Victoria’s Government Street will remain a pedestrian-focused thoroughfare for the foreseeable future after city council confirmed on Thursday that it stands behind the Government Street Refresh project started by the previous council.
Following a staff update on plans for the street, council unanimously supported continuing the work and maintaining Government Street principally as a pedestrian zone.
Coun. Jeremy Caradonna said it made sense to signal both to city staff and the public that this council endorses the current direction.
“You guys already have a wonderful plan and you’re moving in the right direction, but I think it’s wise that we are clear and signal to you all and to the wider public that we support this,” he said. “The details are up to you.”
In supporting the motion, Coun. Matt Dell said his only regret is that it’s going to take so long. “But that’s the same with everything in the city. You want to snap your fingers and make it happen,” he said.
The design continues to be honed, with implementation expected to take more than five years.
Dell said, however, that he appreciates the cautious approach taken by staff so far, which has allowed them to learn from early mistakes and tweak the design, including changing the hours when deliveries can occur and vehicles can enter certain zones.
“And that’s the kind of stuff that I really think is working down there, just being a bit more flexible,” he said.
Plans for the street include two new cultural plazas with landmarks to serve as gateways to the street — a Lekwungen plaza at Humboldt and a realignment of the Pandora intersection to create a new plaza for Chinatown.
There are also plans for wider sidewalks on Government Street north to Pandora Avenue, additional lighting and public art. Vehicle traffic will continue to be limited to one-way northbound from Courtney Street to Yates Street, and vehicle-free periods will continue from Humboldt Street to View Street.
Between Pandora Avenue and Yates Street, a complete reconstruction of the streetscape is planned as underground water infrastructure is replaced. Between Courtney and Yates streets, a complete refresh is in the works, with expanded public spaces, trees and seating.
While design work continues, staff are expecting to install planters and furnishings near Humboldt Street over the next three weeks.
Coun. Dave Thompson said the refresh dovetails nicely with the need to move the city away from being a car-oriented space.
“The notion that 100 per cent of it is going to be open to motor vehicles 100 per cent of the time is wrong,” he said.
“It’s not going to be happening that way in the future.
“That’s the past, and I’m not particularly nostalgic for it. We need to be building the city of the future, not looking back at the 20th century.”
aduffy@timescolonist.com
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