Longtime cyclist Jane Van Hoorn still recalls advocating for the Galloping Goose Regional Trail as a commuter option.
“The criticism then was it would be too dangerous and nobody would use it,” she said.
Now it’s full of commuters, recreational riders, cyclists and families.
Capital Regional District data from automatic counters on the regional trail shows the most active section of the Goose (north of Selkirk Trestle) averages more than 1,400 cyclists a day (more 2,700 counted on the sunny final day of winter March 18).
Critical improvements are what made it what it is, she contends. She’s also long lobbied for similar improvements for cyclists of all ages to traverse Oak Bay streets.
She’s among those who organized a series of rolling rallies last spring, calling on Oak Bay council to make changes. Dubbed critical mass rides, they return March 25 with the group of cyclists meeting at UVic and riding to municipal hall on Oak Bay Avenue.
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Many in the group are part of the original lobby to remove street parking from an area in the Henderson neighbourhood that had part-time bike lanes. Council approved a move to pull the parking in that area, and have another look at potential changes to the neighbourhood specifically focused on all users – including pedestrians and cyclists.
“It was 2000 when we started. Our community cannot wait another 23 years,” Van Hoorn said.
It’s a move sought and denied before. Resident Ron Carter relates the change as directly impacted by the mass cycling protests that started in spring 2023.
But more needs doing, he said, noting he’s a regular user of McNeill Avenue, currently under the scope for potential widening to add cycling and pedestrian safety measures.
Carter feels those measures come at a cost as parking remains a consideration. He would like to see more green infrastructure with bump-outs and tree canopy.
For Lesley Ewing, just using the complete streets (2015) as a filter when doing upgrades such as McNeill could go a long way.
All three of them point to prior work done on creating a framework for all users on Oak Bay streets – including a 2011 active transportation plan and 2015 draft complete streets policy.
While dangers on McNeill, Henderson and Haultain at Foul Bay Road remain the key areas for cyclists, the trio also sees an opportunity on Oak Bay Avenue. There, they suggest, safety changes would also create a draw.
“Studies show cyclists shop more often if facilities exist,” Van Hoorn said.
“Oak Bay really lends itself to cycle tourism and to do that there needs to be more infrastructure,” Carter agreed.
The critical mass ride starts at the University of Victoria at the corner of Ring Road and University Avenue on March 25 at 5 p.m. It ends with a rally outside municipal hall at 2167 Oak Bay Ave., ideally just as council members are arriving for their Monday night meeting.
