REQUEST FOR DECISION – ERSKINE LANE BIKE LANE

REQUEST FOR DECISION – ERSKINE LANE BIKE LANE

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT staff install knock down bollards akin to “Option 2B” in the staff report “Request for Decision – Erskine Lane Bike Lane”, using the Town’s Transportation Roads budget to install the bollards ($5,000, one time) and maintain the asset (up to $7,000, annually).

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

Option #2: THAT Council direct staff to install knock down bollards akin to “Option 2A” in the staff report “Request for Decision – Erskine Lane Bike Lane”, using the Town’s Transportation Roads budget to install the bollards ($15,000, one time) and maintain the asset (up to $10,000, annually).

Option #3 (Not Recommended): That Council direct staff to convert the cycle lane into on street parking, complete with an additional mid-block crosswalk if warranted, using the Town’s Transportation Roads budget (up to $10,000)

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to seek direction from Council on how to proceed with road adjustments on Erskine Lane due to the systemic parking issues that is occurring along the roadway. Per Council direction, solutions that include protection of cycle lanes are to be presented to Council for consideration.

BACKGROUND:

The decision to install a bike lane on Erskine Lane was a requirement of the 9 Erskine development. A buffered bike lane does provide the necessary road width to be converted to on street parking, but Council discussions at the time opted to improve cycling accessibility due to the transportation demand management opportunities that was analyzed as part of the development (connection to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail is 50m away from the development).

Since occupancy of the 9 Erskine apartment buildings, staff and residents within the vicinity have, and continue to notice vehicles being parked within the buffered bike lane, located on the northbound side of Erskine Lane. Parking within the bike lane is considered unlawful and contravenes the Town’s Streets Bylaw 980 and the Motor Vehicle Act.

Engineering and Bylaw enforcement staff continue to field numerous complaints of the issue. The issues raised include but are not limited to:

• The obvious unlawful parking of vehicles within the cycle lane (Section 8.1.7 of Streets Bylaw 980) and the request for more enforcement;
• Pedestrian safety issues arising from vehicles blocking sidewalk access;
• Emergency access issues;
• Requests for the bike lane to be converted to on street parking.

Bylaw complaints have increased significantly. 2027 complaints have already exceeded the complaints received in 2026.

Figure 1: Parking Issue (March 2026)

DISCUSSION:

Engineering has been informed by Bylaw Enforcement that they do not have the resources to regularly patrol and administer ticketing on Erskine Lane. This is especially because many of the incidents occur in the evening. Safety concerns therefore prevail unless adjustments to the roadway are made.

There are two feasible options:

Option 1: Convert Bike Lane to On Street Parking (Not Recommended)

This option was generally suggested by residents of the new apartment complex.

At no point did the Town convey to any resident or development that on street parking would be available on this section of Erskine Lane. As a result, this option is not recommended because:

1. It does not align with the Town’s strategy to shift transportation away from the vehicle and to encourage active transportation choices. There are opportunities to balance transportation demand management in the vicinity due to the proximity of the development to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail;
2. On street parking impacts residents in the area from accessing the sidewalk. Until a new sidewalk is installed on the other side of the street, the crossing opportunities for neighbouring residents are impacted due to parked vehicles. A new sidewalk on the far side of the street is a condition of the 10 Erskine development. However, there has been no progress on that development and there does not appear to be any movement on it. Therefore, construction timing of the additional sidewalk is unknown and assumed ‘long term’;
3. Opening up parking on Erskine Lane will cause conflicts between residents and hospital workers. Hospital worker parking was a systemic issue on Erskine Lane prior to development in the area, and the ‘resident parking only’ restriction are generally difficult to administer.

Costs to convert the bike lane into on street parking would include the eradication of the existing bike lane markings, changes to street signs, and a potential need to add a mid block crosswalk on the street to safely convey pedestrians to the sidewalk (crosswalk warrant required to confirm). Costs could be between $5,000-$10,000 depending on whether a mid block crosswalk is warranted.

Option 2: Install Knock Down Bollards on Bike Lane (Recommended)

This option would provide a physical barrier preventing vehicles from parking along the curb. The recommendation is to install white bollards, similar to what is found within other West Shore municipalities, or the Victoria Core Region. Doing so would not be as robust as installing the bike lane ‘concrete curb plunking’. However, this interim option would be considered a good start, has been successful in other parts of Greater Victoria, and the asset could be removed easily with minimal damage or affect to the existing roadway.

Additionally, the Town’s road maintenance contractor, Victoria Contracting and Municipal Maintenance Corporation, has recently procured a narrow sweeper that is specifically meant to sweep and maintain protected bike lanes. This service will adequately maintain the protected bike lane.

Option 2A and 2B are detailed below complete with approximate installation and maintenance costs:

OPTION 2A

OPTION 2B (RECOMMENDED)

Non-Feasible Options

Three non-feasible options were investigated:

• Retain a towing company to tow vehicles: desktop research has indicated that such services are not feasible / not provided within roadways (service only provided on private property and parking lots)
• Do nothing approach: as the customer level of service far exceeds the Town’s technical level of service, the parking issue will continue to persist and may be precedent setting in that other neighbourhoods, especially areas with higher densities. Safety and accessibility issues would persist.
• Additional bylaw enforcement staff: not currently in the financial plan, and additional staff would not necessarily solve the issues in the evenings and weekends.

ANALYSIS:

Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:

ALIGNMENT:

The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:

The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:

[x] Inform [x] Consult [ ] Involve [ ] Collaborate [ ] Empower [ ] N/A

While no formal engagement has been done for the issue, staff have heard from numerous residents in the vicinity through the complaints process. This ‘informal consultation’ has provided staff have a good understanding of the issue, and have been able to acknowledge all positions on the matter.

TIME CRITICAL:

A council decision would help improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in the vicinity, as well as provide relief to Engineering and Bylaw Enforcement staff.

ATTACHMENTS: N/A