No major changes to Columbia Street plan

NEWS/ CITY HALL — Ten months after the last open house on the Columbia Street upgrade project, not much has changed. That’s what residents discovered as they milled and asked questions Wednesday night at a City-hosted open house in First Baptist Church on Columbia Street.

Much of the information was already known about the project, scheduled for construction next year, although it confirmed that upgrades to Royal Inland Hospital will be done at the same time as Columbia Street to minimize impact.

Two of the most controversial features of the street upgrade remain. The plan still calls for closure of the left turn at 2nd Avenue, restricting access to right-in and right-out only. The rationale is the high number of rear-end collisions there, though many residents insist it’s an important access to the West End.

And there will be no bike lanes, a fact that seriously irked some residents at the first open house back in February.

“Columbia Street is not designated as a bike route in the City’s Bicycle Master Plan,” a handout explained.

“A bike route is provided on the parallel roadways of St. Paul Street and Nicola Street, with a connection at 5th Avenue to the future proposed Peterson Creek multi-use pathway connecting Summit Drive to Columbia Street.”

In answer to why there’s so much focus on vehicles versus pedestrians along the Columbia Street corridor, the City says the street is a major arterial, connecting the downtown to Upper Sahali and TRU, as well as the Trans Canada and Valleyview.

The plan also includes additional left-turn lanes, a raised centre median between 3rd Avenue and 6th Avenue, LED street lighting, and more sidewalks.