The outdoor patios along Argyle Street were buzzing in this file photo from June, 2021. Photo by Eric Wynne /The Chronicle HeraldArticle contentRight now, Argyle Street in downtown Halifax is buzzing with busy patios and people walking right down the middle of the road, enjoying the car-free street. But would that work in the middle of January?THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentA motion coming to Halifax regional council on Tuesday aims to kickstart the process of potentially making Argyle Street pedestrian-only year-round.Article contentArticle content“The thought is, well if it works well in the summer, it is something that we should be looking at to be year-round,” said Paul MacKinnon has been the CEO of Downtown Halifax Business Commission, who petitioned the downtown councillor to bring it forward.Article contentArticle contentOn Tuesday, Coun. Laura White (Halifax South Downtown) will ask for a vote on a staff report — which will include feedback from business owners and residents — to make Argyle Street (from Prince to Blowers Streets) car-free year-round.Article content“It’s safer if you’ve got some permanent infrastructure because right now it’s just these floppy signs and moveable barricades,” White said. “If you had more permanent infrastructure, it would be safer and more clear that the street is closed.”Article contentIt would also be better for hosting festivals, she added. Closing a street for a festival is expensive.Article content“And just liveability,” she added. “Pedestrian streets are positive for people living in the area.”Article contentNatural evolutionArticle contentClosing Argyle Street from April to November started in 2015 as a pilot project. With streetscaping improvements, it was soon made permanent. It started on weekends, then moved to seasonal. MacKinnon said the year-round option may be the next step in its natural evolution.Article contentArticle contentIt’s been really successful, MacKinnon said, “and most of the businesses really like that.”Article content Painter Christian Toth applies a coat of paint in an argyle pattern along Argyle Street in the first year of the pilot to close Argyle to traffic in 2015. Photo by Eric Wynne /The Chronicle HeraldArticle contentMany different opinionsArticle contentBut if/when business owners are asked about a permanent traffic closure, they will have differing opinions, MacKinnon expects.Article content“When you look at those two blocks, the vast majority of the ground-floor businesses along there are restaurants and most of the ones we’ve talked to informally over the past couple of years like the idea,” MacKinnon said. Article contentThere will also be other considerations like access for loading vehicles, which might be solved with bollards that can retract at certain times, likely in the early morning for deliveries.Article content“There are some residents on those two blocks as well,” he said. “So of course we would want to make sure they’re part of the discussion as well.”Article contentIt’s a busy two blocks with several types of businesses that have different needs. Article contentNeptune Theatre, for example, has customers with mobility issues who prefer to be dropped off in a vehicle out front. Due to recent construction work, access to the theatre has been limited, MacKinnon said.Article contentIt’s hard to tell if the report and a decision could come in before this winter, “but we definitely want to get the process started.”Article contentThere is patio infrastructure on the strip year-round, he noted, and there have been experiments at restaurants around the city to try to extend patio season with heaters and blankets.Article content
Walk it, dont drive it: Could Argyle Street be car-free year-round?
