@capitalbikeca
@capitalbikeca
@capitalbikeca
Victoria has approved the latest part of the AAA bikeway network – the Fort St protected bike lane and connectors in both the Oaklands and Fernwood neighbourhoods. We are happy to see these corridors move forward, but disappointed that Oak Bay Ave was not chosen. Read on for our thoughts about the bikeway network.
What do the new bikeways look like?
Fort St will be a protected bike lane, albeit one without bus stop bypasses. We believe that this does not make Fort St a truly All Ages and Abilities protected bike lane, but we are hopeful the city will fix this in the near future.
Both the Oaklands and Fernwood connectors are shared streets that will wind through the neighbourhoods. This will capture some new bike traffic and provide at least one route through the neighbourhood. A longer term better solution via a protected bike lane on Shelbourne is needed to link up Saanich’s work.
You can see the full designs here:
Why wasn’t Oak Bay Ave chosen?
While Oak Bay Ave is still a great place to build a protected bike lane, there were a number of concerns raised. The usual around parking was part of it. Surveys showed support for Fort St, as it is already a busy bike corridor, while Oak Bay Council supported Fort St over Oak Bay Ave. Oak Bay is about to embark on a planning process for their village, so they felt it was better to wait for that finish.
What’s Next?
With the approval of these routes, there are only two major pieces to consult on – James Bay, currently under consultation right now (see below), and Gorge Rd.
The 2020 projects are also currently under design, so we expect to see construction tenders for those soon.
With 2022 fast approaching, the city is closer being on target to hit their revised date to finish this network, but a lot of work is still needed. If you would like to volunteer with us to help move these projects forward, send us an email.
