In June, I had the opportunity to travel to Nova Scotia as part of my work supporting the development of a provincial Active Transportation Strategy. In addition to facilitating focus group sessions in the Valley, South Shore, and in Halifax, I also got to do a lot of first hand research walking and wheeling around.
I experienced some real highlights for active transportation during my trip, including a strong network of trails connecting communities, slow streets, and curb-separated bike lanes. On the flip side, I was surprised by the number of pedestrian-activated crossings, many of which came with bright orange flags meant to increase pedestrian visibility. I found these crossings to be unpredictable, and they made me nervous while walking and driving.
There's a lot to do to improve active transportation as we move forward, and a lot of great work to build on. I'm thrilled to be working on this project alongside the team at WSP Canada and to have had the chance to connect with partners about the challenges and opportunities for active transportation in Nova Scotia.