posted September 22nd, 2023

Martin believes Active Transportation (AT) enhances quality of life, attracts business and knowledge workers to a community and contributes to economic development. Over the last 10 years, the concept of Active Transportation has been gaining popularity because the health, social, environmental, economic and tourism benefits are so substantial. That is why Martin has supported a series of upgrades to AT that includes paving the shoulders of our highways. One of the most cost-efficient and effective ways that MODL supports the development of Active Transportation infrastructure in our municipality is to partner with the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works to widen roads to include paved shoulders when they are being re-surfaced by NSDPW. MODL does this by contributing to the cost to widen the road to include shoulders for AT purposes (primarily walking and cycling). The average cost to MODL per kilometer on these projects is approximately $60,000.oo.

If you go to the MODL web site, you can check out MODL Policy PO1063 for Paved Shoulder Widths. Our involvement started four years ago in 2016 and since then the shoulders of Highway 3 in Hebbville, the Pinegrove Road, the Blue Rocks Road (2017) and Highway 325 in 2019 have already been done. Our next partnership is to include the Blue Route Zone which includes Highway 332 in Bayport in 2021 because of the close proximity to the water. During 2023-24 we are funding paved shoulders on Highway 3 between Mahone Bay and Martin’s River. Martin has expressed an interest in having Highway 331 considered during the next upgrade. (Bridgewater to at least the LaHave Ferry)

The current MODL budget carried forward a little over $400K to the 2020 fiscal year to support upcoming AT projects that will have a large and positive impact on AT in our municipality. This is a consideration that has been ongoing for the past six years. I will continue to support the development of Active Transportation infrastructure in our municipality.