The entire stretch of Metral Dr. will be vastly overhauled over the next two years, featuring sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the busy road. (City of Nanaimo)

By Ian Holmes

Metral facelift

Metral Dr. set for ambitious overhaul, providing better access for cyclists

Feb 4, 2020 | 5:06 PM

NANAIMO — Detailed designs are being nailed down to improve the safety and flow of all road users on a busy north Nanaimo road.

The City is embarking on an $11.3 million project to upgrade Metral Dr. between Aulds and Mostar Rd., featuring sidewalks and cycling lanes on both sides of the major collector route.

Annalisa Fipke, capital project management specialist with the City, said crews will begin upgrading Metral Dr. in two phases over the next two years, beginning with the Mostar to Turner Rd. segment in 2020.

Aging water mains and the overall deteriorating condition of Metral Dr. presented the City the opportunity to broaden the scope of the project and create what’s known as Complete Street Standards, Fipke said.

“It was an opportune time for us to work together, both from an asset management point of view but also to look at it from the Complete Street perspective to increase pedestrian and cycling connection,” Fipke said.

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She said public feedback swayed the City to ensure cyclists and pedestrians are separated on both sides of Metral Dr.

“There were concerns with speed and volumes,” Fipke said. “It was important for us to identify both the vulnerable users from traffic but also separate pedestrians from cyclists.”

Fipke said the current vehicular portion of Metral Dr. will be narrowed, while the corridor’s footprint will be widened to accommodate vulnerable road users and treed boulevards.

Raised pedestrian crossings at local intersections will be installed, while protected barriers to be installed at Turner Rd. and Enterprise Way are designed to better protect pedestrians and cyclists, Fipke said.

$8.5 million of the $11.3 million project is covered by senior government funding while the City will apply for additional transportation grants, Fipke said.

Nanaimo City councillor and avid cyclist Ben Geselbracht sees upgrading Metral Dr. as a game-changer for those wanting a safe way to move to and from Nanaimo’s north end without a vehicle.

“It’ll be a great completion of the E&N Trail that goes from south to north Nanaimo, that’s the last stretch that needs to be completed. This (project) really ticks a lot of boxes.”

Geselbracht said the the Metral Dr. Complete Street initiative will serve as an important template in addressing other mobility challenges in Nanaimo.

Pleasant Valley Elementary School PAC chair Karen Delves said the Metral Dr. project will help “in a big way” address the safety of students and ease concerns of anxious parents.

“As someone who drives along the road I can see that it can be hard for traffic to see children who are trying to cross the road,” Delves said.

She believed more parents will be inclined to let their children walk to school when the Metral Dr. revamp is complete.

A traffic count done for the City of Nanaimo showed upwards of 9,000 vehicles use Metral Dr. daily.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

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