Douglas Street could start to see changes in its traffic flow before the end of this year, after Victoria council voted to have its staff alter the hours of some dedicated bus lanes and start work on designs to expand the bus-lane network.
Council has directed staff to establish by the end of this year 24/7 bus lanes between Herald Street and Hillside Avenue, currently designated as bus lanes only at peak travel times.
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B.C. Transit told council that buses make up about three per cent of traffic but carry about 40 per cent of the people along the Douglas Street corridor each day.
According to B.C. Transit, ridership has been strong since it launched its rapid-bus service last year, with more than 10,000 passengers each day riding just one route — the 95 express bus that runs between the legislature and Langford Exchange. West Shore commuters have saved about 20 minutes on the commute, the transit agency said.
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What people are saying about extending bus lanes on Douglas Street
Rob Ekstrom, owner of The Palms Restaurant & Lounge on Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue, said his immediate concern is the potential loss of parking. The majority of his customers drive downtown and are unlikely to take transit, he said.
“Every weekend I get multiple phone calls for people cancelling reservations because they can’t find parking,” he said. “They won’t park in the parkades and walk because they don’t feel safe.”
A growing number of customers live within walking distance, but they only makes up about a quarter of his regular clientele. “If I relied exclusively on that, we’d be out of business in a month.”
Joel Exposito, owner of the Fresko One World restaurant on Yates Street just off Douglas, is concerned about whether there’s enough space for a bus lane on Douglas where the road narrows from six lanes to four.
“I’m not totally convinced,” he said. “But it could possibly work on Douglas … if we have the room and the space.”
Traffic is “overwhelming” for both transit users and drivers during rush hour on Douglas, he said. “After a hard day of work, they just want to get home, and they want to get home as soon as possible,” said Exposito, while waiting at a bus stop.
Exposito said he would prefer establishing a dedicated bus lane on the highway from Victoria to Langford before any changes are made to Douglas.
Fernando Jardon, who has a regular bus commute from James Bay through downtown, said it would be “amazing” if buses could skip the traffic on Douglas Street.
Jardon, who is from Mexico, is no stranger to dysfunctional traffic flows. “Where I come from, you [usually] have to wait one hour in traffic,” he said. “If you go to downtown Mexico City, you could sit in traffic for around two hours.”
Avid pedestrian Nell Saba said Douglas is her least favourite street in the capital region. “I avoid it when I can.”
“It’s just so obviously a street that serves cars,” said Saba, who racked up close to 6,700 kilometres of walking last year. “But at the same time, they’re not getting anywhere. Like, there’s so much congestion.”
Saba said she would welcome signal light changes that would improve pedestrian safety on Douglas Street. “It doesn’t have to be so miserable.”
Angela Empig said she finds herself avoiding Douglas Street when cycling in favour of dedicated bike paths or quieter streets. “I think it’s pretty crowded.”
Speaking from outside the city-operated bike-parking serviced on Pandora Avenue, Empig said “it’s not the end of the world” if cyclists lose their painted bike lanes on Douglas Street to bus lanes.
“With public transit growing, and there being more people needing access through that — sure, why not?”
Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 May 2024 - 04:39 AM.
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