Sechelt council is on track to giving early budget approval for phase two of the proposed Trail Avenue rebuild, which would allow both phases to go out to tender early next year.
ISL Engineering has been working on the design since 2017, and earlier this year had it narrowed down to an option that would see separated multi-use paths added to both sides of the street to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and people who use mobility scooters.
The plan had support from residents who attended open houses, but a report from the engineering department, presented at the Dec. 12 committee of the whole meeting, said the final design came in “significantly over budget.”
The committee was asked to endorse a reworked version of the design, that reduces costs by keeping as much of the original infrastructure from Pebbles Crescent as possible. It also means bike lanes on the section between Cowrie Street and Medusa Street will be on the roadway and not part of a multi-use path.
Mayor Darnelda Siegers said given the project’s estimated 30- to 40-year lifespan she was willing to support the revised plan. “My perspective is we build it to the highest standard we can at this point, because we’re not going to come back and rebuild.”
Coun. Matt McLean was involved in the project before being elected to council, in part through his work with the Sechelt Downtown Business Association.
“This version has really improved. It’s also a design for Sechelt. I think it takes into consideration that we have a lot of mobility scooters,” McLean said. “The bike lane is beside the walking lane and it provides a nice amount of room for scooters, it provides a safe space for young people to ride their bikes. This is really a key transportation corridor in Sechelt, so if we want to take any significant move towards encouraging cycling, this is the place to do it.”
Coun. Tom Lamb asked manager of engineering services Sanath Bandara whether traffic circles had been considered. “In a lot of my travels we deal with roundabouts in different countries and I’m just wondering if that was ever considered for the Dolphin and Trail scenario, where that’s a very busy intersection?” he asked.
Bandara said they were considered, but at the Dolphin Street and Trail Avenue intersection the rights of way are not big enough to build a proper traffic circle. Engineering consultant Graham Schulz of ISL added that the other consideration was that “traffic circles are less attractive for cycle traffic to move through.”
The committee voted to endorse the new design and have council consider the $3.8-million coast of the second phase for early approval in the 2019 budget. The budget for phase one has already been approved at $2.5 million. The money will come mainly from development cost charges, with some funding from other reserves.
Bandara said if council votes in favour, tenders could go out in early February and work on the section of Trail Avenue that passes through the downtown could be done before summer, with the rest of the work up to Turnstone Drive to be completed later.
