Halifax test drives one-way street idea

The Halifax Regional Municipality is considering adding six new one-way streets to its downtown core as a way to create more parking and other business options.

A proposal by city staff would make the entire downtown a one-way system, with the exception of Barrington Street.

The change would create bike lanes, 80 parking spots and reduce current confusion where two-way streets become one-way streets.

Dave McCusker, the manager of strategic transportation planning for the city, said the addition of the new one-way streets would create multiple advantages for downtown businesses.

"A one-way street gives us the opportunities to do more non-traffic things, like parking and sidewalk cafés and bike lanes," he said.

"Secondly, the existing pattern is quite a hodgepodge of streets that change from one-ways to two-way streets and back again."

Ali Roshani said he's been a taxi driver in Halifax for 27 years and he doesn't think the idea is workable.

"I think it's the worst idea. This is a major city. You've got to come up with a better solution than that," he said.

Jutta Stawitz of Drala Books and Gifts was also skeptical of the plan to change the design of the city's streets.

"It's already complicated to find your way through this little maze here in those side streets, and if you just have one way it will be very complicated," she said.

Paul MacKinnon, the executive director of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, said his group is looking for public feedback before taking a position on the street change idea.

"We look forward to having a good dialogue with the city. And I'm sure at the other side of that we'll come out with a position where hopefully we'll be able to support it or maybe we'll object," said MacKinnon.

City officials hope to enact the one-way plan this fall, once they've tweaked it according to public input.