Being a pedestrian in Victoria should be a little easier in 2019.
Fourteen new or upgraded crosswalks are planned for the City, with one of the more ambitious ones being a new pedestrian and cyclist crosswalk at Blanshard Street and Kings Road.
A housing complex on one side of Blanshard, and a shopping plaza on the other has prompted the need for a crosswalk at the site, with the nearest alternative option being Blanshard Street and Hillside 210 metres to the north, or Blanshard and Bay Streets 150 metres to the south.
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The crossing is estimated to cost $500,000, including design and construction.
“The project is also higher in value because it’s not what would be considered a ‘typical’ pedestrian crossing,” said Bill Eisenhauer, head of engagement at the City of Victoria.
For one thing, Eisenhauer noted, it would cross a six lane road that is separated by a centre median, so it will need a traffic signal. This will take extensive planning and construction, and also require the realignment of traffic light signals at surrounding intersections.
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The crossing will also be designed to accommodate pedestrians and a higher volume of cyclists, as Kings Road is part of the city’s Bicycle Master Plan Network, with lanes scheduled to be installed in 2021.
The City of Victoria has also prioritized two crosswalk projects at Gorge Road and Rock Bay Road and at Hereward Road and Wilson Street. These will be funded through the City’s crosswalk program, which has a total budget of $260,000.
In addition, the city has partnered with several other capital programs and developers to ensure the installation and upgrades of another 11 crosswalks, for a total of $1 million.
These crosswalks are located at:
- Wharf Street at Yates Street
- Wharf Street at Broughton Street
- Wharf Street at Bastion Square
- Mid-block on Humboldt at St. Ann’s Academy
- Vancouver Street at Bay Street
- Vancouver Street at Caledonia Avenue
- Fort Street at Fern Street
- Morrison Street at Fort Street
- Fernwood Road at Denman Street
- Fernwood Road at Johnson Street
- Superior Street at Menzies Street
All 14 crosswalks are anticipated to be completed in 2019.
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