Coun. Waye Mason envisions pedestrian friendly Argyle Street

A Halifax city councillor wants the municipality to launch a pilot project to test turning Argyle Street into a shared space for pedestrians and vehicles.

The trial could pave the way for a permanent transformation of Argyle into a pedestrian-oriented street, including wider sidewalks on the same grade as the road, permanent outdoor patios, more lighting and benches.

Waye Mason, councillor for downtown Halifax, plans to put forward a motion at todays transportation standing committee requesting a municipal staff report on the proposed pilot project.

The trial would occur during the construction of the Nova Centre and would help regional council reach a decision on a future permanent shared street.

The Planning and Design Centre, a local non-profit group, organized a series of public meetings on improving the Argyle streetscape in 2012.

The application of the shared street concept on Argyle Street shifts the street design from a car-dominant space to a truly public realm that emphasizes pedestrian movement, pace and activities, said the report called Sharing the Possibilities on Argyle Street.

Whereas conventional streets employ a strict separation of pedestrian and vehicle space, shared streets aim to transform rights-of-way into public spaces that support and encourage more people activity while supporting a harmonious co-existence with vehicles.

The street would be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic on weekends.

Removable bollards would accommodate occasional street closures and provide quick access for emergency service vehicles.

Closing the street to cars would open up the space for entertainment, markets or other people-centred activities, the report said.

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Coun. Waye Mason envisions pedestrian friendly Argyle Street