In recent weeks, the Quadra McKenzie Plan has sparked significant . Following the districtB次元官网网址檚 decision on Oct. 21 to advance the plan to its third phase, the city hall is now seeking public input through an online survey, webinars, and open houses.

Gordon Head resident Brandon Prive was among the crowd at the Nov. 5 open house at Saanich Centre, concerned like many about the draft proposal to reduce traffic to one lane in each direction on sections of McKenzie Avenue. 

B次元官网网址淚 just find the [neighbourhoodB次元官网网址檚] roads so atrocious already and everything I'm reading seems like it's going to get worse,B次元官网网址� said Prive. B次元官网网址淚 just don't see how that benefits the majority of people.B次元官网网址�

Living in Saanich's east end, Prive is already facing longer daily commutes due to the Shelbourne Street Improvements Project. Now, heB次元官网网址檚 concerned the McKenzie Quadra Plan will only exacerbate congestion on the municipality's main arteries.

While not opposed to the plan per se, noting that active transportation can benefit the neighbourhood, Prive remained doubtful about its execution.

B次元官网网址淚'd love it if everybody biked, but I just don't see it happening with our weather and with how everything is spread out,B次元官网网址� he said. 

As Prive continued strolling through the room showing layouts and visuals from the proposed draft plan, David Krug approached from the other direction. The Saanich resident and avid cyclist was there to voice his support for the project.

B次元官网网址淚 believe that that future is one that contains biking and busing. I'm an active transportation advocate,B次元官网网址� said Krug. B次元官网网址淚 bike and bus everywhere and I think we need to design infrastructure that is going to support the future that we want to see.

Despite the opposition the draft plan has faced in recent weeks, Krug said he's B次元官网网址�100 per centB次元官网网址� ready for the shift proposed by the city.

B次元官网网址淢y understanding is that building infrastructure for bikes and buses does not actually cause more congestion,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t only supports better transportation for folks who are choosing not to use cars as a means of transportation.

B次元官网网址淚 think those kinds of concerns are maybe a little unfounded.B次元官网网址�

A few metres from Krug, Peter Kelly and his wife carefully examine a poster to gather information and form an opinion on the proposed draft.

B次元官网网址淲e're here because we're in the area very close to the Saanich Centre and we want to know what's going on,B次元官网网址� said Kelly. B次元官网网址淢y one concern is that if they narrow [McKenzie Avenue] too much, there will be no traffic getting through. It's already very busy.B次元官网网址�

Like Prive, Kelly isnB次元官网网址檛 opposed to the project but doesnB次元官网网址檛 fully support it.

B次元官网网址淚'm open-minded and I want to see what they can do if they can do it, like putting bus lanes, that would be great,B次元官网网址� said Kelly. B次元官网网址淏ut I'm not sure how they would get away with narrowing the roads down.

B次元官网网址淸During rush hours,] it's a zoo out there and to go from two to one lane is just not going to help things. Hopefully, they've thought about a lot of this stuff.B次元官网网址�

Though Kelly, a Saanich resident for 60 years, said retirement has lessened his traffic concerns, he noted that the influx of newcomers and recent developments have increased stress on local roads.

Behind Kelly stood friends and neighbours Stu Hackett and Ron Walchuk, who live near Beckwith Park. The two expressed concerns about the plan proposed for their area which has been identified as a hub in the draft. 

B次元官网网址淲e have all these events during the summer like soccer on weekends, kids trying to come and go to the games,B次元官网网址� said Walchuk. B次元官网网址淸If] you build all these extra multi-unit housing, apartments and condos, it's going to add more traffic and stress on parking.

B次元官网网址淓ssentially, it's just going to make our life in that area miserable.B次元官网网址�

Both men hypothesized that this issue would extend beyond their neighbourhood, including Quadra and McKenzie.

B次元官网网址淵ou take away two lanes for buses or bikes along that road, everything is going to grind to a halt,B次元官网网址� said Hackett. 

In addition to their concerns about the proposed draft, the two men were skeptical about how their feedback would truly influence the plan and shape its future. 

At the event, attendees were invited to write comments and questions on post-it notes and stick them on a board.

Hackett and Walchuk were not impressed by this approach.

B次元官网网址淭his is very niceB次元官网网址� to have this open house, but it would be nice if a city planner was here or a city council (member) who's going to be voting on this at some point,B次元官网网址� said Hackett. B次元官网网址淚 don't think they have a clue what's going on.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 like that they're trying to gather some input but I'm not convinced that anything will change,B次元官网网址� added Walchuk. B次元官网网址淢y concern is they have these public forums, but I don't know if we'll be able to affect the decisions that are already in place. I hope it's just not lip service.B次元官网网址�

Given the scale of the project, the two men concluded that there was no need to rush things. 

B次元官网网址淚 hope theyB次元官网网址檙e not throwing things against the wall and see what sticks,B次元官网网址� said Hackett. B次元官网网址淲e don't need to decide on a plan [now] so there's no reason to aggressively push something like this forward.

B次元官网网址淗opefully, the results of this [public] engagement influence the plan.B次元官网网址�

The mayorB次元官网网址檚 response

The following day, Saanich B次元官网网址 spoke with Mayor Dean Murdock about the open houses, which drew over 700 attendees. Although he couldnB次元官网网址檛 attend, Murdock appreciated the strong participation and feedback from the community.

B次元官网网址淥f course, there was a lot of interest... around the use of McKenzie and the lanes for rapid transit,B次元官网网址� said Murdock. B次元官网网址淏eyond just the open houses, my council colleagues and I have had a lot of email and in-person feedback on that part of the plan in particular which has generated a lot of frustration from folks.B次元官网网址�

Murdock recognized that some components of the plan ought to be reviewed. 

B次元官网网址淲e fully recognize that, for some folks, what's proposed isn't workable,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e're gonna have to think differently about how we accommodate public transit on that corridor without significantly impacting other commuters' ability to use it.B次元官网网址�

As a decision-maker, Murdock mentioned that his role as a mayor was to ultimately B次元官网网址渕ake life better for people.B次元官网网址� 

Highlighting that public engagement for the draft ends on Nov. 25, Murdock noted that council has time to provide gathered feedback to city staff. This will allow the draft to balance the need for public transit while also ensuring smooth traffic flow on the district's roads.

B次元官网网址淲e've got some time to figure this out,B次元官网网址� said Murdock. B次元官网网址淲e'll need to think carefully about how we do that and make sure that McKenzie continues to be a very well-used corridor that continues to be one that facilitates all modes of travel.B次元官网网址�

The project timeline states that after the public input period, staff will revise the plan and present it to the council in early January 2025.

B次元官网网址淭his is all a long-term visionB次元官网网址� and it's so important that it reflects the voices of the people who live in Saanich and who care about the neighbourhoods around these corridors,B次元官网网址� said Murdock. B次元官网网址淚'm so pleased that we've got a good level of engagement.

 B次元官网网址淸Their] feedback will certainly be reflected in the final version of the plan.B次元官网网址�

To provide feedback on the Quadra McKenzie Plan, complete the survey at .