With work anticipated this year on the long-debated east-west connector McNeill Avenue in Oak Bay, the second half of the busy road remains up for discussion..
On March 4, council reviewed a municipal report and requested staff to provide conceptual drawings and more detailed estimates for two options in the second phase of traffic calming and cycling infrastructure. This is intended for the road section extending from Falkland Road to Foul Bay Road.
McNeill Road is currently 8.6 metres wide and offers parking on both sides of the street. Between Victoria Avenue and Foul Bay Road, there are about 71 parking spots available. However, a recent parking survey conducted in 2021 indicated that only 15 spots are being used at any given time. McNeill is a busy route with approximately 4,400 vehicles traveling on it daily, including BC Transit buses.
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Staff outlined three options, with council seeking more clarity on two of them as none came with renderings or conceptual drawings.
“We owe it to ourselves to see a concept drawing,” said Coun. Carrie Smart, who made the first motion to see drawings and further estimate for option B. “It’s due diligence for ourselves and the community to see the concept drawing before we go straight to working drawings.”
Option B widens the road about two metres by moving the sidewalk to the north side of the road leaving about 4.3 metres of shared driving and cycling lane on the south side. It would provide a 4.4-metre wide driving lane and a 1.7 to 1.9 metre buffered bike lane on the north side. On-street parking would remain on one side of the street.
A standout point for council, was the estimated cost of $850,000 to $1 million. Staff also noted it would mean homeowners on the north side would lose landscaping and need to regrade driveways.
Option A was later added to the motion for a further look, despite not being the recommendation of staff, or preference of council.
Mayor Kevin Murdoch didn’t see it as an option, but rather perusing it as an opportunity to look at other potential options, specifically mentioning a letter-writer who suggested changing the allowable paved surface in a front yard would provide parking.
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Originally presented to council in 2022, option A would see paint and signage, along with some concrete bulges at the intersections. It would create a 3.35 metres shared driving and cycling lane on the south side of the road, a 3.35-metre driving lane on the north side of the road and a 1.7 to 1.9-metre-wide buffered bike lane on the north side. It would eliminate street parking between Victoria Avenue and Foul Bay Road.
Because concrete bulges would also be constructed in any option, the cost comes down to paint – coming in around $10,000.
Paint on the ground is not a viable option and needs to be dismissed, Coun. Andrew Appleton said.
“(That’s) no longer how active transportation infrastructure is established,” he said, wanting to see a detailed design for option B.
Staff hoped council would select an option for detailed design to have something in place by fall, when grant applications generally open. Despite the added step they hope to have something shovel ready for grant intake time.
The first part of the project, from Transit Road to Falkland Road is expected to get underway this year. The district hopes to get design for the second phase – Falkland Road to Foul Bay Road – done this year, with construction in 2025.
The safety project has garnered a lot of feedback in form of letters and a handful of speakers each time the project is up for discussion in council chambers. Follow the project online at connect.oakbay.ca/mcneill-avenue-redesign.
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