Dover Road West (Schook to Applecross Rd)
- 2100m of dedicated bicycle lanes.
- Existing on-street parking, left and right turn lanes to remain.
- Connects commercial and residential areas along the corridor, Lantzville to the west, and McGirr Elementary in the east.
- Connects an isolated segment of bicycle lanes between Applecross Road and Uplands Drive.
Dover Road East (Uplands Dr to McGirr Rd)
- 900m of dedicated bicycle lanes and due to road width constraints 180m of shared travel lane (eastbound) from Invermere to McGirr Rd.
- Limited pavement widening between Uplands and Invermere and a curb extension at the intersection of Invermere/Dover to improve crosswalk safety.
- Existing on street parking remains the same.
McGirr Road (Dover to Hammond Bay Road)
- 220m of dedicated bicycle lane (southbound) / shared travel lane (northbound) from Dover to McRob avenue.
- 620m of shared travel lane (both directions) between McRob Ave and Hammond Bay Rd.
- Parking removed on east side of McGirr Road, between Clarence Way and Sierra Way only.
- Left and right turn lanes to remain the same.
Turner Road – (Hammond Bay to Nelson Rd)
- 1700m of dedicated bicycle lanes in both directions except northbound at Hammond Bay and between Nelson and Glacier Way.
- Existing on street parking, left and right turn lanes remain the same.
FAQs
What is a shared lane pavement marking, or “sharrow”?
A "sharrow" is a shared lane pavement marking. This pavement marking includes a bicycle symbol and two white chevrons. Sharrows are used to mark cycling routes, which are not dedicated, but mixed with motor vehicle traffic.
How did you decide where to put dedicated bicycle lanes versus shared use lanes?
On busier arterial roadways (Dover Road) bicycle lanes are preferred to sharrows as a bikeway design treatment, but not all streets have enough room for bicycle lanes due to high demand for on-street parking and/or the inability to eliminate or narrow regular traffic lanes. This is the case for a portion of McGirr and Turner roads where shared lanes are proposed.
What is a curb extension and why is there one proposed at Dover and Invermere?
Curb extensions assist pedestrians crossing at intersections, by narrowing the width of the street and shortening the crossing distance. It also protects on street parking bays and reduces vehicle speeds by narrowing the road. Given the traffic volume on Dover Road, existing on street parking, and proximity of the crossing to McGirr Elementary School, it was determined to be a low cost/maintenance feature to enhance pedestrian safety. Future works may see a similar feature on the north side.
A lot of pedestrians walk on the north side of Dover Road between Blueblack and Invermere. Why are you not building a sidewalk there?
This was evaluated during preliminary design and ultimately the project budget could not provide this. Part of the road along here will be slightly widened to accommodate a dedicated bicycle lane, with future road rehabilitation along Dover Road potentially including raised sidewalks with curb and gutter.
Why is parking being removed?
There is a one block section of on-street parking being removed between Clarence Way and Sierra Way to allow the creation of a dedicated southbound bicycle lane. The grade of the road on McGirr travelling south from Dover is substantial and results in slower moving and more unstable cyclists. Constructing a dedicated lane here better protects these cyclists from faster moving vehicles.
Why is there a short section of shared road between Nelson Road and Glacier Way?
With limited road width here, a dedicated bicycle lane was designed for the southbound side appreciating the slower moving cyclists up the hill approaching Linley Valley Drive. Widening the road and constructing new curb, gutter, and sidewalks here was outside of the available budget.
It looks as though a few of the bus stop locations have been moved.
The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) reviews and approves all proposed changes to bus stop locations during transporation upgrade projects such as this. Four locations on Dover road have been moved slightly to improve safety and eliminate conflicts with private driveways.
Project Budget
The approved budget for these upgrades in the 2016-2020 Financial Plan is $180,000