Over the past few days, concerns re-emerged surrounding the draft Quadra McKenzie Plan about lane reductions on McKenzie Avenue.
The concerns focused on proposed road layouts in the draft plan, which include dedicated bus lanes between Saanich Road and Cedar Hill Cross Road, as well as Oakwoods Street to Gordon Head Road, potentially reducing car traffic to a single lane in each direction.
Greater Victoria residents took to social media to voice their anger.
“Everyone hates the idea,” commented Facebook user Wesley Bruchnall. “Single lane will cause so much congestion. If even one car breaks down or a minor fender bender, the city will grind to a halt.
“Why would they do this if there's literally zero benefit for anyone but maybe perhaps construction companies?”
“There has been so much backlash about this and rightfully so,” added Facebook user Amanda Parfitt. “If they still do this… driving will become more of a nightmare than it already is.”
While Saanich aims to promote public transit, residents are raising safety concerns, citing past negative experiences and the region’s unreliable transportation system.
“The idea that people will ditch their cars for the bus is wild to me,” said Facebook user Dayna Anderson.
After receiving numerous emails about the issue, Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock reassured residents that McKenzie Avenue would not undergo lane reductions.
“I just wanted to be clear that there is no intention to reduce McKenzie to one lane,” he said. “What we're much more likely to see in the short term is a queue jumper lane at major intersections that will allow the bus to get ahead of traffic… but that will not result in a vehicle lane reduction for anybody.
“There's no intention to make anybody's life more frustrating.”
In an interview with Saanich News, Murdock sought to dispel rumours and clarify what he labelled as “a misunderstanding about the plan and Saanich's vision.”
“The renderings that were included in the plan were intended as a design concept of what possible future transit could look like,” said Murdock. “The intention there was not to implement those things immediately but to explore ways that could accommodate rapid transit.”
Having heard the community's concerns and frustrations since the draft was released in October 2024, Murdock assured that public feedback would be considered in the document’s final version.
On Feb. 11, Saanich council will direct staff in a special council meeting on how to revise the draft to reflect the public's feedback and concerns.
“There will be an opportunity to provide the council with input either in person, online, or in writing, and we encourage people to do that,” said Murdock. “We've obviously received a lot of input from folks on this plan, but encourage people to participate if they're able.”
For more information about the upcoming special council meeting, visit shorturl.at/FA4M5
