Construction of Victoria, B.C.’s first separated, bi-directional bike lane underway
Expected to be finished by next spring, the bike lane is another phase in the 'Biketoria' plan to make Victoria's streets more bike-friendly
In March of 2014, petitions began circulating in Victoria, B.C. that pushed for better cycling infrastructure, demanding that the British Columbia capital become “a more bike-friendly place for everyone,” as Canadian Cycling Magazine reported at the time.
Progress has been ongoing in meeting that demand, and as of earlier this month, another step has been taken in making it a reality.
As the CBC reported on October 7, 2016, construction has kicked off in the development of that initiative's next phase: Victoria's first bidirectional protected bike lane, running along Pandora Avenue in the Vancouver Island city's downtown district. It's part of an ongoing vision called "Biketoria,” and while the lanes in question amount to only a few blocks — three metres in width, allowing riders to travel in either direction — the progress it represents in overhauling cycling infrastructure will go a good deal further, supporters and advocates say.
“The whole Biketoria network of corridors,” said Brad Dellebuur, representing Victoria’s department of engineering, “is transformational for the city of Victoria. It is going to fundamentally change how you move around the city.”
The mechanics of the project involve the removal of one lane of traffic on stretches of Pandora, with the lane’s length between Cook Street and Store Street being physically divided from traffic altogether. Elsewhere, reports say, vehicle lanes will be narrowed, or on-street parking will be removed. True to the vision of “Biketoria,” the idea is to get people riding, encouraged to do so by the provision of a safe cycling-only zone on the city’s streets.
“People want to ride their bikes,” Dellebuur added, “but there’s a large percentage that don’t feel safe riding with moving traffic. The physical separation will provide just one more incentive for people to try biking as a way to get around town.”
Victoria riders can expect the first phase of the Pandora Avenue bike lane to be open next spring.
