McNeill Avenue Corridor Traffic Calming and Cycling Facility Project

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The District of Oak Bay is undertaking a traffic calming and cycling facility project on McNeill Avenue between Transit Road and Foul Bay Road to address some of the issues that have been observed.

Phase 1: Transit Road to Falkland Road (Design complete, Construction planned for 2024)

Phase 2: Falkland Road to Foul Bay Road (Design planned for 2024, Construction planned for 2025)

Update: At the October 10, 2023 Council meeting, Council directed staff that Phase 1 (Falkland to Transit) of the McNeill Avenue Traffic Calming Project include a raised crosswalk design at Falkland Rd and that this phase be approved for priority application to the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant program.

Staff were also directed by Council to prepare a revised cost estimate for Phase 2 (Falkland to Foul Bay) that includes the widening of roads and sidewalks

Have questions? Please send your questions to engineering@oakbay.ca.

This page outlines the current stage for both phases of the McNeill Avenue Project


Current Conditions

McNeill Avenue is designated as a Collector in the Official Community Plan. Collectors are roads that help move vehicles from lower volume local roads and get them to their destinations, or to higher volume roads (which are called arterials.) McNeill Avenue is one of the primary collectors south of Oak Bay Avenue, and it connects to Foul Bay Road at the western end.

McNeill Avenue has a 40 km/hr speed limit and is used by approximately 4,400 vehicles per day and is also used by BC Transit buses. The road is 8.6 metres wide and allows parking on both sides of the street. Between Victoria Avenue and Foul Bay Road there are approximately 71 parking spaces. A parking survey conducted in 2021 concluded that of the 71 parking spaces, at most 15 of them are in use at any given time.

Issues with the Current Road

Based on conversations with residents, a few issues have been noted on McNeill Avenue in its current configuration:

  • Driver speeds: Although the road is signed as 40 km/hr, drivers exceed the speed limit, particularly coming down the hill between Foul Bay Road and Falkland Road.
  • Damage to parked cars: The road is narrow for two-way traffic when there are cars parked on both sides. Vehicles either cross the center line to avoid parked cars, or stop completely, to allow oncoming traffic to pass them. This condition has resulted in damage to side mirrors on parked vehicles.
  • Lack of cyclist accommodations: McNeill Avenue connects to Richardson Street in the City of Victoria, but McNeill Avenue has no bike lanes or sharrows. Coupled with the narrow roads and high vehicle speeds, it is not a pleasant experience for cyclists.

Objectives of the Redesign

  • Preserve the status of McNeill Avenue as a collector per the Official Community Plan. Lowering the number of vehicles that use McNeill Avenue is not an objective.
  • Provide accommodations for cyclists. McNeill Avenue is designated as commuter cyclist route in the Official Community Plan and the Active Transportation Plan, and it connects to the City of Victoria’s cycling network.
  • Make physical changes to the road that will result in more drivers following the 40 km/hr speed limit.
  • Improve pedestrian safety through road crossing improvements

McNeill Corridor – Where we are today

At the Council meeting on October 10, 2023, Council decided to split the McNeill Avenue Traffic Calming project into two phases:

  • Phase 1: Between Falkland Road and Transit Road.
  • Phase 2: Between Foul Bay Road and Falkland Road.

Phase 1 was a straightforward design, and didn’t require widening the road ort significantly reduce on-street parking. Staff applied for and received a BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant for Phase 1. The traffic calming measures in Phase one consist of:

  • Curb extensions (to reduce crossing distance and increase pedestrian visibility.
  • Raised crosswalks at Victoria Ave and Monterey Ave.
  • Shared bike and driving lanes.

Council then directed Staff to come back with a revised budget for Phase 2 for consideration in 2024.

On February 26, 2024, Staff presented a report with revised budget options for Phase 2, including one option to widen the road and add a separated bike lane on the uphill (north) side. Council directed Staff to create a concept drawing and a detailed cost estimate (Class C estimate) for Phase 2 using Option B, which involves widening the road by moving the curb on the north side to add a buffered bike lane. They also asked for a conceptual drawing for Option A when presenting the Option B design. Option A and B will be presented to Council at the July 22, 2024 meeting.

Have questions? Please send your questions to engineering@oakbay.ca.

