Abstract Manager

To facilitate and plan for RapidBus service on the main arterial highway (Hwy 17) connecting greater Victoria and the Ferry Terminal to the Vancouver mainland, an intersection improvement project at one key connection node was completed in 2022 to provide a much-needed transit stop and queue jumper lane.

The primary project objectives are to provide new, convenient, safe, and accessible regional transit (and future RapidBus) stops on Hwy 17 coupled with queue jump opportunities to ensure schedule and travel time reliability. The existing movements of cyclists, pedestrians, and bus passengers within the intersection had to be maintained and integrated with access to the new bus stops.

Highway 17, or Patricia Bay Highway, on Vancouver Island is a high-speed (90 km/h) 4-lane divided, access controlled National Highway System route connecting passenger and freight ferry terminals between Swartz Bay to the north, and Greater Victoria to the south. Mt Newton Cross Road is a lower speed (50 km/h) undivided 2- lane rural arterial with local bus service, provides connection to a regional hospital, adjacent municipalities, and extensive residential development.

Some of the site challenges include:

·The signalized intersection has a large 18 degrees skew. Due to this skew, drivers encounter excessive head rotation when entering the highway.

·The deceleration lanes on Hwy 17 were designed as direct tapers, providing insufficient room for buses to queue jump past traffic in the through lanes when backed up from the signals.

·An existing multi-use path structure spans Hwy 17 at the intersection. The structure supporting columns posed significant constraint on any highway widening and locating potential bus stops.

·Multiple overhead and underground utilities in shared utility corridors needing relocation or protection.

Designers improved the driver approach angles by introducing smart channel islands to replace the existing quadrant islands. They were also able to locate a transit stop onto an enlarged quadrant island to reduce the traverse distance to cross the highway.  Bus queue jumper lanes were incorporated into the existing auxiliary  lanes across the intersection. The deceleration lanes were lengthened to enable a bus to bypass the 95th percentile queues of traffic during peak periods.

This presentation will be a case study describing design and construction features of the project and the collaborative efforts by project leaders from BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (the owner), designers, and stakeholders to ensure the success of the project.