Cyclists in Victoria gained a few more blocks of separated bike lanes downtown when the remaining stretch of the Wharf Street lane opened on Thursday.
The new infrastructure extends the separated cycling lane along Wharf Street from the Johnson Street Bridge to the intersection of Humboldt and Douglas streets.
The lane is part of the city’s plan to establish safe cycling routes in the downtown core for people of all ages and all abilities. The city’s Climate Leadership Plan identifies the expansion of cycling infrastructure as one way to meet the city’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Wharf Street lane passes through several crosswalks, where cyclists must be prepared to stop for pedestrians. Green paint on the road indicates areas where bikes share the road with cars, and should use caution.
New features along the cycling route include eight improved pedestrian crossings, a pedestrian-controlled traffic signal at Yates Street, and connections to existing separated bike lanes on Pandora Avenue and Fort Street.
The first stretch of the bike lane opened Aug. 1, along with the city’s first pedestrian scramble crosswalk at the intersection of Wharf and Government streets.