The District of Oak Bay is undertaking a traffic calming and cycling facility project on McNeill Avenue between Transit Road and Foul Bay Road to address some of the issues that have been observed.

Phase 1: Transit Road to Falkland Road (Design complete, Construction planned for 2024)

Phase 2: Falkland Road to Foul Bay Road (Design planned for 2024, Construction planned for 2025)

Update: At the October 10, 2023 Council meeting, Council directed staff that Phase 1 (Falkland to Transit) of the McNeill Avenue Traffic Calming Project include a raised crosswalk design at Falkland Rd and that this phase be approved for priority application to the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant program.

Staff were also directed by Council to prepare a revised cost estimate for Phase 2 (Falkland to Foul Bay) that includes the widening of roads and sidewalks

Have questions? Please send your questions to engineering@oakbay.ca.

This page outlines the current stage for both phases of the McNeill Avenue Project


Current Conditions

McNeill Avenue is designated as a Collector in the Official Community Plan. Collectors are roads that help move vehicles from lower volume local roads and get them to their destinations, or to higher volume roads (which are called arterials.) McNeill Avenue is one of the primary collectors south of Oak Bay Avenue, and it connects to Foul Bay Road at the western end.

McNeill Avenue has a 40 km/hr speed limit and is used by approximately 4,400 vehicles per day and is also used by BC Transit buses. The road is 8.6 metres wide and allows parking on both sides of the street. Between Victoria Avenue and Foul Bay Road there are approximately 71 parking spaces. A parking survey conducted in 2021 concluded that of the 71 parking spaces, at most 15 of them are in use at any given time.

Issues with the Current Road

Based on conversations with residents, a few issues have been noted on McNeill Avenue in its current configuration:

  • Driver speeds: Although the road is signed as 40 km/hr, drivers exceed the speed limit, particularly coming down the hill between Foul Bay Road and Falkland Road.
  • Damage to parked cars: The road is narrow for two-way traffic when there are cars parked on both sides. Vehicles either cross the center line to avoid parked cars, or stop completely, to allow oncoming traffic to pass them. This condition has resulted in damage to side mirrors on parked vehicles.
  • Lack of cyclist accommodations: McNeill Avenue connects to Richardson Street in the City of Victoria, but McNeill Avenue has no bike lanes or sharrows. Coupled with the narrow roads and high vehicle speeds, it is not a pleasant experience for cyclists.

Objectives of the Redesign

  • Preserve the status of McNeill Avenue as a collector per the Official Community Plan. Lowering the number of vehicles that use McNeill Avenue is not an objective.
  • Provide accommodations for cyclists. McNeill Avenue is designated as commuter cyclist route in the Official Community Plan and the Active Transportation Plan, and it connects to the City of Victoria’s cycling network.
  • Make physical changes to the road that will result in more drivers following the 40 km/hr speed limit.
  • Improve pedestrian safety through road crossing improvements

McNeill Corridor – Where we are today

At the Council meeting on October 10, 2023, Council decided to split the McNeill Avenue Traffic Calming project into two phases:

  • Phase 1: Between Falkland Road and Transit Road.
  • Phase 2: Between Foul Bay Road and Falkland Road.

Phase 1 was a straightforward design, and didn’t require widening the road ort significantly reduce on-street parking. Staff applied for and received a BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant for Phase 1. The traffic calming measures in Phase one consist of:

  • Curb extensions (to reduce crossing distance and increase pedestrian visibility.
  • Raised crosswalks at Victoria Ave and Monterey Ave.
  • Shared bike and driving lanes.

Council then directed Staff to come back with a revised budget for Phase 2 for consideration in 2024.

On February 26, 2024, Staff presented a report with revised budget options for Phase 2, including one option to widen the road and add a separated bike lane on the uphill (north) side. Council directed Staff to create a concept drawing and a detailed cost estimate (Class C estimate) for Phase 2 using Option B, which involves widening the road by moving the curb on the north side to add a buffered bike lane. They also asked for a conceptual drawing for Option A when presenting the Option B design. Option A and B will be presented to Council at the July 22, 2024 meeting.

Have questions? Please send your questions to engineering@oakbay.ca.

Page last updated: 18 Jul 2024, 04:02 PM