Victoria residents will soon have an easier time keeping their distance from one another while walking or shopping during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The city plans to free up space for pedestrians in certain neighbourhoods by temporarily restricting on-street parking.
James Bay residents will be the first to benefit from the new program beginning Thursday when the city limits parking on Simcoe Street between Government Street and Oswego Street, and for half a block on Menzies Street near the Five Corners retail complex.
“These are very heavy pedestrian areas and James Bay has a disproportionate number of seniors who need to get out and about, and need to be able to do so in a safe way,” Mayor Lisa Helps said.
The new “physical distancing zones” will be marked by paint and bollards. Letters will be delivered to local residents and businesses to alert them to the changes.
“We’re not closing streets in James Bay; we’re just making more room for pedestrians,” Helps said.
“This will give pedestrians more room for physical distancing when out walking and shopping. And we know that this is something that all neighbourhoods have been asking for.”
More zones are planned for Quadra Village, Cook Street Village, Fairfield and Vic West in the coming weeks. Priority will be given to high-traffic areas with narrow sidewalks, near grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential services.
