Reconstruction of 26th Street (Park - Victoria Avenue) Project

Reconstruction of 26^th Street between Victoria Avenue and Park Avenue is scheduled to occur this summer 2024. This page provides information about the project, updates on implementation and timelines.

What is included in this reconstruction project?

The reconstruction project includes:

• Repair of underground utilities: wastewater and water mains and water services
• Replacement of the pedestrian crossing signals at J.R. Reid School
• Replacement of the traffic signals at 26^th Street & Park Ave
• Excavation and replacement of the sidewalks
• Excavation and replacement of the pavement structure
• Proposed bike lane

Why a proposed bike lane?

As part of council direction to develop and implement an Active Transportation Strategy to improve connectivity in the community, city administration is exploring connection of missing Active Transportation (AT) links (sections with no/poor AT connection-see attached map). Active Transportation is ways of getting around such as biking, walking and rolling, that are active.

The city has various “missing links” that have been identified by the public and city staff going as far back as 2015.

The stretch of 26^th Street between Victoria Avenue and Park Avenue is one of those missing AT links. Since this stretch is one of the missing AT links and has been included in the 2024 capital budget for full road reconstruction, the city is proposing to include a bike path as part of the road reconstruction this summer 2024. This presents the opportunity to redesign the street in a manner that allows movement for all.

Movement for all is part of the city-wide vision to provide safe movement options for all residents. This is one of a few projects that will be undertaken in the next few years to create new paths and connect existing paths into a network of bike lanes. The goal is to create an active transportation corridor on 26^th Street from Maryland Avenue to Pacific Avenue utilizing bike lanes and multi-use pathways.

What will the end product entail?

The Greenspace Master Plan (2015) identified 26^th Street as an Active Transportation (AT) corridor.  Typically the design of AT would entail a wide asphalt pathway for pedestrians and cyclists to share  (considered a multi-use pathway).  Due to the location of the sidewalk and mature trees, a multi-use pathway isn’t a viable option.

In an effort to maximize usage of the roadway for all modes of transportation, the Engineering Department has reviewed traffic and parking volumes.  Traffic volumes were found to be similar to other streets within the City that currently consist of one travel lane in each direction.  With that information, several concepts were developed that include one travel lane in each direction, parking on both sides of the street, bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Option 1: Raised Cycle Track:

- Separated from the roadway entirely by a 65mm curb
- More attractive to a wider range of bicyclists at all levels and ages
- Increased vulnerability at intersections
- Requires reconstruction of roadway to allow for implementation
- Requires increased winter maintenance activities

Option 2: Buffered & Protected Bike Lanes:

- Protected by parking lane
- Additional buffer limits conflicts between cyclists & parked vehicles
- Delineated by paint markings and bollards
- Functional concerns during winter months
- Relatively easy to implement throughout 26th street corridor (Richmond Avenue to Pacific Avenue)

Option 3: Buffered and Protected Bike Lanes - No Parking

- Delineated by paint marking and bollards
- No street parking lane
- 2 travel lanes in each direction

Option 4: Multi-Use Path on West Side of the Street

- Separated from roadway entirely
- Popular and more attractive to a wider range of bicyclists at all levels and ages
- Increased vulnerability at intersections
- Requires reconstruction of roadway or sidewalk to allow for implementation
- More complicated to develop throughout 26^th Street corridor (Richmond Ave to Pacific Ave)
- 2 travel lanes in each direction
- No street parking lane

Community Feedback

After reviewing your feedback, there will be a follow-up meeting to go into more detail about the four proposed conceptual designs on April 4^th at Vincent Massey (6 p.m.-8 p.m.). 

Alternatively if you are unable to attend you can click here to submit your feedback. The deadline to submit your feedback is April 8th, 2024.