Quadra and McKenzie plans in Saanich

A new look for both Quadra Street and McKenzie Avenue, a makeover for the Gordon Head-McKenzie area and new “hubs” on corridors for more walkable neighbourhoods are all part of a draft plan that could shape a large swath of Saanich over the next two decades.

Saanich council on Monday night moved forward a draft of the Quadra McKenzie Plan, which has been in the works since the fall of 2022.

There will be another month of public engagement before district staff incorporate more public feedback and revisions into a final document to return to council in the spring.

“This is a very significant planning exercise and one that sets the vision for these two very significant corridors,” said Mayor Dean Murdock.

Murdock said the plan will guide the future growth of the Quadra-McKenzie area, with transportation infrastructure upgrades that improve safety, prioritize transit and move people more effectively through major intersections.

https://www.timescol...rridors-9696173

I really feel most of these plans are just plain boring, and the results for the money spent is not worth it.  I'd rather see the money spent on making some parts of Saanich really extra special with landscaping and art.  Mt. Doug Park, Cadboro Bay Village, Cordova Bay, maybe something near Elk/Beaver (I know the parks themselves are CRD).  

Looks like they are planning to reduce McKenzie to one vehicle lane:

https://www.saanich....Kenzie Plan.pdf

Quadra will also get reduced to one lane.

Edited by Fox, 23 October 2024 - 07:25 AM.

Any definition of “shared transit lane?” The report does not define it, but references it in the images above.

Shared with what?

Shared with cars (so buses and cars), not the dedicated bus lane like the other sections.  

On one hand they are talking about "growth".

Council is hoping to get elector approval to borrow as much as $150 million for the project, likely through an alternative approval process that’s expected to happen in the next six months. In that process, 10 per cent or more of eligible electors have to submit forms in opposition to the initiative for it to fail.

The project has been deemed a priority because the aging site has been deemed unfit to handle future growth. The buildings are 40 to 70 years old, don’t meet building-code requirements and have been deemed to be past their useful life.

https://www.timescol...re-plan-9696286

Saanich isn't growing, no new roads or parks are being added, very few new SFDs are being added (except where one is torn down), and we see here now they plan to restrict movement.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 October 2024 - 07:47 AM.

Shared with cars (so buses and cars), not the dedicated bus lane like the other sections.

So that will be Shelborne, McKenzie and Quadra reduced to one lane, and probably 30-40km/h as well since their 21 Million Vision Zero plan also passed. (https://www.timescol...-safety-9697138).

What will be next?  Blanshard and Douglas are the last two lane roads left.

From their presentation, they are planning significant densification, with much of the region becoming 5-11 story buildings, and multiple 15 minute walkable zones.  I guess their entire plan is to restrict everyone to only their local zone hub, and the transportation changes will enforce that.

Edited by Fox, 23 October 2024 - 08:17 AM.

So presumably McKenzie will be down to one car lane west of Saanich Road all the way to Highway 17, maybe beyond to Highway 1?

Not according to that map, posted right above.  From just past Saanich Road, it's 4 lanes all the way.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 October 2024 - 08:11 AM.

Should get interesting if the Federal Conservatives get in and implant their foreign student plan which as proposed limits foreign students to 5% of the total enrollment. 

All of these plans are predicted on Liberal Party levels of immigration continuing, 

I am not sure that this is necessarily wise planning over the longer period. 

^^Oh gosh, I got that mixed up.

My bad.

Not really. For most of the stretch between Saanich Rd. and UVic it looks like to be one car lane, and one dedicated bus lane, except for a portion from Cedar Hill X to some random rd before Cedar Hill (basically, that hill).

That stretch gets really busy sometimes. This could be really bad or it could be fine, hard to say, but where I expect it'll be very bad is in the afternoons going west bound. Yesterday for example, it was bumper to bumper from Shelbourne to Finnerty rd. How bad would it  be if the rd didn't expand to two lanes by Tuscany village there, bumper to bumper all the way to Braefoot?

Edited by lanforod, 23 October 2024 - 08:37 AM.

It quite often is bumper to bumper in the mornings from Finnerty to nearly Braefoot with traffic going into UVic.  Conversely, from Saanich to Cedar Hill cross backs up in the afternoon.  It seems they have done the dedicated bus lanes/ 1 travel lane in the busiest sections of the road, opposite of their Shelborne plan.

This is a taste of what the CRD’s transportation planning service will implement, region-wide. https://vibrantvicto...vice-rts/page-2

Right. You get what you vote for.

McKenzie as it is right now is a parking lot for 3 hours each morning rush, and then again (even worse) for about 4 hours in the evening rush. 
Going down to one lane each way at any point will essentially make it completely undriveable during daylight hours each weekday.

It actually boggles the rational mind as to the who/why/how thinking of politicians, traffic engineers, and bureaucrats that, out of the blue anticipate turning a (the?) major Saanich thoroughfare, one already suffering from complete traffic overload, into what will be at most, a two lane side street. 
And if there are two lanes down into one lane (as the plan suggests) at any point, then that’s going to guarantee complete gridlock at the merge point. 

Boring. They should just build a subway.