Parking spaces along both sides of Hwy. 4 at Cathedral Grove are consistently overflowing and crowded. (Google Earth)

By Spencer Sterritt

grove parking woes

Renovations, overpass are main options to fix Cathedral Grove parking

Jun 20, 2019 | 6:02 AM

NANAIMO — The public now has a firmer grasp on what’s on the table to fix congestion and traffic woes at Cathedral Grove.

An open house in Parksville on Wednesday, June 19 presented several options after lengthy engagement sessions and consultation. Cathedral Grove handles more than 500,000 visitors from all over the world every year and the available parking is insufficient.

Of the six options presented by the Ministry of Transportation, expanding and upgrading the current parking lots on either side of Hwy. 4 is the easiest.

Each option was assessed under sever categories, such as cost, environmental impacts and highway mobility. Using existing space received a green light in six of the categories.

Though it would offer a similar number of parking stalls at the main grove, it would be placed further away from the highway to improve pedestrian safety.

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A temporary design for renovated parking at Cathedral Grove inside MacMillan Provincial Park off Hwy 4. (Province of B.C.)

A centre barrier would be installed along the highway to separate the parking lots and prevent U-turns in the congested space.

If the province decides to reconfigure the existing parking spaces, U-turn spaces would be built approximately three kilometres away on either side of Cathedral Grove.

However, the U-turn option was assessed to be moderately expensive and features significant mobility concerns.

Previous Cathedral Grove public engagement reports showed the community is overwhelmingly in favour of a pedestrian overpass.

Though it would cost more than adjusting the current parking spaces, building an overpass was identified as the second least-concerning option.

Three main possibilities for an overpass at Cathedral Grove, which was listed as the second most viable option. (Government of B.C.)

It would still require a centre barrier to stop people from running across the road and U-turn accesses would still be required.

Other options presented at the open house included building entirely new parking in the area, built among the trees but not harming the old growth forest. A long-term bypass around Cathedral Grove or just boosting education and awareness efforts about safe driving were also pitched.

Given the high cost of creating new highways and the impact it would have on the environment, a new bypass isn’t being considered by the province as a solution.

The full report can be found online here.

The public has until July 31 to provide further input.

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