Dutch Village Road Enhancements

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Update – July 2021

Regional Council voted unanimously in support of the Dutch Village Road Complete Streets Functional Plan on June 9, 2020. View the Council presentation. This project improves safety and addresses the active transportation gaps along the corridor. It includes a sidewalk on the west side of the street, where there currently isn’t any, as well as narrower and enhanced street crossings. It also includes raised protected bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, which would connect directly to the Chain of Lakes Trail and provide a connection to planned ‘All Ages and Abilities’ facilities in the Halifax Peninsula. The project also includes on-street parallel parking spaces, replacing the 24 parking spaces that are currently perpendicular to the roadway and are encroaching on the right of way. The project will also include streetscaping elements, such as benches and trees.

What’s next?
Detailed design will begin in summer 2021. Construction will begin no earlier than spring 2022 and could be split across two years.

What’s been done to date?

Functional Design – Summer 2018

Council approved the Dutch Village Road Complete Streets Functional Design Report on June 9, 2020. This report included two recommendations to proceed:

  1. Proceed with the detailed design of Dutch Village Road between Alma Crescent / Supreme Court and Joseph Howe Drive / Bayers Road.
  2. Consider the addition of streetscaping elements such as trees, benches, bicycle racks, waste receptacles and potentially other elements to beautify the corridor during detailed design, and if included, ensure the corridor is maintained as an ‘Enhanced Maintenance Area’.

Project Background

The Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) identifies Dutch Village Road as a Priority Sidewalk Connection given the lack of pedestrian infrastructure, presence of bus stops, passenger volume and nearby land uses, including daycares, and shops.

There’s anticipated residential and commercial growth enabled by recent Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) and Land Use By-law (LUB) amendments. The Municipality has already issued over 20 construction permits in the last five years, from new residential developments to renovations of commercial buildings, representing over $40 million in private investments. With the anticipated increase in residential intensification, there is a critical need to accommodate pedestrians and ensure the corridor is accessible.

Dutch Village Road intersects with the Chain of Lakes Trail, which is why the street is identified in the Active Transportation Priorities Plan as a candidate bicycle route. This project includes the opportunity to link the community of Fairview with the regional greenway network, as well as the emerging ‘All Ages & Abilities’ bicycle network on the peninsula.


For more background:



Update – July 2021

Regional Council voted unanimously in support of the Dutch Village Road Complete Streets Functional Plan on June 9, 2020. View the Council presentation. This project improves safety and addresses the active transportation gaps along the corridor. It includes a sidewalk on the west side of the street, where there currently isn’t any, as well as narrower and enhanced street crossings. It also includes raised protected bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, which would connect directly to the Chain of Lakes Trail and provide a connection to planned ‘All Ages and Abilities’ facilities in the Halifax Peninsula. The project also includes on-street parallel parking spaces, replacing the 24 parking spaces that are currently perpendicular to the roadway and are encroaching on the right of way. The project will also include streetscaping elements, such as benches and trees.

What’s next?
Detailed design will begin in summer 2021. Construction will begin no earlier than spring 2022 and could be split across two years.

What’s been done to date?

Functional Design – Summer 2018

Council approved the Dutch Village Road Complete Streets Functional Design Report on June 9, 2020. This report included two recommendations to proceed:

  1. Proceed with the detailed design of Dutch Village Road between Alma Crescent / Supreme Court and Joseph Howe Drive / Bayers Road.
  2. Consider the addition of streetscaping elements such as trees, benches, bicycle racks, waste receptacles and potentially other elements to beautify the corridor during detailed design, and if included, ensure the corridor is maintained as an ‘Enhanced Maintenance Area’.

Project Background

The Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) identifies Dutch Village Road as a Priority Sidewalk Connection given the lack of pedestrian infrastructure, presence of bus stops, passenger volume and nearby land uses, including daycares, and shops.

There’s anticipated residential and commercial growth enabled by recent Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) and Land Use By-law (LUB) amendments. The Municipality has already issued over 20 construction permits in the last five years, from new residential developments to renovations of commercial buildings, representing over $40 million in private investments. With the anticipated increase in residential intensification, there is a critical need to accommodate pedestrians and ensure the corridor is accessible.

Dutch Village Road intersects with the Chain of Lakes Trail, which is why the street is identified in the Active Transportation Priorities Plan as a candidate bicycle route. This project includes the opportunity to link the community of Fairview with the regional greenway network, as well as the emerging ‘All Ages & Abilities’ bicycle network on the peninsula.


For more background: