TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: July 13, 2026 Report No. EPW-26-009
TO: Council
FROM: Charles Davie, Manager of Engineering
SUBJECT: Selkirk Avenue - Traffic Analysis and Engagement Summary
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council direct staff to advance traffic calming measures on local roadways, north of Craigflower Road and east of Tillicum Road to reduce speeds and discourage cut-through traffic while maintaining two-way traffic access on Selkirk Avenue, as described in Staff Report EPW-26-009.Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this report is to identify and address concerns about high traffic volumes, speeding, and cut-through vehicle use on Selkirk Avenue. Staff issued two letters over the last year to acknowledge the concern and gather resident feedback on existing conditions and outlining potential traffic calming options, including a westbound vehicular closure. Feedback varied greatly, reflecting the downstream effects of a closure for different parts of the neighbourhood, resulting in polarized feedback. This report presents findings, summarizes feedback, and seeks Council direction on a potential approach to improve safety and neighbourhood livability.
BACKGROUND:
Selkirk Avenue is identified as a local roadway within the Township’s official community plan. As per the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Design Guide, a local roadway should have less than 1000 vehicles per day(vpd) and have an 85th percentile speed of around 30km/h. The following table reflects the historic traffic volumes and speeds on this corridor.
Selkirk Ave - West of Agnes - Bi-Yearly Historical Traffic Volumes and Speeds
|
Year |
2016 |
2018 |
2020* |
2022 |
2024 |
|
Volume per Day |
1889 |
2276 |
1285 |
1562 |
1528 |
|
85th Percentile Speed (km/h) |
42 |
43 |
34 |
47 |
39 |
*Traffic volumes in 2020 were greatly reduced due to reduce travel patterns associated with COVID 19.
Despite Selkirk Avenue’s road classification, the roadway has operated over the desired daily volumes, maintained speeding issues and has acted as a cut-through route for traffic avoiding the Tillicum and Craigflower intersection for some time. There have been several initiatives over the years in an attempt to address these concerns, some of which are still in place today (speed humps and reduced speed limits).
In 2023, staff performed targeted traffic counts prior to roadway changes to Lampson Street and Tillicum Road. These were done to identify pre/post traffic conditions and to mitigate negative neighbourhood effects, if required.
During the pre-counts on Selkirk Avenue in June 2023, weekday vehicle counts were observed at 1400-1700vpd with the 85th percentile speeds at 51km/h and max speeds of 86km/h. These speeds were observed despite the roadway being posted 30km/h and having speed bumps along the corridor. Due to these elevated observed speeds, staff reached out to VicPD to request enforcement on the corridor.
Staff continued to monitor speeds and volumes on the corridor after the Tillicum and Lampson Active Transportation project was completed in 2024. Weekday vehicle counts remained constant at 1500-1600vpd, with 85th percentile speeds of 47km/h. Though volumes and speeds remained consistent pre/post project implementation, the elevated speeds and volumes resulted in staff identifying Selkirk Avenue for future traffic calming initiatives, as budget allows. Concurrently, the City of Victoria was also evaluating their section of Selkirk Avenue for traffic calming measures.
In late 2024, Selkirk Avenue residents shared concerns about elevated cut-through traffic, and long queueing along Selkirk Avenue. Further data collection in early 2025 prompted a meeting with VicPD, which resulted in further enforcement requests and identifying two additional speed hump locations along Selkirk Avenue to better manage speed concerns.
On October 17, 2025, staff issued a letter (Attachment 1) to implement two additional speed humps to achieve better spacing to support an average speed of 30km/h. Staff also identified that further engagement with residents would be required to address the overall traffic volume and cut-through concerns.
Prior to staff planning for post speed hump implementation traffic counts and engagement strategies for next steps, the City of Victoria provided notification of the eastbound closure of the Point Ellice bridge starting in mid February 2026 for a duration of four months. Once this closure began, staff received an influx of resident feedback of queueing on Selkirk Avenue extending past Arm Street as well as speeding, stop compliance and near miss concerns. Traffic counts noted that weekday vehicle counts had increased to 2100-2300vpd (primarily westbound), with 85th percentile speeds decreasing to 33km/h after infill speed hump installation.
