Smithers is looking at the possibility of re-imagining a street the Town says is underutilized.
Earlier this year, the town awarded a contract to WSP to redesign Princess Street between 11th and 15th Avenues.
The objective of the project was to obtain a roadway design that improves the existing sidewalk alignment, road and boulevard grading, and stormwater management along Princess Street. New sidewalks, new concrete curb and gutter, and asphalt repaving are planned.
Tendering and construction of the proposed works are anticipated for summer 2025.
According to a report from town staff, as WSP’s design progressed, the suggestion to potentially incorporate active transportation elements was introduced. The current project requires full road and sidewalk reconstruction along Princess Street between Fulton and Fifteenth Avenue, a broad scope of development that presents the opportunity to consider if Princess Street might assume a role in the active transportation network.
Princess Street is not currently a designated route in the Town’s Active Transportation Plan, but with improvements it could serve as an east-west cycling and accessibility spine, either complementing, or in place of, the Main Street and Queen Street bike routes proposed by the current plan.
New cycling and accessibility infrastructure would add additional construction cost to the overall project. However, incorporating the active transportation elements at the time of the planned work would result in lower cost than installing similar infrastructure as a standalone project.
Now the town is looking for feedback from residents on four possible design options.
Option 1 is no change to the standard detail.
Option 2 includes bike lanes. The benefit being it will uses existing bylaw geometric design and offers mode-separated infrastructure. However, this option lacks physical separation between bikes and cars and no on-street parking.
Option 3 would see a multi-use path constructed with one side of on-street parking. The pro of this option is that it will provide physical separation for active transportation users, maintains parking on one side of the street. The con is that it does not separate pedestrian and cyclist modes.
Option 4 is a multi-use pathway with no on-street parking. The plus of this plan is that it reduces paved surface and installation costs and creates more space for utilities, trees, and green space.
The minus is there will be no on street parking. The town is hosting an open house on Oct. 9 from 5 - 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Town Hall. People can also drop off a feedback form at town hall or email thoughts to devserv@smithers.ca.
