New signage is going up ahead of construction along Metral Dr., to turn the recently wrapped complete street into a cat-friendly corridor. (NanaimoNewsMEOW Staff)

By NanaimoNewsMEOW Staff

EXPRESS ROUTE

New active transportation lanes have Nanaimo cats ‘feline’ good

Apr 1, 2025 | 12:00 AM

NANAIMO — Impeded access for cats on a key local transportation network will soon be hissstory.

On Tuesday, April 1 local officials unveiled plans for a one-foot-wide, cat-only accessible mobility lanes for the entirety of Metral Dr.

The elevated asphalt laneway, wedged between the bike lanes and sidewalks,would line both sides of Metral Dr. between Mostar and Aulds roads.

Purrlock Holmes is a feral cat living in the area who has long advocated for improved cat-specific active transportation amenities.

“This is a huge victory for the entire cat population, particularly with a growing feral population in the area. I’m sure these new lanes will keep cats safer, reducing hospitalizations and CATscans” Holmes chuckled.

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Not everybody was excited about the new addition to the neighbourhood, with some calling it a complete cat-astrophe.

Concerned local human residents documented three recent incidents of cats straying aimlessly on the roadway, creating conflicts with other road users.

The most serious faux-paw involved a cat jumping into the bike lane, sending a dodging cyclist into traffic where the rider was bumped by a speeding lifted pick-up.

Local residents aren’t convinced a dedicated pathway for the felines would do anything at all.

“We knead to do better,” one local anonymous resident told NanaimoNewsMEOW, expressing concerns about the new lanes.

Our newsroom attempted to reach Holmes for a follow-up comment to respond to the controversy, however he was in the midst of a prolonged nap and couldn’t be reached in time for publication.

Creating the new cat-specific lanes won’t come cheap, costing local taxpayers $800,000 while also further narrowing Metral Dr.

Several other similar ‘cat lanes’ throughout Nanaimo to be created in the coming years are planned.

A network of cat-specific mobility lanes are planned for Metral Dr. (NanaimoNewsMEOW Staff)

Editor’s Note: April Fools….obviously! Given the current state of the world, we felt we need to bring something outlandishly silly today and we hope this gave you a bit of a chuckle. You can read our other pieces we wrote here:

• NanaimoNewsNOW evolving local ‘mews’ coverage in Nanaimo & Oceanside
• Nanaimo cats furious over animal control bylaw harassment
• ‘Best paws in the game:’ Nanaimo cathlete wins triple gold at MICE

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