To quantify the impacts of the bridge closure on Tillicum Rd itself, staff compared the most recent bi-yearly traffic count on Tillicum Rd (2024) at the bridge to new counts collected in 2026 during the Point Ellice bridge closure. In 2024, volumes were 19,000vpd while in 2026, volumes reached 24,500vpd, a 29% increase.
Staff shared these concerns and traffic data with the City of Victoria and noted that interim measures would be implemented on the Township side to try to mitigate the downstream impacts of the bridge closure and review potential traffic diversion on Selkirk Avenue.
On April 17, 2026, staff issued a second letter (Attachment 2) reflecting the identified concerns, actions to date, and the proposed mitigation to address the short-cutting/high vehicle volumes. Due to the significant change to the circulation in the neighbourhood, staff requested public input be provided. See below for the feedback request.
We would like to hear your feedback on the following:
a) If you support or oppose a westbound closure of vehicular traffic on Selkirk between Uganda and Agnes
b) If you support a closure, do you feel a westbound closure would resolve the traffic concerns, or should a full closure in both directions, or other treatment be considered
c) If you support a closure, for how long (6-month trial, permanent, other)
During the engagement period (April 17-June 15, 2026), staff installed “local access only” signage, barricades and yield points at various location within in the neighbourhood. This would allow staff to trial yield points and the efficacy of a signage only approach until the bridge closure was complete. The City of Victoria also closed Arm Street to facilitate a watermain replacement during the engagement period which started on May 4th, 2026, slightly reducing cut-through traffic.
Summary of Neighbourhood Feedback:
Staff received feedback from 102 residents with 49 against the proposed closure, 42 in support of a closure, and 11 not stating support/ opposition or would support what the neighbourhood desired as a whole.
Neighbourhood Concerns/Comments:
• No traffic calming required
• Traffic has always been busy in afternoon on Selkirk Avenue
• Local access must be maintained to access Selkirk Avenue and Tillicum Road.
• Selkirk Avenue is the primary route in/out of the neighbourhood for residents
• Craigflower is too busy to support the westbound closure of Selkirk Avenue
• Any closure would punish residents for non-resident actions.
• Use other traffic calming measures, not closures
• Concerns over effect of construction/densification of the Township.
• Safety concerns due to limited access for emergency services from queueing
• Significant traffic and queues on major roadways (Tillicum/Craigflower/etc.)
• Not being able to access their property due to vehicle queues
• Driver behaviour/road rage
• Near misses
• Poor stop compliance at Arcadia and Selkirk
• Speeding
• Traffic negatively affecting the liveability of the neighbourhood (sound/noise)
• Child safety during afternoon peak hour traffic
• Concern for pedestrian and cyclist use of Selkirk during afternoon peak hours
Neighbourhood Alternative Actions:
• Only install local access only signs
• Time limited closures
• Install yield points (e.g. Lampson Street between Craigflower and Transfer)
• Restrict right turns off Craigflower onto Arm Street and Arcadia Street
• Closure(s) on Selkirk Avenue at Arm Street
• Wait until bridge reopens
• Don’t do anything
• Revert Tillicum Road back to 4 vehicle travel lanes
• Speed humps on different roadways (Arm, Agnes, Inskip, Uganda, McNaughton)
• Additional speed humps (Selkirk, Arcadia)
ANALYSIS:
Staff’s original proposal was designed to address safety concerns by reducing the volume of traffic on a local roadway to be within acceptable standards by suggesting a westbound closure of Selkirk between Agnes and Uganda. These volumes would be redirected back to Major Roads like Craigflower and Tillicum that are designed to manage elevated volume. Even with the queueing that is observed on major roads during peak hours, this is the appropriate location for these volumes.
