Halifax council ‘back to the drawing board’ about future of Windsor Street Exchange

Halifax council voted down the latest plan to rebuild the busy Windsor Exchange on Tuesday.

After a contentious and lengthy debate, Halifax councillors have voted 8-6 against proceeding with the latest plan of a major reconfiguration of the Windsor Street Exchange.

The federal government announced $23 million under the National Trade Corridors Fund in 2019, as part of the planned $47 million project.

That cost had more than doubled in June 2024, when staff detailed how the work would cost $103 million.

About seven months later, after staff were asked to incorporate transit lanes, the estimated cost skyrocketed to $150 million.

City staff presented that plan to councillors Tuesday, in what CAO Cathie O’Toole called “a really significant decision.”

It includes an inbound transit lane, which would help address morning rush hour delays, staff said.

But that wasn’t good enough for the majority of council.

“What we have is a project that has grown five times the cost to us from where it’s started, our proportion of this has increased significantly. We’re getting a half loaf on what we need to do transportation-wise,” said Sam Austin, the District 5 councillor.

“This is not a worthwhile investment, given the skyrocketing costs for us and us getting not even half of what we need to get out of this intersection,’ said Shawn Cleary, whose District 9 encompasses part of the intersection.

With $34 million from Ottawa and the provincial government in limbo, there was a sense of urgency to move fast. But a sentiment to pump the brakes prevailed.

“This is very, very disappointing. We know that delays do not solve congestion, delays do not help the economy of the city to keep moving,” said Mayor Andy Fillmore. “It’s a tough day, I would say, at City Hall.”

Staff told council they’ve done everything they could given the surrounding port and cemetery, along with the existing project scope.

“We are planning within our current design to expand where we can and where it makes sense within our current design, to prep for a future widened alignment,” said Megan Soroka, the project manager.

That would’ve meant eventually adding transit lanes in both directions, connecting the Bedford Highway to the Windsor Street Exchange.

“I have zero confidence that we’re going to end up with BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) through here anytime soon,” said Cleary.

“Without that, if we make this a car-dependent piece of infrastructure now, for the next number of decades, it’s a car-dependent piece of infrastructure, and therefore our BRT plan has a big bottleneck right in the middle of it and therefore our BRT doesn’t work.”

That’s something the mayor disagreed with, telling reporters, “The plan that [staff] asked us to approve today did include significant improvements to bus transit and significant improvements to active transportation linkages, including to Africville.”

But with three councillors absent Tuesday, Coun. David Hendsbee wants the vote rescinded and debated again when everyone is in attendance.

“I think it’s a major intersection we have to deal with to get in and off our peninsula,” he told reporters. “I think that we need to look at it, totally. And I think the full council should be having that discussion.

“Let’s just say that we have a traffic jam on the situation with no plan to move forward.”

“We’re back to the drawing board,” Fillmore said.

Now, staff need to address a contractual agreement, coordinate with other levels of government about future funding and determine the next steps.

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