City isn’t safe enough for pedestrians, say councillors

Two Halifax regional councillors say they’re worried about pedestrian safety after a series of pedestrian-vehicle collisions have raised questions about the effectiveness of current measures.

In a recent phone interview with The Signal, Coun. Laura White (district 7, Halifax South Downtown) shared her concern for pedestrian safety.

“In the three months I’ve been in this job, we’ve had two pedestrians die, one with the bus, one this week, and the third person who was doored cycling,” White said. “Those are three really serious vulnerable road user collisions that are just unacceptable. This is what we need to work towards, minimizing and getting to zero someday.”

Coun. Kathryn Morse (district 10, Bedford Basin West) shared her concerns about challenges surrounding public transportation and pedestrian safety.

“Something we should be looking at as part of our overall transportation planning is to make sure we are making evidence-based decisions,” she said.

The death of a 24-year-old woman in October 2024, when she was struck by a bus at the intersection of South Park Street and Spring Garden Road, brought the issue of pedestrian safety in sharp focus for Morse.

She emphasized the need for an in-depth staff report following the collision, to better understand trends in accidents.

“I thought it would be good to have everything in one place so we could look at it more objectively.”

Transit user Zoya Hussain says she is concerned about the dangers faced by pedestrians in busy areas like Spring Garden Road.

“I’ve seen a lot of close calls between vehicles, transit buses, and pedestrians,” Hussain said about her daily commute.

She says pedestrian-vehicle collisions are not just a matter of individual responsibility but also a question of urban planning, something she’s been studying in her bachelor’s degree in urban planning at Dalhousie University.

“When the pedestrian signal is on, it’s also the same for right turns for transit,” she said. “We need to make sure that when pedestrians have the green light to go, right turns aren’t allowed.”

Hussain pointed out that this simple change could significantly reduce the risk of collisions.

Hussain is chair of the Halifax Youth Advisory Committee, which advocates for Halifax’s young population.

Morse said that Halifax’s growing population demands better transit infrastructure.

“We are growing twice as fast as anyone really anticipated five or six years ago, so when you have that rate of growth, there’s a lot of work to do to make sure transit is keeping up with the population growth,” she said.

In areas like Halifax’s west end, where some bus stops lack basic amenities like sidewalks and cement landing pads, accessibility remains a critical issue. Morse highlighted that these deficiencies create significant barriers for people trying to rely on public transit.

As Halifax grapples with these challenges, Hussain, Morse, and White are all calling for a more comprehensive approach to addressing pedestrian safety, improving infrastructure, and making Halifax Transit a safer, more reliable option for residents.

“A lot of people are having struggles with affordability now and transit can be one way of reducing your overall living cost,” Morse said. “If we want more people using transit, we have to make it safer. We want to provide people excellent service, and we have a long way to go.”