Wyse Road Bike Lanes

Wyse Road Bike Lane

Separated Bike Lane Across from the Zatzman Sportsplex

Construction of protected bike lanes and intersection updates with the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway is complete. This is the first phase of the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway Connectors project. This page provides an overview of the Wyse Road project and information on how to use new features on the street.

This project is funded by the Regional Centre AAA Bikeway project under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The changes Wyse Road improve mobility, create connections between existing and future bikeways, and enhance road safety by shortening crossings for those walking and rolling.

What's New

Bike lanes & facilities
  • These are one-way and bikes travel in the same direction as vehicle traffic.
  • Bike lanes are protected by concrete curb and green bollards or elevated to sidewalk-level between Thistle Street and Boland Road.
  • Between Boland Road and Albro Lake Road the bike lanes are painted with bollards separating the bike lane (bollards are removed in winter).
  • A bike-only crossing of Wyse Road on the north side of Nantucket Avenue at the Wyse Road / Nantucket / Macdonald Bridge intersection.
  • Bikes will have a traffic signal to communicate when to cross Wyse Road at the Wyse / Nantucket / Macdonald Bridge intersection.
    • This will be the way cyclists travel between the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway, the Wyse Road north-bound bike lane, and the multi-use pathway on Nantucket Avenue between Wyse Road and the Zatzman Sportsplex parking lot access.
  • A new bike crossing at Thistle Street and Wyse Road will connect the Wyse Road bike lanes with the Dartmouth Common multi-use pathway and the Dahlia Street Local Street Bikeway.
Bicycle Traffic Lights

Bicycle traffic signals are being added to Wyse Road at the intersections of Boland Road, Nantucket Avenue and Thistle Street.

Bicycle traffic signals look like regular traffic signals, but a smaller and have a bicycle icon within the light. 

These signals are new to the province, and help cyclists and all road users safely navigate larger intersections.

The bicycle traffic signals are operational at the intersection of Wyse and Boland road and Wyse Road and Nantucket Ave.

The bicycle traffic signals at the intersection of Wyse Road and Thistle Street are planned to be operational for September 2022.

The Wyse Road bicycle crossings at Nantucket and Thistle are wider and enable bikes crossings in both directions, while the other crossings are one way.
Pavement markings
  • Green pavement markings highlight potential conflict at intersections and busy driveways. These markings help drivers and cyclists understand how to safely travel through the intersection.
  • White "Sharks Teeth" markings show where bikes should stop if approaching a shared bus stop.
Pedestrian features
  • A new sidewalk to connect the Macdonald Bridge pedway to the Wyse Road sidewalk. 
  • Shorter pedestrian crossings at several locations, including the right turn onto Wyse Road coming off the Macdonald Bridge and the crossing on Wyse beside the Zatzman Sportsplex.
  • Narrowed vehicle lanes shorten pedestrian crossings while helping reduce potential vehicle conflicts

Tips for navigating Wyse Road Intersections

Wyse at Nantucket 

Image descriptions for Wyse at Nantucket

Image 1: To travel south on Wyse Road from the end of the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway (A) activate the push button and cross the slip lanes when the bike signal is green (B) Crosss the Macdonald Bridge bridgehead when the bike signal is green

Image 2: To travel north on Wyse Road from the end of the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway (A) activate the push button and cross the slip lanes when the bike signal is green (B) Activate the push button and cross Wyse Road when the bike signal is green

Image 3: To travel north on Wyse Road across the Nantucket Avenue, (A) cross Nantucket Avenue when the bike signal is green, which is timed with the vehicle traffic signal

Image 4: To access the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway when traveling northbound on Wyse Road (A) Cross Nantucket when the bike signal is green, (B) Activate the pushbutton and cross Wyse when the bike signal is green (C) Activate the push button and cross slip lanes

Image 5: To access the Macdonald Bridge Bikeway when traveling westbound on the Nantucket Avenue (A) Activate the push button and cross Wyse Road when the bike signal is green (B) Activate the push button and cross the slip lane when the bike signal is green

