Halifax looks to improve accessibility rules around construction sites to avoid pedestrian injuries

Halifax is moving ahead with improvements to its accessibility guidelines to protect people who have difficulty navigating obstructed sidewalks near construction sites.

 On Thursday, the city's transportation standing committee sent a list of changes to regional council for a final vote.

They include making sure temporary ramps have a gentle slope, and pedestrian routes have a continuous channel around construction work that are wide enough for wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters.

Barricades and signs also must be detectable to someone with a cane. A staff report said common saw-horse style wooden barricades across sidewalks don't fit this rule, and will have to be altered to add a piece at ground level.

"I think that this is really good work," said Coun. Waye Mason during the meeting.

The report said municipal staff had consulted with community advocates on the changes, including people with vision loss and Walk 'n Roll Halifax, road builders, engineers and developers.

"I'm very happy to see this, you know, come to fruition. It's been a long journey," accessibility advocate Milena Khazanavicius, who is blind, said in an interview Thursday.

"There have been too many people that have been injured or stuck in the middle of traffic when they're crossing an intersection, and on the other side there was nowhere to go due to construction."

She added that improvements will benefit seniors or young parents with strollers, as well as those with sight loss or physical impairments.

But, Khazanavicius said enforcement — and penalties — are needed because there are plenty of current standards that aren't being followed. She said signs being placed too low are especially dangerous, and was with her partner this summer when a sign sticking into the sidewalk cut his eyebrow open as he walked by.

"Injuries are happening every season construction starts," said Khazanavicius.

Coun. Trish Purdy asked staff during the meeting how enforcement of the standards works, and what happens if someone is injured.

Anne Sherwood, director of transportation design and construction, said they are working to educate contractors and those in the construction industry, and if there is an incident it is addressed right away.

"That would be something that we're going to work on, making sure that our inspectors know what to do so that they're on site scanning for these things," Sherwood said.

The report said Halifax crews will be using cane-detectable barriers during sidewalk closures this summer.

The other design changes will apply to Halifax construction contracts and street permits by this fall, and all development permits in 2025.