The mayor of Victoria says another thirty parking spots will be lost downtown as the city moves into the next leg of its Biketoria project.
"This is health and wellness infrastructure, whether you're walking or on a bike, and it's really about building a healthy city."
Work is currently underway on a $3.4-million dollar protected, two-way bike lane on Pandora Avenue between Store and Cook streets. That work will necessitate the loss of 44 parking spots, with work expected to be finished by next Spring.
Construction on the next leg -- an estimated $2-million dollar separated bike lane on Fort Street between Wharf and Cook -- is expected to start next year. Mayor Lisa Helps says 14-per cent of the parking spots on that stretch will be lost.
"There are 208 parking spots on Fort Street from Wharf Street up to Cook. As a result of building Biketoria, 30 spots will be removed."
Helps says, while they may be losing thirty spots on Fort, staff have determined there are 33-hundred off-street parking spots within a five-minute walk.
The city has budgeted $9-million dollars for the first phase of Biketoria, with a goal of establishing 5.4-kilometres of protected bike lanes downtown by the end of 2018.