After a lengthy, passionate debate that lasted hours, Halifax Council defeated the motion to pause construction of new bike lanes.
It was tabled by Mayor Andy Fillmore, Tuesday, in an effort to ease congestion by putting the brakes on any project that may jam traffic up.
The motion was voted down 12-five.
Those in support was the mayor, Trish Purdy, David Hendsbee and Billy Gillis.
Purdy said there seemed to confusion around what the motion actually meant.
“[It] is intended to take a sober second look at policy that was enacted in a world before the reality that we are living in right now,” said Purdy.
Meanwhile, Councillor Sam Austin said the motion was “ill advised” and urged his colleagues to vote against it.
“Water is wet, the sky is blue, the sun rises in the east, bike lanes do not cause congestion,” said Austin.
“What does cause congestion is a municipality that hasn’t done the work to provide needed alternatives and is growing rapidly.”
Alternative motion passes
The mayor tabled an alternative motion that requests reports on the Morris and Brunswick Streets Multi-Modal Phase One projects ahead of the July 8 meeting.
It passed 11 to six.
The CAO will provide bike lane options to keep two-way traffic on Morris Street that does not worsen congestion there or on Lower Water Street.
Hundreds rally
Before council even began, nearly 350 cyclists rallied outside city hall Tuesday morning to make their voices heard against the motion.
The crowd of people, most with bikes, filled Grand Parade with a symphony of handlebar bells.
Torin Burns had a message for the mayor.
“Mayor, if you’re listening to this, I’m 10 years old, and I understand This issue better than you do,” said Burns.
Ten-year-old Torin Burns (right) spoke on the microphone at a rally for bike lanes outside Halifax City Hall on June 10, 2025. (Jacob Moore/Acadia Broadcasting)
Advocate Steve MacKay organized the rally for anyone who supports safe cycling infrastructure.
Several speakers said boosting bike infrastructure will improve traffic flow by getting more people to switch to bikes.
David Trueman is the chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition, and he said Fillmore is wrongly blaming bike lanes for slow traffic.
“Every person on a bike is one less car on the road, so be grateful that they’re not taking up room and creating more congestion,” said Trueman.
David Trueman, chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition, is pictured at a rally outside Halifax City Hall on June 10, 2025. (Jacob Moore/Acadia Broadcasting)
A few people also spoke about how they were hit by cars while riding their bikes, explaining that protected bike lanes are key to keeping bikers safe.
-with files from Caitlin Snow
