Neighbourhood Bikeways Identification and Prioritization
📅 October 2026 update
After review of the second round of community feedback, the project has now moved into finalization. The District has determined a final build-out plan for neighbourhood bikeways over the next five years.
A What We Heard report from the Spring 2026 public engagement is now available.
Year 1 neighbourhood bikeway projects will begin implementation in fall of 2026. To follow along, we invite you to follow each individual project on HelloSaanich as they become available. The first five projects beginning design and construction work this fall are:
We are not expecting further updates to this project page. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Neighbourhood Bikeways Identification and Prioritization project. Your input is valuable and greatly appreciated.
About the project
Saanich’s Active Transportation Plan shows a long-term bike network, but the type of cycling facility for each route was not identified. The Neighbourhood Bikeways Identification and Prioritization project was about informing decisions around neighbourhood bikeways, creating a process to prioritize which bikeways get built first.
Neighbourhood Bikeways are streets with low traffic and speed, where people cycling and driving can safely share the road. You can read more here.
How your input was used
Saanich is making cycling easier and safer for everyone by adding more routes away from busy roads. This project reflects what we’ve heard from the public—people want more bike-friendly options off busy streets.
Your feedback helped us:
- Decide which routes become neighbourhood bikeways.
- Set the priorities for which bikeways get built first.
How was the community involved?
The project has two rounds of community engagement:
CONTACT US:
Engineering Department
Phone: (250) 475-5575
Email: engineering@saanich.ca
Project Manager: Kathleen Gallagher
This project is now concluded. For questions or inquiries, please contact Saanich Engineering.
Project Results
Which bicycle routes should be built as neighbourhood bikeways?
The project determined that the following factors should be assessed to determine which routes can be built as neighbourhood bikeways:
- Width of the travel space
- Speed of motor vehicles
- Number of motor vehicles using the road
- Absence of yellow centre line
- Level of transit service provided along the route
- Other type of cycling facility not feasible
Which neighbourhood bikeways should be prioritized for implementation?
The project determined that the following criteria should be used to determine which routes are priorities:
- Speed of motor vehicles
- Number of motor vehicles using the road
- Timeframe identified in the Active Transportation Plan
- Road Safety Action Plan priorities for safety improvements
- Number of connections to other facilities
- Existing cycling volumes
- Proximity to sensitive land uses (for example: schools, community centres, seniors’ facilities)
Throughout public engagement, we heard that connections to other cycling facilities and popular destinations were important factors or planning neighbourhood bikeways. The project team determined that minor additions to the long-term bike network in the Active Transportation Plan would improve legibility and connectedness of the network. These additions are shown on this map.
Phases
First round of community engagement
- Review the proposed factors that will determine whether a route is a neighbourhood bikeway
- Review the proposed criteria for prioritizing neighbourhood bikeways
Events
Past events
Event date: December 5th, 2025 from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
Gordon Head Recreation Centre
3 registrants
Event date: November 29th, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre
5 registrants
Event date: November 23rd, 2025 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Saanich Commonwealth Place
6 registrants