Victoria could piggyback the construction of new separated bike lanes on sewer main work planned along Dallas Road.
City engineering staff are recommending the city explore the possibility of installing stand-alone, two-way bike lanes along a 2.8-kilometre stretch on the south side of Dallas Road between Clover Point and Ogden Point.
The Capital Regional District is proposing to build a new sewer main between Clover Point and the proposed new sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point, with a section running between Clover Point and Ogden Point. That work could provide the opportunity to develop the new bike path, says Dwayne Kalynchuk, the city’s director of engineering.
“What we’re suggesting is not having the road torn up but having them put the [sewer] line on the south side of the road through the boulevard area. Then, when they do the restoration, to give us a lift of asphalt. Then we can complete [the project] with our cycling lanes,” Kalynchuk said.
The value of the asphalt might be between $400,000 and $500,000, Kalynchuk said. And it makes more sense to install the sewer line south of the road.
“If they did it in the road, first of all, they would have to re-pave it anyway … plus they’d probably have to blast through rock. So certainly, having it in the boulevard area is a win-win for both them and for us,” he said.
“The cost of construction should be cheaper and then the benefit for us is we’re able to move forward with our cycling trail.”
Because the line in question is a force main — or a pressurized line as opposed to a gravity line — the depth isn’t as great, Kalynchuk said.
The Dallas Road corridor has been identified as a logical connection to the David Foster Way, a five-kilometre walkway from Ogden Point to Rock Bay, and development of a two-way, separated bicycling path makes sense, city staff say in a report to council.
Former city councillor John Luton, executive director of Capital Bike and Walk, says a Dallas Road bike path would be a welcome addition to the cycling network — particularly for families and recreational cyclists.
“You’ll still have commuters and the faster riders wanting to be on the road, but a separated path, certainly I hope, will get people off of the walking pathway atop the bluffs,” Luton said.
“I have seen similar sorts of pathways working in other cities, so I think it’s going to be a nice addition to the network and it’s always useful to have somebody else pay for it to the extent possible.”
The area is well-suited for the separated bike path as there are no roadway or driveway crossings on the south side of the street, says the staff report. As well, the area is one of the busiest waterfronts in the city.
“A physically separated cycling facility adjacent Dallas Road will appeal to recreational cyclists, including parents of small children, the elderly and cycle tourists,” the report says.
It’s proposed that engineering and parks staff work on the path alignment details through the summer and hold public information sessions this fall.
Staff are recommending councillors endorse the concept.
