All Ages and Abilities Cycling Network

Hi Rebecca,

Thanks for the question. We are still working through the detailed design process. Comprehensive engagement for the corridor was done over a two-year period as part of the Burnside-Gorge local area plan in 2017 and was approved by Council in August 2021. You can find more information about the project here: Current Projects | Victoria.

Hi there, thank you for your question.

From downtown Victoria, you could travel to the District of Oak Bay on AAA cycling routes via Wharf, Humboldt, Vancouver then Richardson Street. 

Richardson Street would take you to City limits at the District of Oak Bay. Once in Oak Bay, you could continue down McNeil Ave to Newport then Margate Ave. to reach Beach Road, where the Oak Bay Beach Hotel is located. 

I've attached a screenshot of this route option, drawn over the CRD's Regional Bike Map.

The CRD Bike Map, available online here: Find a Bike Map | CRD, is a helpful resource for route planning.

Thanks for the questions. 

Each capital project provides an opportunity to improve accessibility in the City. Examples may include improved curb let downs, widened sidewalks, new seating, accessible traffic signals or tactile warning domes. Additional accessible parking stalls in James Bay can be implemented at any time. The City has developed updated design guidelines in 2021 and is currently collecting feedback from different users on locations to add more designated stalls. Council has allocated $500,000 over the next several years to retrofit the existing supply and add new stalls. If you have specific suggestions of locations for new accessible parking stalls on any of the four corridors, please provide these comments in the survey. We also encourage you to talk to private landowners or strata councils in James Bay if you would like to see additional accessible stalls at places like apartment buildings, shopping centres or office buildings. 

There are no new floating bus stops on any of the designs shown. The alternative to removing on-street parking would be removing boulevards and street trees. If your preference is to retain parking and remove the trees, please provide these comments in the survey. 

With respect to transportation data, the City and CRD collect mode share, trip distance, and vehicle ownership rate information every 4 – 5 years. The next results will be ready in 2022 and 2023. In the meantime, you can see real time cycling use data on any of the regional counters here. With a growing city and limited physical space, we don’t have options to build new roads. Just like our sidewalk networks or transit network, our goal is to create a connect cycling network that will provide more travel options for residents and visitors.

Thanks for the question. Different design solutions, including protected bike lanes, shared-use neighbourhood bikeways, and advisory bike lanes, have been explored for James Bay. All design treatments fit the local context and roadway characteristics while meeting needs of different road users. The revised designs of advisory bike lanes in some segments in James Bay are a response to public feedback we heard in the first round regarding vehicle circulation and on-street parking. We encourage you to try out advisory bike lanes on Humboldt Street!

Great question!

The video can be found on the right hand side of the page, at the top. You can also access the video here. 

Thanks!

Thanks for the question!

The sequencing of the advisory bike lanes will be determined in coordination with a contractor who will be managing the site. It may be advantageous for some sections to be completed for construction in advance of others for cost saving benefits. 

The Belleville and Government intersection is planned to receive phased improvements given the notable underground infrastructure, adjacent site improvements and surface paving scheduled for the following years. Bike signals will be explored in conjunction with other notable pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements. The plans presented highlight interim/temporary intersection safety improvements for 2022 with notable signal work and additional pedestrian / cyclist safety improvements reserved for the future improvements.

Hi there,

Thanks for the question. We have just launched the final round of engagement for cycling routes in James Bay, and invite you to review the revised designs and fill out the survey, in which you will be asked about your east-west preference for a cycling route, Michigan or Superior. All input will be shared with Mayor and Council. Thanks for participating!

Thanks for your comments. The city’s limited right of way means there will always be trade-offs to provide space to accommodate cars, bikes, buses, horse and carriages, parking, loading, and other uses like boulevards and street trees. Please note that the goal is to prioritize either Michigan or Superior as a part of this capital initiative, not both.  

Establishing additional one-way roads was not something that was widely suggested during the first round of public consultation – in fact, we heard clearly about the importance of vehicle circulation within James Bay. Based on feedback from the first round of engagement, staff have been revising design concepts. Updated designs and a final round of public engagement will launch in May 2021. At that point, you will have another opportunity to provide feedback, design suggestions and weigh in on all routes. Please check back to stay involved. 

To answer your question – the City is encouraging increased use of transit, walking and cycling. These policies are supported in our Official Community Plan as well as in Go Victoria, our city-wide mobility strategy. Establishing safer routes for people on bicycles supports more people riding, more often. We are also making investments in sidewalks and crosswalks, public transit shelters, accessible parking, new loading zones, public EV charging stations and shared mobility options, as we know all modes of transportation need to be accommodated to support our growing community. 

Thank you for the question. Advisory bike lanes, which use a single travel lane and painted bike lanes on either side of the road which allow vehicles to legally cross over when they are passing, are not being pursued. The City is also not pursuing protected bike lanes (either one-way or two-way) due to feedback about on-street parking loss, the level of protection for cyclists (breaks in the protection) and limited pedestrian benefits. 

Instead, a shared road neighbourhood bikeway design has been adopted. There are no bike lanes -- cyclists and motorists simply share the road. The approved design includes traffic diverters, speed humps, and reduced speed limits to achieve a 30km / hr design speed and segments with 1,000 vehicles per day. The project also includes Improved pedestrian crossings, new sidewalks, road paving, a neighbourhood plaza, landscaping and additional on street parking in select areas. Preliminary road paving and underground infrastructure replacement is currently underway throughout spring 2021 and construction of the full project is anticipated for summer and fall of 2021. 

The design process was completed between July 2019 and February 2020. More than 2,000 people were involved in the public engagement period in the fall of 2019. Opportunities for feedback were promoted through print and social media advertisements, neighbourhood associations, email announcements, on-street signage. There were also several radio and TV stories covering the process. People participated through surveys, public open house events, walking tours, and at pop-up information stations. 

We encourage you to stay connected to this site to participate in future consultation activities and to get involved in your Neighbourhood Association to stay connected with the latest news about land use, transportation, parks and recreation in the City of Victoria. 

Thanks for the question. The City will be continuing to gather feedback on routes and design in late April and May 2021. Stay tuned for more information – you have not missed the opportunity to weigh in.