Halifax's faded street lines repainting won't wrap up until October
A rough winter has left streets dangerously barren but city isn't in a hurry to repaint lines
The rough winter has left many Halifax streets barren with faded lines but the city won't be increasing resources to get everything repainted sooner.
The city says contractors and in-house crews will stick to their typical painting plan which means some streets in the Halifax Regional Municipality could have deteriorated markings until as late as October.
"It'll continue over the next several months so you'll be seeing the freshened lines throughout all the areas of the city well into the fall," said Tiffany Chase, a city of Halifax spokesperson.
For commuters like Stewart Rand who rides his bike to and from work everyday, that's not soon enough.
"I think it needs to be done now because it's a safety issue now," said Rand.
In the past week, the biker has already had two close calls on his ride home from downtown Halifax.
He says drivers at Chebucto Road and Oxford Street can't tell they're in a right turn only lane because the painted directional arrows have disappeared. They're then forced to merge into his lane after the intersection.
Complaint calls to 311 about pavement markings throughout the city have almost doubled when compared to last year.
In 2014, from April to June, the city received 46 complaints. In the same period this year, there were 81 calls.
The city says the crews responsible have already been allocated their work for the season so they won't be shifting resources around. They include the contractors who paint cross walks and directional arrows as well as an in-house crews responsible for lane demarcation lines.
High traffic areas assessed
Roads will be painted in priority order, with downtown Halifax and Dartmouth coming first.
High traffic areas like the Armdale Roundabout and the Larry Uteck Blvd. and Kearney Lake Road intersection will be addressed at the same time.
Other main arterial roads will come next. By the fall, the city expects to have expanded to the rest of the municipality.
Rand recognizes there are budget constraints with reallocating work but believes safety concerns warrant the cost.
"This year in particular I think they should spend a bit more money and get the lines repainted earlier because they've been worn down to such a poor condition," he continued.
Chase says "anecdotally" the increased use of crusher dust to combat the region's icy winter is responsible for the unusually eroded street lines.
Street lines in Halifax are normally given a fresh paint of coat starting in May but Chase points out it's weather dependent. Conditions need to be dry and warm so the paint adheres to the ground.