Howard Epstein and Peggy Cameron’s May 21 meeting with Mayor Fillmore was a very important opportunity to raise the multitude of reasons as to why HRM must stop further expenditures on the Robie St widening; repopulate the buildings that have been or will be purchased and emptied; employ any of the various better, cheaper options for prioritizing transit that do not involve demolitions or cutting trees and road widening.
Overall the project has an extreme lack of rigour or analyses that one would expect for such an extraordinary expenditure with regard to its impact, objectives, alternatives, outcome. There is simply not a case to justify pursuing it.
* There is no need to widen the street from three lanes to four for a second bus lane;
* HRM has no legal obligation to pursue the previous Council’s decision for any number of reasons;
*The road widening plan was adopted without the cost being known and it is rapidly inflating;
*The costs, now likely $200m is not equated with any known or projected time savings for either buses or private vehicles;
*Transit may be accommodated and prioritized through alternatives such as overhead bi-directional signals for lane changes like on the MacDonald Bridge with money savings going to buses, salaries, terminals, shelters, public safety, lowered fares, micro-transit;
*The proposed demolition of affordable housing involves dozens of good quality units in a time of economic precarity, a housing crisis, climate crisis and a labour and materials shortage;
*The plan to cut 80 historic street trees, many dating back to the 1860s or 70s ignores their significant environmental importance and that they can never be replaced;
*The plan puts undue pressure on the neighbourhood a unique community of small scale, multi-unit buildings with some single family homes with a uniquely high concentration of co-ops, First Nations, youth shelters with in the designated Woodill heritage conservation district;
*The proposed widening is strongly unpopular with residents;
Maintaining the neighbourhood status quo is both necessary and relatively easy. The Mayor and Council must not demolish the existing housing; refrain from cutting down existing trees; rent the housing to tenants; and direct HRM staff to work within the constraints of the existing road allowance.
For other details please see the May 27, 2025 followup letter to Mayor Fillmore.
