Bowerbank Road Neighbourhood Bikeway

In 2025, the Town plans to create a north-south cycling corridor within Sidney by making Bowerbank Road safer for pedestrians and cyclists, especially youth heading to nearby schools and parks.

Rather than create bike lanes, which would involve the removal of on-street parking, the Town will be putting in two traffic diversions to lessen cut-through traffic on Bowerbank Road, while keeping the road open to two-way traffic.

This type of road design where vehicles and cyclists safely share the same lanes is called a neighbourhood bikeway. Following extensive public engagement with the community on Sidney’s first Active Transportation Plan in 2022 and 2023, the Bowerbank Road Neighbourhood Bikeway was selected by Council as a priority item in the plan.

Project Updates:

• May 29, 2025 – Construction on the Calvin Ave path will commence the week of June 2 and continue for approximately eight weeks. During this time the pathway and surrounding land will be closed to public access. The Lochside trail will remain open, and can be accessed via either Amelia Ave or the newly-refurbished Gabriola Place pathway.
• May 29, 2025 –  Traffic pattern changes and construction on Bowerbank and Siddall will begin in early July. Speed humps will also be added on Melville Drive over the summer, in coordination with other paving work.

Design:

The Bowerbank Road Neighbourhood Bikeway will involve two traffic diversions that will lessen traffic on Bowerbank Road and Siddall Road. Buses and cyclists will not be affected by these diversions.

Traffic Diversion near Ardwell Avenue and Piercy Avenue

Vehicles travelling northward will still be able to drive the full length of Bowerbank Road from Mills Road to Resthaven Drive, however, vehicles travelling southward will not be able to drive the full length of Bowerbank Road because of a diversion at Piercy Avenue. Instead, vehicles will need to take Ardwell Avenue to Resthaven Drive to complete their journey south. This diversion will reduce traffic on Bowerbank Road and make it safer for cyclists to share the road with vehicles. Traffic will flow freely in both directions on both sides of the diversion.

Traffic Diversion at Siddall Road and Mills Road Intersection

Vehicles heading north on Siddall Road must turn right onto Mills Road,  and will no longer be able to turn left toward Bowerbank Road. Mills Road traffic will continue to be able to travel east-west, but vehicles will no longer be able to turn south onto Siddall Road. This diversion will reduce traffic on both Bowerbank Road and Siddall Road, making it safer for cyclists to share the road with vehicles, especially students and families heading to and from Sidney Elementary School.

Additional Improvements:

Two additional projects will further support walking and cycling in the area.

Funding:

A BC Active Transportation Grant will cover up to 70% of project costs with a contribution of $500,000. The majority of these costs are related to paving and adding lighting to the wood-chip path connecting the Lochside Regional Trail to Calvin Avenue to make it accessible to mobility devices and more suitable for cyclists.

Timing:

The road changes are likely to occur in mid-2025. Status updates will be shared here when work begins.

Resources:

Active Transportation Plan (2023)

Staff Report: Communications and Feedback related to Bowerbank Road Neighbourhood Bikeway (January 2025)

Staff Report: Preliminary Design of Bowerbank Bike Boulevard (October 2023)