Two-way traffic on Pandora Avenue? Say it ain’t so. To be fair, the traffic would not be cars and trucks, it would be bicycles. A Victoria council committee will receive today a report that recommends the creation of a two-way separated bike lane along Pandora between the Johnson Street bridge and Cook Street.
City staff favour the two-way Pandora lane rather than one-way lanes on Pandora and Johnson. The Pandora-only approach would cost about $2.16 million, less than the $2.8-million cost of lanes on both streets, and would result in the loss of fewer parking spaces, 44 rather than 78.
Pandora has been a one-way avenue for four decades, so the introduction of two-way traffic, even though it would be only for two-wheeled, human-powered machines, could create problems.
Safety would be at the top of the list. There would be a risk of cyclists colliding with each other in a confined area, since the barriers protecting them from motor vehicles would also limit their options when another cyclist does something dumb.
The two-way cycling traffic could also cause issues for people driving cars and trucks. Accidents happen when other vehicles and other bicycles do things that we don’t expect. Two-way traffic along one side of a one-way avenue is not intuitive.
There is no doubt that something needs to be done to make cycling safer. More people are using bicycles to commute or for recreation, and cycling has been made easier throughout Greater Victoria because of infrastructure improvements. That work needs to be extended to the downtown core.
Mayor Lisa Helps says the city’s goal is to plan a cycling network throughout downtown by the end of the year, and have everything in place by the end of 2018. That commitment should be welcomed — as long as it creates a safe environment that encourages more people to use their bicycles.
Building capacity for cycles will take space, of course, so we can expect to see reduced space for pedestrians and motor vehicles. We have seen, however, that the impact does not have to be as bad as feared; many streets throughout the region have lost vehicle lanes in the past few years, and we still manage to get around using vehicles.
It has become less stressful to ride a bicycle, but it has not caused much inconvenience to drivers. The on-street lanes tie in with dedicated bike and pedestrian routes such as the Galloping Goose and Lochside trails, and are giving Greater Victoria a reputation as a bike-friendly place to be.
Improvements to the infrastructure in the heart of the city are needed, and will benefit everyone, not just those on two wheels. One person on a bicycle takes less space than one person in the smallest of cars, and a person on a bicycle can usually get around just as quickly.
Cycling brings health benefits as well. We don’t want to see those healthier bodies put at unnecessary risk.
Any plan that moves traffic involves compromise, but when it comes to creating dedicated bike lanes, a two-way route on a one-way street is one compromise too far.
