Second Avenue tops lists of public’s likes, hates on Columbia Street upgrading project
Left-turn onto Send Avenue is most contentious part of Columbia Street plan.
NEWS/ CITY HALL — Wider sidewalks, more turning lanes, closing the Second Avenue left-turn lane and more public input top the list of what people want from the Columbia Street upgrade project.
A report that will go to City council next week also says people don’t like quite a few things about the project, including:
Closing the 2nd Avenue left turn lane — also on the list of what they like best.
- No provision for bike lanes or a multi-use path.
- Too much focus on cars.
- Not enough focus on pedestrians.
- Lack of bus pullouts.
- Issues at 6th Avenue due to school access and egress, and
- Disruption of Columbia Street during construction.
The lists were generated from a public open house held Feb. 5 as well as feedback forms collected after the meeting. They’re for council’s information at this point; staff will incorporate the feedback into the detail design.
“However, in some instances, the requests or suggestions were outside the scope/budget of the project, contrary to other City planning documents, or posed a health and safety risk,” the report cautions.
The Second Avenue left-turn lane is clearly the most contentious part of the project, with West End residents and those who use it as a shortcut divided on the question of whether to close it.
“The concern from the public is the increased travel distance to the residential area northwest of Second Avenue,” the report to council says.
“If the left turn lane at Second Avenue is closed, residents will have to rely on the left turn at Third Avenue and have to circle back through the neighbourhood.”
But it says eastbound vehicles turning left off Columbia onto Second create confusion for following drivers who assume the vehicle ahead of them is simply signalling to change lanes.
Work is to start next year on the project, which extends from Third Avenue to Sixth. It includes road repairs, curbs, paving, sidewalks, bus-stop enhancements and medians.
Cost will be close to $4 million.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Anyone on council voting to widen Columbia Street will certainly not get my vote this coming November.
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There was a letter from someone to one of the papers recently, suggesting two traffic lanes and a centre left turn lane for both east and west traffic for a portion of Columbia St. This would keep traffic moving smoother as the left turner has to watch for a space in only one lane instead of two like today. The fourth lane could be bike or parking. Would this work?
It appeared that it could be tried for the cost of paint for lanes.
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