Portland Street and Cole Harbour Road Functional Planning Study

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Thanks to everyone who filled in the survey! Your input is important to us.
Please note: the survey is now closed.

Halifax’s Integrated Mobility Plan (2017) calls for the municipality to study existing roads that are important for regional vehicle flow, transit, goods movement and active transportation (walking, rolling and cycling). The Portland Street/Cole Harbour Road corridor is one of these areas. A Functional Plan studies how people move along a corridor and how development plays a role in shaping this movement. The study will make recommendations about the future design of the corridor, and how to improve mobility for all users.

Map of Study Area

Thanks to everyone who attended the virtual public meeting about the Portland Street/Cole Harbour Road Functional Plan on April 7, 2021.

Miss the Meeting?
View a video of the meeting presentation
Check out the questions and answers

Next Steps
During this first meeting and round of public engagement (online survey), the project team presented the project background, objectives, and received feedback from the public about how they currently use Portland Street and Cole Harbour Road and what improvements could be made to the corridor. This feedback received from the first round of engagement will influence draft designs. The project team will then return for a second round of engagement later this spring and present draft designs for public feedback.


Project Background

Portland Street as a Transit Priority Corridor - The municipality's regional vision for mobility - the Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) - designated Portland Street as a Transit Priority Corridor, where a variety of transit priority measures (queue by-pass lanes, bus lanes, etc.) will be implemented in a cohesive manner along the corridor to improve the efficiency of buses.

In May 2020, Halifax Regional Council approved the Rapid Transit Strategy which includes a combination of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and additional ferry service to complement the existing transit service. BRT is a fast, high-frequency, all-day service which allows people to move around the municipality easily and reliably. BRT typically operates within dedicated transit infrastructure (bus lanes, dedicated right-of-way) where possible to avoid congestion. The ‘Red Line’ of the Rapid Transit Strategy network will operate along Portland Street beginning at the Portland Hills Transit Terminal and traveling to Downtown Dartmouth and continuing to Downtown Halifax.

Portland Street and Cole Harbour Road Functional Plan - The Portland Street/Cole Harbour Road functional plan will provide a corridor-wide vision that directly informs how the transportation infrastructure is reinstated as part of routine capital projects, as well as enable the strategic preservation (and acquisition) of right-of-way to facilitate future works.

The functional design should have a strong emphasis on transit priority as well as active transportation and be completed through a "complete streets" lens. This plan will also inform land use planning policy and consider possible locations for strategic intensification along the corridor, neighbouring corridors and growth areas.

Thanks to everyone who filled in the survey! Your input is important to us.
Please note: the survey is now closed.

Halifax’s Integrated Mobility Plan (2017) calls for the municipality to study existing roads that are important for regional vehicle flow, transit, goods movement and active transportation (walking, rolling and cycling). The Portland Street/Cole Harbour Road corridor is one of these areas. A Functional Plan studies how people move along a corridor and how development plays a role in shaping this movement. The study will make recommendations about the future design of the corridor, and how to improve mobility for all users.

Map of Study Area

Thanks to everyone who attended the virtual public meeting about the Portland Street/Cole Harbour Road Functional Plan on April 7, 2021.

Miss the Meeting?
View a video of the meeting presentation
Check out the questions and answers

Next Steps
During this first meeting and round of public engagement (online survey), the project team presented the project background, objectives, and received feedback from the public about how they currently use Portland Street and Cole Harbour Road and what improvements could be made to the corridor. This feedback received from the first round of engagement will influence draft designs. The project team will then return for a second round of engagement later this spring and present draft designs for public feedback.


Project Background

Portland Street as a Transit Priority Corridor - The municipality's regional vision for mobility - the Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) - designated Portland Street as a Transit Priority Corridor, where a variety of transit priority measures (queue by-pass lanes, bus lanes, etc.) will be implemented in a cohesive manner along the corridor to improve the efficiency of buses.

In May 2020, Halifax Regional Council approved the Rapid Transit Strategy which includes a combination of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and additional ferry service to complement the existing transit service. BRT is a fast, high-frequency, all-day service which allows people to move around the municipality easily and reliably. BRT typically operates within dedicated transit infrastructure (bus lanes, dedicated right-of-way) where possible to avoid congestion. The ‘Red Line’ of the Rapid Transit Strategy network will operate along Portland Street beginning at the Portland Hills Transit Terminal and traveling to Downtown Dartmouth and continuing to Downtown Halifax.

Portland Street and Cole Harbour Road Functional Plan - The Portland Street/Cole Harbour Road functional plan will provide a corridor-wide vision that directly informs how the transportation infrastructure is reinstated as part of routine capital projects, as well as enable the strategic preservation (and acquisition) of right-of-way to facilitate future works.

The functional design should have a strong emphasis on transit priority as well as active transportation and be completed through a "complete streets" lens. This plan will also inform land use planning policy and consider possible locations for strategic intensification along the corridor, neighbouring corridors and growth areas.