretty good work by Halifax construction workers. Despite the signage, I've been able to cut through St Vincent's this whole time, as have hundreds of other bikers and walkers. I've never had any of the workers get in a tiff about it either. I can't wait to use the finished product!

In slightly more disheartening news, the MacDonald bridge bike lane officially closed on June 29th, and taxiing bikes across the bridge has hit an impasse already. According to CBC Reporter Brett Ruskin, a bike fell off the shuttle trailer while proceeding across the bridge. That really sucks, and I hope the owner gets some sort of help from HHB to restore his ride. With that said, it's pretty mind-boggling that the Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry Service hasn't capitalized on this by offering a reduced-fee or free tolls for cyclists that use said ferries! I personally would love a free-return ticket program for cyclists. It might be an avenue for the ferry service to pick up new recreational riders! I never used to use the ferry at the end of my rides when I first started cycling in Halifax, but having given it a try last year, I look forward to it at the end of each of my rides. It makes for a good cool-down period before making it back home.

So to Halifax Transit: Give 'em a taste, and they'll come back! Just make sure to get better bike racks on the ferries, or allow people to sit and hold onto their bikes while crossing.

In any case, I'm sure we're going to be hearing of more growing pains with this whole bridge-crossing issue for cyclists over the next year and a half.

It's looking like an exceptional week for cycling! Be sure to get out there and have some long rides you guys!

Monday, June 15, 2015

Halifax Bike Week and Chester-Windsor-Halifax mini-tour

Another Bike Week has come and gone, and with it, summer has officially started --in my mind at least. Actually over the past three years or so, I've noticed that Halifax's official week dedicated to the bicycle has been the harbinger of warmer weather and sunny skies in Nova Scotia. With another bike lane being established in a high-use area --our new protected bike lane along University Blvd.-- and our existing lane along Windsor St. seeing sustained and growing usage, I'm feeling a surge in bicycle use by people looking to transit into the peninsula without relying on the automobile.

But if you stopped to ask me how my bike week turned out, sadly with moving to a new apartment and unpacking and trying to organize my life from a series of 40 boxes, I was unable to attend any events. To make up for this, I took three days to grind out a ride from Halifax to Chester, then Windsor, then back to Halifax, making a mini-tour of about 200km.

Roughly the Halifax-Chester-Windsor-Halifax Route

Overall this was an awesome idea, and was probably the best road trip I've done in the past several years! Not only did the distance feel perfect, I performed a lot better than I thought I would! Though a lot of this could be attributed to using the indomitable Defy 2 with an Axiom Flip-Flop seatpost rack on the back and Axiom's Paddywagon trunk-bag to haul a couple changes of clothes, ratty shoes, snacks and a good book.

In any case, with that 200km under my belt, I find I'm looking for a slightly longer route to try later this summer! With a couple friends around Moncton and Truro, I was thinking that linking up a route from Moncton-Amherst-Truro-Halifax would be a great challenge! Until then, I hope you guys enjoy some photos of my trip and the inns I stayed at during my ride!