Design options are on the table for new cycling infrastructure along Cadboro Bay Road from Foul Bay Road to Bowker Avenue.
Oak Bay hired Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited to complete a Cadboro Bay Road Bike Lane Cycle Feasibility Study, which included analysis of options for the Foul Bay to Bee Street area, and options for bike lanes from Bee Street to Bowker.
“There’s going to be some challenges because parts of this road is quite narrow,” says Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen.
Design options include: (option 1) curbside cycle lanes on both sides of the road with a partially protected cycle lane on the north side; and (option 2) curbside cycle lanes on the south side of the road with a cycle lane outside of curbside parking on the north side.
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“We’re also hoping that people will come up with other ideas, just to make this a worthwhile project.
And it is worthwhile because it will increase the safety of high school students that come in the dozens and dozens and dozens on their bike to school. This is a growing phenomenon in our community. We want to make them safe, but it’s also we want to encourage them to take their bikes to school. There’s all kinds of reasons, health reasons and environmental reasons why we should be doing this.”
The district seeks public feedback now through Oct. 14 ahead of the project appearing on council’s committee of the whole agenda Oct. 16.
At that meeting, council, the public and staff would discussion the costs and tradeoffs of the available options as well as share public feedback summary. The deadline to get correspondence on the committee meeting agenda is Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. The project contact is Richard Ding at rding@oakbay.ca or 250-598-3311.
Visit http://bit.ly/2xk7Iet to see the full package including links to studies and images of the options.
The proposed completion date for cycling lanes from Foul Bay to Bowker is end of summer 2018.
The committee meeting is Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in municipal hall 2167 Oak Bay Ave. Visit oakbay.ca/municipal-hall/meetings-minutes/minutes-agendas ahead of the meeting to view the agenda.