A year shy of its 50th anniversary as a one-way street, the two-block stretch of View Street between Government and Blanshard streets has been restored to two-way status.
The City of Victoria brought back two-way travel on View between Blanshard and Government on Monday to improve access to Government Street and make that stretch more consistent with the rest of the corridor, which is already two-way, said city spokesman Bill Eisenhauer.
Eisenhauer said the change will also make it easier to get in and out of the View Street parkade and the Bay Centre parkade.
It’s the first time two-way traffic has legally been allowed along that stretch since 1973, when it was turned into a one-way street.
The city intends to monitor traffic along the View Street corridor and says it will address any issues that arise.
The change also includes allowing a left turn off Blanshard Street west onto View Street for buses at any time of day. Currently vehicle traffic can do the same except for from 4-6 p.m.
There will still be no right-hand or left-hand turns allowed from Douglas Street onto View Street due to safety concerns.
Eisenhauer said the way the corners and streets are aligned, it’s a very tight turn, and bus lanes and the bus hub along Douglas have to be taken into account.
“It’s about traffic safety,” he said. “And it’s meant to be a thoroughfare.”
The new pattern — at least the 24-7 left turn off Blanshard onto View — will benefit cruise-ship shuttles that will take a new route as they bring cruise-ship passengers from the dock at Ogden Point to the city centre this year.
Shuttle buses will travel from Ogden Point along Dallas Road to Blanshard, then down View Street to the new cruise-shuttle stop near the corner of Government and View.
The new route is controversial as it bypasses the Inner Harbour, which many have argued gives cruise passengers a more impressive first taste of Victoria, as it passes the legislature, Empress Hotel and Inner Harbour causeway.
The new shuttle stop is 140 metres north of the old stop near the corner of Government and Humboldt streets.
