The City of Victoria has returned a letter of its own to Oak Bay Council following the latter’s concerns over the design of the Richardson-McNeill corridor to accommodate bikes.
On Monday night Oak Bay Council will consider if they will accept Mayor Lisa Helps’ invitation to have Victoria planning staff visit to explain the Richardson design. It’s part of the 2020 bike network improvements, which also include Kimta and Haultain. Helps had already responded, saying that Oak Bay council’s recent concern with the dispersal of traffic from Richardson, where there will be a westbound diverter for car traffic at Foul Bay Road, was too late.
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“We’ve been working hard on implementing a 32-kilometre, all-ages and -abilities bike network that we aim to complete by the end of 2022. When we finish the next four corridors, including Richardson, 67 per cent of the network will be finished,” said Helps’ letter.
The goal is to get the tender in late 2020, Helps wrote. The explanation would happen before Richardson is tendered but there will be no more consultation on the corridors, Helps added.
“We need our staff to move on to the next corridors so that we can have a complete cycling network and enhanced road safety for our most vulnerable road users as soon as possible.”
Currently, Victoria is processing tenders for Vancouver Street and other improvements to the bike network.
“As we have discussed in person our staff have been in touch with your staff on multiple occasions, keeping them approved of the plans for Richardson Street, and we know that there were also Oak Bay residents who participated in our extensive public consultation efforts in late 2019 and early 2020,” wrote Helps.