Cadboro Bay construction has gone too far
Photo via sciencephoto.com
Cadboro Bay is a popular place for UVic polar dippers, spikeball tournaments, fun, and relaxation. If you close your eyes, I bet you can picture the scenic walk down Sinclair Road from campus, right down onto the sandy beach.
Now, open your eyes. Instead, behold: a maze of orange pylons, excavators, and “Detour” signs. You might be wondering: “how does anyone get to the beach in this mess?” As it turns out, UVic students are struggling to find their way through the city too.
The districts of Oak Bay and Saanich are popular places of residence for UVic students, many of whom rely on access to public roads, buses, and sidewalks to get around. As of Sept. 26, 2024 though, transit has become unusually difficult due to increasing numbers of construction sites in Victoria (such as on Sinclair Road and Cadboro Bay Road). Many are wondering: why is all of this construction here?
The 24/7 closure of Sinclair Road, for example, is a result of the Sinclair Road Upgrades project. This project is focusing on making the commute through Cadboro Bay safer and more accessible, while prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian networks. Areas near Cadboro Bay are also part of an Oak Bay Infrastructure Project, which aims to replace the sanitary, storm, and water mains.
It might seem counterproductive to complain about improvements to infrastructure, but at what point does betterment start to get in the way? Second-year UVic student Grady Ainscough has been struggling to leave the house, let alone make it to school, due to construction in the Lansdowne area.
In an interview, Ainscough told the Martlet: “They’re digging up all the roads and replacing all the sewage pipes, which is long overdue, but is extremely disruptive.”
Ainscough and his roommates heavily rely on BC Transit buses to get to and from school. Due to construction, they’ve been stuck hitting the pavement.
“It has completely disrupted the bus routes to get to school and to get around town,” he says.
Before their neighbourhood was turned upside down, Grady and his roommates had reasonably close access to a bus stop which took them to UVic (about a 10 minute walk, or three minute bike away). It now takes roughly 15–20 minutes to get to a bus stop that will take them to school and back.
“There was a point where they closed down all the bus stops… for maybe less than a week,” said Ainscough. “We had to call [BC Transit] three or four times before they actually did something about it and reopened some.”
When Ainscough reached out, he said he was told that this inaction was due to the construction companies having the final say over reopening bus stops.
This is an unfortunate reality for many students living in Oak Bay and Saanich. Although there are several factors that can make getting to school difficult, the negative effects of construction shouldn’t be one.
Considering the fact that anyone taking at least one course on campus is subject to an $81 U-Pass fee (automatically added to tuition), more needs to be done to fix this issue. When asked what he felt could improve, he said: “More warning, better accessibility, and maybe a focus on reopening those [transit] routes as soon as possible… many people rely on it on a day-to-day [basis].”
It’s easier said than done, but if the state of Cadboro Bay is any indication, a change needs to be made. It’s time that improvements to infrastructure stop getting in the way of day-to-day transit needs for students.
