Raised speed humps and bollards are planned to add extra traffic calming measures to Lost Lake Rd. in north Nanaimo.  (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

slow down

More traffic calming coming to Nanaimo’s Lost Lake Road

Nov 29, 2025 | 6:27 AM

NANAIMO — Further action to slow down traffic is planned for a north Nanaimo neighbourhood well known for being notoriously unsafe for non-vehicular users.

Councillors voted unanimously for additional measures along Lost Lake Rd., during the Monday, Nov. 24, governance and priorities committee meeting, envisioned to feature three more raised speed humps and bollards at an intersection.

Coun. Hilary Eastmure said she wants the area to be safer for pedestrians as well.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve heard from people living in this neighbourhood is that they don’t feel safe walking along the road, and it’s not just because cars are going fast, because there’s no infrastructure on the side of the road.”

Three new speed humps will be located on Lost Lake Rd. west of the Smokey Cres. intersection, as well as near Tanya Dr. and Blue Jay Tr.

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Additionally, six bollards will be placed outside of the lanes around the Smokey Cres. intersection.

It’s expected the additions will cost around $50,000.

Prior changes to the Lost Lake Rd./Smokey Cres. intersection led to criticism from local residents, including those challenged by towing boats and recreational vehicles down Smokey Cres.

The intersection’s concrete barriers are visibly marked up and have been moved by vehicle contact.

In early 2023, a driver rolled their vehicle at the intersection while colliding with the concrete traffic divider pictured below.

Additional traffic calming measures in the form of bollards are incoming for Lost Lake Rd. near Smokey Cres. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Eastmure acknowledged sidewalks aren’t possible in the area due to the steep slopes on either side of the Lost Lake, which also makes extensive traffic calming measures more difficult.

She amended the staff’s recommendation to include the addition of the bollards, with Coun. Janice Perrino, Sheryl Armstrong, Ian Thorpe, and mayor Leonard Krog were not in favour of the amendment, but voted to approve the overall recommendation in line with the rest of council.

“This is an insoluble problem,” said Krog. “This was a road that was never designed to have sidewalks. It was never constructed with that in mind…and solving the safety issues for the neighbours who wish to walk on this road, and Lord knows I wouldn’t want to walk on it, is never going to be possible unless we expropriate a whole bunch of land and widen the road and put in sidewalks.”

A previous City report from a few years ago estimated sidewalks would cost around $9 million for the area, and was determined not to be cost-effective under the traffic calming program.

This recommendation and other traffic calming measures introduced for Bradley St. must still be passed at a future council meeting, and can still be amended further.

History
In 2021, the City installed several traffic calming measures on Lost Lake Rd. between Vanderneuk and Burma Roads, including speed bumps, raised pedestrian crossings, median barriers, and a traffic circle, but residents wanted more.

A study done following the installation of those measures found they did help slow traffic down in the area where the speed limit is 50 kilometres per hour, but more needed to be done.

This raised crosswalk on Lost Lake at Dewar roads was one of several speed humps added along the Lost Lake Rd. corridor four years ago. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

A follow-up survey was completed in 2023, where 73 per cent were opposed or expressed concerns about adding more traffic calming measures.

Since 2023, City staff have received five complaints from residents wanting traffic calming measures expanded, and three complaints wanting them removed completely.

Work was paused following those results, but another survey was requested by the Lost Lake Neighbourhood Association, completed this summer.

In survey results from earlier this year, 61 per cent were in support of more traffic calming measures, with 36 per cent opposed.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue expressed no concerns about these measures, while no transit buses service the narrow and windy corridor.

This yield sign and accompanied cement barrier was added as part of prior traffic calming efforts on Lost Lake Rd. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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