North Cowichan council is asking the Ministry of Transportation to consider street-level alternatives to a proposed pedestrian overpass across the Trans-Canada Highway in a busy section of the municipality.
“Even though it is the highway, that is a big part of our downtown core for the region,” said North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas. “What we’ve suggested is bringing in some urban-design experts who could provide some advice.”
The notion of having an overpass in the area for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users has been under discussion over the past two years, and renderings of possible designs for the structure have now been released by the ministry.
Douglas said an overpass is not council’s preferred choice, and it would like the ministry to carry out community consultation regarding street-level possibilities.
He said council wants to see options that would also improve safety while being “more esthetically appealing” than an overpass.
Coun. Christopher Justice brought the request for alternatives to council on Wednesday, saying he wants “a more welcoming, beautiful, pedestrian-friendly and business-enhancing environment that establishes a greater sense of connectivity between the east and west sides of the Trans-Canada Highway.”
Douglas said overpasses tend to be more common over parts of highways that are not as built-up as the area being looked at — between Beverley Street and James Street/York Road.
The area has several businesses and is expected to get busier with the new Quw’utsun Secondary School set to open in December.
The new school will open with capacity for 1,100 students, up from the approximately 800 attending the existing school.
A public meeting to discuss the ministry’s concept for the overpass was held in February.
The ministry has said that about 30 per cent of pedestrian crossings in the area of the proposed overpass are not safe, despite the presence of signs indicating restrictions.
The Ministry of Transportation said in a statement that it has engaged with the District of North Cowichan, the Cowichan Valley School District, Indigenous communities and business owners about possible overpass designs.
“Safety is our paramount priority with this project, ensuring pedestrians, cyclists and other active transportation users a safe crossing over Highway 1,” the ministry said.
“This project is still in the design phase, and we are taking all feedback into consideration as we move forward with the designs.
“We’ve heard the district has expressed some concerns with the design, and we are looking forward to working directly with the district to address them.”
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