'Something needs to be done': Community gathers to discuss pedestrian safety in Halifax

Community groups are looking for ways to make Halifax's busiest streets safer for pedestrians as more people are being struck by vehicles.

The grassroots Pedestrian Safety Project brought together representatives from various levels of government, police and a personal injury firm for a panel discussion on the issue in Dartmouth on Saturday.

"Something needs to be done, "said Rebecca Cameron, who started the Pedestrian Safety Project last year. "I think the past few months there's been quite the increase in incidents and fatalities."

Four people have already died this year in Halifax Regional Municipality after being hit by a vehicle.

The overall number of pedestrian-vehicle collisions in the first two months of 2025 is higher than the same period in previous years, according to the Crosswalk Safety Society of Nova Scotia which tracks the incidents.

A 77-year old woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a vehicle while in a marked crosswalk in downtown Halifax this week. 

"What stands out is … the continuation of an upward trend," said Norm Collins, founder the Crosswalk Safety Society of Nova Scotia, which sponsored Saturday's event.

Collins, one of the panellists, said in an interview the regional municipality hasn't really changed its approach to addressing pedestrian safety despite the increase in collisions.

The municipality introduced a new road safety plan last year with the aim of having no fatalities and serious collisions by 2038. 

But regional council is focusing too much on reducing speed limits and installing speed humps in residential areas, Collins said. 

Most of the collisions involving pedestrians are happening on busier streets but that's not reflected in the municipal budget, he said.

'We're not doing anything new'

"I just don't believe we're spending it in the right place and we're not doing anything new," Collins said.

Sara Kirk said she attended the event because she walks or bikes everywhere and sees close calls all the time. 

"I'm experiencing road violence pretty much every journey I take and I think this is a really important event because when we're looking at road safety, pedestrians are often the ones who are going to come off the worst," said Kirk, who is also a professor of health promotion at Dalhousie University.

Measures like curb cutouts, roundabouts and raised crosswalks all force drivers to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings, she said. 

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