Saanich's land-use plan for the Quadra-McKenzie area could involve some changes to road infrastructure, including the addition of rapid bus lanes.
The draft on the district's website suggests the number of lanes for personal car traffic on McKenzie could drop to one lane in each direction for some sections of the road.
The plan, which council discussed on Monday, is still in draft form. More public input will be gathered and incorporated before council makes a final decision.
Councillor Teale Phelps Bonderoff was on CFAX 1070 to discuss road infrastructure with Ryan Price today. He confirmed rapid-transit bus lanes will be a priority due in part to popular demand, but also because he says it makes sense for improving traffic.
He suggested adding more lanes of car traffic would not be effective for reducing traffic because those tend to fill up with more car traffic within a few years.
"It sounds counter-intuitive because you might be taking out a car lane, but in fact what you're doing is taking out a lane where busses usually stop."
Bonderoff said the Quadra-McKenzie plan is a massive undertaking which involves multiple rounds of consultation. Residents can share feedback via the survey on the district website. The district is also hosting online webinars on October 30 and in-person open houses throughout the first week of November.
In a separate item on Monday, Saanich Council moved forward with Vision-Zero, which Bonderoff described as the first road safety action plan to be adopted by a Vancouver Island municipality. The goal is reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero.
Bonderoff was asked if some of the district's traffic calming efforts would make life harder for drivers. "I think it is actually kind of the opposite, insofar as… nothing slows you down like dying on our roads... Nothing slows down traffic or creates traffic like an accident. When you are able to design roads with fewer accidents, you're going to have a steadier flow of traffic."