Douglas St. fast bus-lane work delayed

Tenders cancelled for north and southbound extensions after bids too high

Bus riders hoping stop-and-go traffic on Douglas Street would be alleviated by a new stretch of dedicated bus lanes this fall will have to wait a little longer.

The next phase of the Douglas Street bus lanes — designed to speed bus travel along the busy Douglas corridor — is being put on hold, after bids came in over budget.

Multiple construction bids were submitted to extend a southbound bus lane from Tolmie Avenue to Hillside Avenue, but the lowest one came in about 30 per cent over budget, a B.C. Transit staff report to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission says. Total cost had been estimated at $2.1 million.

The tender package, which falls under the City of Victoria’s jurisdiction, closed in April.

The report says the high bids were due to a busy construction industry, which has affected availability of workers, along with materials such as concrete and asphalt.

The same was true for another section of the Douglas bus lanes — northbound from Tolmie to Saanich Road — which falls under B.C. Transportation Ministry jurisdiction.

The tenders for both sections have been cancelled.

Instead, B.C. Transit, the city and the Transportation Ministry will try putting the projects to tender again through a single procurement process in the fall.

While the southbound lane was expected to be completed by the fall, it will be delayed until at least next spring, commission chairwoman Susan Brice said.

“I think deciding to pull back at this time is a good move,” she said.

“And if we can partner with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on some of the lanes they’re doing along the highway, perhaps together we can put a package out there that is attractive enough for companies to make a real concerted effort to bring in the best price.”

The delay will give staff an opportunity to review the project and propose ways to make it more affordable, she said.

If the tender package fails to attract bids in the fall, the commission will have to consider allocating more funds or rearranging priorities, she said.

Eric Doherty of the Better Transit Alliance said he’s not convinced the delay will fix the problem.

“I think if it’s just a couple of months’ delay, that’s not a big deal. But I’m really wondering if the price is going to be better in the fall.

“And I’m worried this is an indication that it may not have the same priority as other projects that are going ahead,” he said — pointing to the recently completed Pandora Avenue bike lanes as an example.

Once built, the bus-priority lanes would be open to buses run by B.C. Transit and private companies, as well as cyclists. Other vehicles can only enter the lane to make a right-hand turn within the current block.