FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What’s a mobility hub?
A mobility hub is a concentrated area of activity including transportation options and connections, employment, recreational opportunities, housing, and shopping. Areas with concentrated activities are highly sustainable as they reduce the need for driving long distances. Rather, complete, compact communities can provide citizens the amenities and opportunities they need through sustainable modes of transportation, particularly as our City grows.
What about previous studies that have been done? Are they still relevant?
The City is building on previous studies to take a cohesive approach to downtown mobility that integrates the ideas, visions, and aspirations previously identified. The goal is to use the studies done to date to confirm and select priority projects that can built in the next 5 years.
What are the objectives of the project?
The ultimate goal of the Downtown Mobility Project is change on the ground. The process will identify feasible options and priority projects that could move forward to detailed design and construction in the short-term. Public engagement is a key part of the process to ensure that community aspirations are being met.
Will all the concepts shown be built?
All the projects shown are subject to consideration and approval by Council before they are built. This engagement is an opportunity to understand people’s thoughts and concerns so they can be factored into design refinements and ultimately a decision whether to move forward or not with a given project.
Will all options identified during the Project move forward?
The public engagement process and previous plans have identified many ideas for improving transportation in the downtown. The graphic below describes how ideas have been sorted:
- This project focuses on short-term projects – those that can be achieved in the next 5 years and that demonstrate concrete steps towards the downtown vision.
- The process identified a number of long-term ideas that will continue to be part of Nanaimo’s planning for the future, but with complexities that make it more difficult to define a timeline. Many of these ideas will continue to be worked through other initiatives.
- The process also identified smaller-scale issues. These will be addressed through ongoing operational improvements.