Image 6: To travel south on Wyse Road when traveling westbound on Nantucket (A) Activate the push button and cross Wyse Road when the bike signal is green (B) Cross the bridgehead when the bike signal is green

 

Wyse at Thistle

Image descriptions for Wyse at Thistle

Image 1: To travel north on Wyse Road coming from the Dartmouth Common (A) Cross Thistle Street when the northbound vehicle traffic signal is green

Image 2: To travel south on Wyse Road coming from the Dartmouth Common (A) activate the push button and cross Wyse Road when the bike signal is green

Image 3: To access the Dartmouth Common when travelling southbound on Wyse Road (A) Stop on the left-turn bike box to activate the crossing through radar detection. Cross Wyse Road when the bike signal is green.


Wyse at Boland

Image descriptions for Wyse at Boland

Image 1: To travel north along Wyse Road across the intersection (A) stop at the stop bar to activate the crossing through radar detection. Cross Boland Road when the bike signal is green.

Image 2: To travel south along Wyse Road across the intersection (A) Continue through the intersection when the southbound vehicle traffic signal is green

Tips for travelling on Wyse Road

Cycling
  • Yield to pedestrians, even if they find their way into the bike lane
  • Enjoy new cycling features, including a traffic signal for bike-only crossings at Wyse / Nantucket, and separated lanes
  • Slow down as you approach a shared bike lane-bus stop
  • If a bus pulls up to the platform, stop behind the white pavement markings (called Sharks Teeth)
  • After passengers have loaded on and off the bus and it has closed its doors, you may proceed.
  • Be aware that buses may deploy their ramps into the bike lane when stopped.
Walking & Rolling

  • Look for cyclists before crossing the bike lane and avoid standing in the bike lane unnecessarily.

  • Do not cross Wyse Road at the bike-only crossing on the north side of the intersection with Nantucket Avenue and the Macdonald Bridge.

Taking the Bus
  • You will see shared bike-lane-bus-stop platforms installed where the bike lane intersects with transit stops.
  • Wait for your bus on the sidewalk or in the transit shelter. Do not wait in the bike lane.
  • Once the bus has pulled up to the curb, look for cyclists.
  • If there are no cyclists, or if the cyclists have stopped, you are safe to board the bus. Enjoy your ride!
  • If you are getting off the bus, make sure to look right for cyclists before stepping into the bike lane.
Driving

Traffic lanes and the intersection functions are similar to what existed previously with some minor changes:

  • A right-hand slip lane on the north-east corner of Wyse Road and Nantucket Avenue has been replaced with a right-hand turn lane.
    • You will not be able to turn right on red.
  • There was a reduction from two through lanes to one through lane on the Wyse Road southbound approach at the Nantucket Avenue intersection. There are two southbound vehicle lanes after the intersection towards Thistle Street.
  • The traffic signals at the intersection of Wyse Road / the Macdonald Bridge / Nantucket Avenue will operate as before. There is a new signal phase for people cycling across Wyse Road on the north side of the intersection.
  • A short segment of on-street parking on Wyse Road on the west side near Dawson Street has been removed and replaced with new visitor parking on Dawson and Pelzant Streets.
  • The loading area in front of 99 Wyse Road has been relocated slightly.

What's Next: Macdonald Bridge Bikeway Connectors Implementation

The Wyse Road protected bike lanes are part of a multi-phase project to make it safer and more convenient for people cycling to use the Macdonald Bridge on both sides of the bridge and connect with communities and active transportation facilities on both sides of the harbour.

Next steps include:

  1. Construction of safer connections on the Halifax side of the Bridge.  
  2. Construction of an AAA bikeway connection to downtown Dartmouth to connect with the Wyse Road bike lanes at Thistle Streets.  This will extend from Thistle Street to Geary Street via Windmill Road and the Dartmouth Common.  
  3. Construction of local street bikeways on Lyle Street and Shore Road.  This project is still in planning and there is no estimated construction timeframe.
  4. Complete planning and then construct a AAA corridor between the intersection of Wyse Road-Albro Lake Road to the Burnside Business Park through Dartmouth North.  Please visit the Dartmouth North Active Transportation Planning project page for more information.