Townsite Road and Holly Avenue Pedestrian and Cycling Upgrades

Pedestrian Improvements

Example Pedestrian Refuge Crosswalk. 
Image courtesy of Google

• On the Townsite Road crosswalk at Holly Avenue, a traffic island with pedestrian refuge island will be installed along with curb extensions at the southwest corner. (delayed, see Updates below)
• A left turn bay for vehicles turning from Townsite Road onto Holly Avenue southbound. (delayed, see Updates below)

Image courtesy of Google

• Curb extension at the southwest corner of the intersection at Townsite Road and Holly Avenue.
• Curb extensions for the southwest and northwest corner of Townsite Road and Vancouver Avenue.

A raised bus stop at the southeast corner of Vancouver Avenue and Townsite Road that allows people with mobility challenges easier access to the bus.  

Cycling Improvements

• Dedicated bike lanes on Townsite Road from Arbutus Avenue to Stewart Avenue, except in the downhill section between Terminal Avenue to Stewart Avenue where a shared vehicle and bike lane is marked.
• Shared vehicle and bike lanes on Holly Avenue from Rosehill Street to Townsite Road.

The cycling facility upgrades are part of the Townsite Bikeway identified in the Nanaimo Transportation Master Plan. Future upgrades will connect the bike lanes which were constructed between Waddington Road and Boundary Crescent as part of the Hospital Area Transportation and Utility Upgrade Project with the bike lanes constructed as part of this project.

The bike lane on Holly Avenue is part of the E&N Trail to downtown Nanaimo.

The City wide cycling and trail map can be found here: Nanaimo Cycling Map.

On Street Parking

On street parking will largely remain in the project area; however, there are some areas where on street parking will be eliminated.   These areas include 60 m on the south side of Townsite Road, west of the intersection with Holly Avenue. Parking on the east side of Holly Avenue between Rosehill Street and Townsite Road will remain as it currently is.  

The following drawings highlight the planned transportation improvements:

Estimated Cost

The overall project budget is $362,000

• $75,000 for pedestrian improvements;
• $40,000 for cycling upgrades;
• $247,000 for underground utility upgrades.