The Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Project

Phase 2 of public engagement has closed, and we thank everyone for their feedback. This feedback will be used to make decisions on the preferred concept design. Phase 3 of public engagement will share the preferred design option and the process to review and develop a preliminary design. We are expecting to share these detail in 2022. Check back to this page for project updates!

Welcome to the online survey for the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Project. This engagement phase will share concept design options for the project and gather feedback from the public and stakeholders. Along with other considerations such as efficiency, cost, and impacts to different transportation modes, feedback from the public will be used to help the project team determine the preferred option (Option A or Option B). The project team will then refine the preferred option and we expect to hold the next phase of public engagement in Spring of 2022 to gather feedback from stakeholders and the public on the preliminary design.

The primary objective of this project is to improve the functionality of the Windsor Street Exchange, recognizing there are many demands on the intersection and surrounding area, including the movement of people and goods in cars, trucks, buses, and on bikes, on foot, and using mobility devices. Two concept design options have been developed for the project; please watch this video on the concept designs prior to completing this survey.

The municipality is simultaneously working on a project to provide active transportation connections between the Africville National Historic Site and the rest of Peninsular Halifax. The primary objective of this project is to provide safe and comfortable access for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices to the National Historic Site. HRM will be considering this project throughout the evolution of the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment. 

The below image shows the study area for the Windsor Street Exchange project.

An aerial photo of the study area which extends from Bedford Highway at the Fairview Overpass, up Windsor Street to Strawberry Hill Street, up Lady Hammond Road to Mackintosh Street, and includes Bayne and Mackintosh Streets.

 

Welcome to the online survey for the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Functional Plan. A functional plan is the first step in a street or intersection redesign and will result in conceptual drawings that guide the vision for the street. It will also recommend changes to how the street looks and functions, such as the allocation of space for vehicles and goods movement, transit, walking, rolling, biking, on the street, and how the different modes interact. After a functional plan is completed, the municipality works on more detailed plans, where a vision for the street is determined. 

The primary objective of this project is to improve the functionality of the Windsor Street Exchange, recognizing there are many demands on the intersection and surrounding area, including the movement of people and goods in cars, trucks, buses, and on bikes, on foot, and using mobility devices. 

The municipality is simultaneously working on a project to provide active transportation connections between the Africville National Historic Site and the rest of Peninsular Halifax. The primary objective of this project is to provide safe and comfortable access for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices to the Africville National Historic Site. The municipality will be considering this active transportation project throughout the evolution of the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Functional Plan, and Phase 2 of public engagement will be integrated with the active transportation project to accept feedback on both projects, due to their geographic proximity. 

At this stage in the project, the municipality is collecting feedback from the community on how individuals want to travel through the Windsor Street Exchange now and in the future.

To register to attend a virtual public meeting for adjacent property owners and businesses about the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Project and receive future updates on the project and its potential impact to your property and/or business, please complete the form below.

The virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 28th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The meeting will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. with a presentation, to be followed by a question and answer period with municipal staff and the project consultants. You are also welcome to attend the virtual Open House, scheduled for Thursday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m.

Thank you for taking part in the Africville Community Consultation. 

Background 

The Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project involves the redesign of the intersection of Bedford Highway, Windsor Street and Lady Hammond Road. As one of five roadway access points to the Halifax Peninsula and the downtown core, approximately 48,000 vehicles per day travel through this area, and the Windsor Street Exchange is currently operating above its available capacity during peak travel periods. The goals of the project are to add active transportation connections, transit priority measures through the intersection, improve the movement of vehicles and goods through the area, and improve the safety for all road users.

When approving the project, Regional Council directed staff to explore whether community benefits could be part of the final design of the Windsor Street Exchange and surrounding road network. Community benefits are a way to increase the social impact of a large scale municipal project. Benefits that could be included as part of infrastructure projects vary based on the project’s scope, impact, and opportunities identified through community consultation. 

Due to the proximity of the project to the historic Africville community, consultations will be held with the Africville community to identify concerns and opportunities associated with this project.

What is the goal of the survey? 

As a result of previous engagement with members of the Africville community, the municipality understands that access to the Africville Museum and Park is important. The goal of the survey is to build on the feedback that has been collected and identify further opportunities for both the Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project, and the Africville community. Some opportunities may be addressed through the Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project, while others may require the involvement of other municipal departments or government partners. Feedback gathered during this community consultation process will be documented in a report to Regional Council, which will be made publicly available.        

How can I provide feedback?  

The survey is now closed. If you are a member of the Africville community and wish to provide input on potential community benefits, please contact Megan Soroka at sorokam@halifax.ca. We will be reporting back on what we've heard and may be looking for additional feedback from the community in the future. Thank you for sharing your voice with us!