Since the Point Ellice bridge has reopened, weekday traffic volumes have decreased from the peak of 2300vpd, to 1700-1900vpd.
As the majority of neighbourhood feedback underlines the desire to maintain two-way access, with volume partial decreasing following the bridge reopening, staff feel that the speed reduction measures previously applied to Selkirk can be applied to other neighbouring local roadways with the shared goal of maintaining average speeds (30km/h) on local roadways.
Though speed reduction can reduce some volumes, staff recommend the application of alternative traffic calming measures such as yield points that limit vehicles to a single direction at a time but still allow two-way traffic to be maintained. Staff believe these measures that have worked elsewhere in Esquimalt can be utilized to try to further reduce cut-through traffic and decrease volumes closer to the 1000vpd target while still maintaining the access that residents desire.
Staff recommend the following traffic calming measures:
• Install speed humps on Selkirk Avenue(1), Arcadia Street(1), Inskip Road(1), Agnes Street(1), Uganda Avenue(2), McNaughton Avenue(1) and Arm Street(2) as budget and scheduling allows
• Review/improve pavement markings and signage for the four-way stop at Arcadia and Selkirk Avenue
• Implement “yield to oncoming” points on Arcadia Street north of Craigflower Road, on Selkirk Avenue east of Dingley Dell and on Selkirk Avenue west of 946 Selkirk Avenue.
• Continue to monitor traffic volumes on Selkirk Avenue and other local roadways in the area.
Through the engagement and review period, staff have also observed the following:
• Local traffic only signs appear to be not effective traffic control devices. Users are not clear on who is considered local traffic or are not dissuaded by the signage. For these reasons, staff will not consider them effective traffic calming devices by themselves.
• Major roads queueing will be monitored and staff will continue to work with Saanich to review the signal timing at Gorge Road/Tillicum Road and Craigflower Road/Tillicum Road to increase movement of vehicles, goods and transit on Tillicum Road
• As of December 15, 2025, Selkirk Avenue is listed as the #4 Priority Cycling Facility. Future implementation of Selkirk Avenue as a neighbourhood bikeway will require that speed and volumes meet the desired thresholds.
OPTIONS:
1. That Council direct staff to advance traffic calming measures on local roadways, north of Craigflower Road and east of Tillicum Road to reduce speeds and discourage cut-through traffic while maintaining two-way traffic access on Selkirk Avenue, as described in Staff Report EPW-26-009
2. That Council request additional information from staff.
3. That Council provides alternate directions for staff.
COUNCIL PRIORITY:
Engaged & Healthy Community - Implement Active Transportation Network Plan
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Proposed traffic calming measures are planned to be implemented through yearly Traffic Calming Infrastructure budget ($50,000) with no further supplemental requests at this time.
COMMUNICATIONS/ENGAGEMENT:
Staff issued two letters to notify and garner public feedback on traffic issues and potential mitigation. Staff primarily received feedback and corresponded by email but also spoke to residents by phone to answer questions and concerns.
Communications during future construction will be managed by staff. Staff will mail a letter to all residents along the corridor in advance of construction to explain the project scope and impacts. Staff will utilize social media and the Township’s website where necessary to communicate significant impacts.
TIMELINES & NEXT STEPS:
The next step in this project is to complete design of proposed traffic calming infrastructure, coordinate with the City of Victoria on improvements on shared roadway (Arm Street), and review scheduling for implementation.
Staff will continue to monitor speeds and volumes in the area, as required.
REPORT REVIEWED BY:
1. Joel Clary, Director of Engineering & Public Works, Reviewed
2. Ian Irvine, Director of Finance, Reviewed
3. Deb Hopkins, Director of Corporate Services, Reviewed
4. Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer, Concurrence
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
1. Selkirk Avenue - Construction Notice - 2025-10-17
2. Selkirk Avenue - Engagement Notice - 2026-04-17