Lucasville Active Transportation Planning

Affordable and accessible transportation options to walk and cycle within the community, and connecting to other destinations, are a major part of the municipality’s Integrated Mobility Plan. The proposed Lucasville Greenway Active Transportation Planning’s Functional Plan outlines planning, integration analysis and cost estimates for adding active transportation infrastructure (a multi-use pathway) along the Lucasville Road.

Lucasville has been included in the Rural AT Program to support onstruction of the Lucasville Greenway when planning and design are completed. You can follow the link on the side panel for more information.

Background

The Transportation Standing Committee recommended that Halifax Regional Council amend the Active Transportation Priorities Plan by designating the following segments as “candidate routes” as described in the staff report dated April 26, 2017 report: Lucasville Road; Brunswick Street; Ahern Street; Sackville Street; George Street; and Africville Historic Site access points.

Lucasville Road from Hammonds Plains Road to Sackville Drive to be added as a “bikeway desired, facility-type to be determined” and as part of the “Regional AT Greenway Network Vision.”

This 7 km corridor is a two-lane road, with gravel shoulders and ditches. There are currently no dedicated walking or bicycling facilities on the road, with the exception of a short private off-street pathway that parallels the road between 1st and 10th streets. The desired facility type of this corridor is not known at this time, but could be a separate off-road AT greenway trail, paved shoulders, bike lane, or sidewalk. This could apply to the entire corridor or just for segments. Adding the Lucasville Road is in support of connecting residents with services primarily in Lower Sackville as well as building regional AT connections.

The addition of Lucasville Road to the AT Priorities Plan supports the goals of the Lucasville Greenway Society, who advocate for walking and bicycling routes within the community of Lucasville and to adjacent areas.

Key Points

• The municipality’s Integrated Mobility Plan aims to create connected, healthy, affordable, and sustainable travel options by focusing on movement of people over vehicles, improving accessibility, creating links between people and communities, strengthening the relationship between transportation and land use decisions, and by rethinking and redesigning our transportation system and communities.
  
  
• In April 2021, the consultant for this project, WSP Canada, prepared a report outlining a functional plan that reviews a multi-use pathway, often referred to as “the Lucasville Greenway,” located in the municipal right-of-way along the west and east side of Lucasville Road.
  
  
• The municipality has been working with the Lucasville Greenway Society (LGS) who have envisioned a walking and cycling multi-use pathway along the Lucasville Road from the Wallace Lucas Community Centre to Old Sackville Drive since 2017.
  
  
• The municipality explored AT facility options and routing, and the consultant has carried out preliminary functional planning to explore feasible options, design and integration analysis.
  
  
• Public Works is assessing road and bridge rehabilitation options on Lucasville Road, as well as addressing interim asphalt maintenance. Future integration opportunities may include AT infrastructure, in addition to road and bridge rehabilitation.
  
  
• Lucasville is an historic, African Nova Scotian community that celebrates the diversity and spirit of its deep heritage roots. Residents have a long history of not being able to walk and cycle throughout the community because of the narrow road shoulder next to heavy traffic travelling along the Lucasville Road to reach Hammonds Plains and Sackville.
  
  
• Lucasville Road is an important north-south, 7km connection from Sackville Drive to Hammonds Plains Road. The area's residential growth has increased and there is a significant amount of vehicular traffic using Lucasville Road, making it difficult to use active transportation modes such as walking and cycling.
  
  
• Municipal staff, community members and members of the LGS, are pleased to present concept plans and to provide review and feedback.

Public Consultation Opportunities

We want to hear from community members on what matters most when it comes to active transportation options for Lucasville. Thank you to all residents who attended the in-person public engagement session on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the Wallace Lucas Community Centre. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

The public engagement for the AT Planning has closed. You can contact municipal Active Transportation Planner, Dawn Neil, through email at neild@halifax.ca and Emma Martin, At Community Program Coordinator at martinem@halifax.ca.