January 27, 2022 Transportation Standing Committee

Agenda

1. CALL TO ORDER

1.1 Election of Chair 

1.2 Election of Vice Chair 

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – November 25, 2021

3. APPROVAL OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AND APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

4. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF THE MINUTES

5. CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

6. MOTIONS OF RECONSIDERATION – NONE
7. MOTIONS OF RESCISSION – NONE
8. CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED BUSINESS – NONE
9. NOTICES OF TABLED MATTERS – NONE

10. CORRESPONDENCE, PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
10.1 Correspondence 
10.2 Petitions
10.3 Presentation
10.3.1 Derek Estabrook, Heritage Gas Limited re: Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles
- Presentation [PDF]
- Handout [PDF]

11. INFORMATION ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD – NONE 

12. REPORTS
12.1 STAFF
12.1.1 Rural Active Transportation Program  [PDF]
- Staff Presentation [PDF]
Motion: 
That the Transportation Standing Committee recommend that Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to:

1. Create a program to establish a Rural Active Transportation Program that focusses on rural community centre sidewalks and incorporates a prioritization framework, a funding strategy, a ten-year target and an approach for operations and maintenance, as described in the Discussion section of the staff report dated December 2, 2021;

2. Prepare amendments to the Active Transportation Priorities Plan as discussed in the Discussion section to include a list of “Candidate Rural Communities and Spines” to help prioritize rural active transportation infrastructure expansion and return to Council for consideration of the resulting amendments; and

3. Pursue funding option three (as described in the Discussion section) to cover HRM’s cost of rural sidewalks and, in support of this, return to Council with recommended amendments to the Community Area Rates Administrative Order 2019-005-ADM to allow an area rate to be levied on suburban and rural areas for rural sidewalks (on the entire community). The proposed area rate would not be based on the full operating and capital costs of the proposed project, but rather the difference between the urban general tax rate and the suburban/rural general tax rate; any remaining balance would be funded through the general tax rate.

It is further recommended that Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Commission a letter from the Mayor to other orders of government advising of the new Rural Active Transportation Program and requesting opportunities for cost-sharing; and

2. Authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, or their designate, to negotiate and enter into one or more agreements, and any amendments to those agreements, with the Province of Nova Scotia respecting the  construction, operation, and maintenance of AT facilities in the provincial right-of-way.

12.1.2 Implementation of Regional Centre AAA Bicycle Network: Almon Street Segment [PDF]
- Staff Presentation [PDF]
Motion: 
That the Transportation Standing Committee recommend that Halifax Regional Council approve the installation of 0.9 km of bicycle facilities and related changes to the right-of-way on Almon Street from Windsor Street to Gottingen Street as described in the Discussion section of the staff report dated January 17, 2022.

12.1.3 Potential Expansion of Rainbow Crosswalk Program [PDF]
Motion: 
That the Transportation Standing Committee recommend that Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to:

1. Allocate funding from the current Transportation and Public Works operating budget to be used for a special installation, and on-going maintenance, of Pan-African crosswalk art at the marked crosswalk at Cherry Brook Road and Highway 7 and at Maclaughlin Road and Highway 7 as per the financial implications section of the staff report dated December 14, 2021; and

2. Explore expanding the current Rainbow Crosswalk Program, using the same design as the rainbow crosswalks, into a pilot program that will enable the painting of Pan-African colours on existing marked crosswalks in historic African Nova Scotian communities.

12.1.4 Active Transportation Connection between Westmount Plains Subdivision and Old Lawrencetown Road [PDF]
Motion: 
That the Transportation Standing Committee recommend that Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer, under the Regional Plan review, to pursue the planning of an active transportation connection between the Westmount Plains subdivision and the Old Lawrencetown Road Greenway as part of potential secondary planning for this area.

12.2 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE – NONE 

12.3 MEMBERS OF THE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE 
12.3.1 Councillor Mancini – Limousine Licencing in HRM [PDF]
Motion: 
That Transportation Standing Committee direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide a staff report on the possible amendments for by-law T-1000, Respecting the Regulation of Taxis, Accessible Taxis, Limousines and Transportation Network Companies and Administrative Order 39, Respecting Taxi and Limousine Regulation.

13. MOTIONS 

14. IN CAMERA (IN PRIVATE) – NONE

15. ADDED ITEMS 

16. NOTICES OF MOTION 

17. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

18. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – February 24, 2022  

19. ADJOURNMENT
 

INFORMATION ITEMS
1. Information report dated January 10, 2022 re: 2021/22 Q2 Halifax Transit KPI Report [PDF]
 
2. Information Report dated November 23, 2021 re: Pedestrian Crossing – Governors Lake Drive / St Margarets Bay Road [PDF]
 
3. Information Report dated January 18, 2022 re: Requests for Presentations to the Transportation Standing Committee [PDF]