The removal of 22 trees along the west-side southbound priority bus lane corridor on Douglas Street began Wednesday.
Work on the lane from Hillside Avenue to Tolmie Avenue started last week.
All 22 trees and four shrubs along the route are scheduled to come down by the end of the week, said Bill Eisenhauer, spokesman for the City of Victoria.
The trees, of different varieties, are coming down to accommodate widening of the road for the bus lane and to make room for the height of buses.
They will be replaced by 40 trees planted in other locations along the corridor.
An estimated 1,700 vehicles per hour use the Douglas Street corridor during peak travel times. The bus lanes are being built to help keep buses out of traffic jams and on schedule.
Once complete, the priority bus lanes — which bicyclists can also use — will run northbound and southbound along Douglas Street between Fisgard Street and Tolmie Avenue.
The project is being funded by the province and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, and is expected to be completed by the fall.
Once construction is complete, the lanes will mostly be restricted to buses 24 hours a day in both directions. Motorists are allowed to enter the bus priority lanes only if making a right turn by the end of the block.
The fine for being in a priority bus lane improperly is $109.
