Victoria Avenue and 18th Street particularly, need to function to better serve pedestrian movement and connectivity to and from the campus. These streets should also be enhanced as attractive tree-lined corridors with generous sidewalks and safe signalized pedestrian crossing points to the Campus. They provide the opportunity to make the Campus very accessible for all modes of movement, and its edges welcoming for pedestrians and present and attractive face to the surrounding city.

18th Street

18th Street is an existing highway adjacent to Brandon University that functions as one of the main north-south vehicular corridors in Brandon. As such, it is one of the primary vehicular routes into and out of the Campus. It also carries the main north-south public transit route to and from Brandon University. 18th Street will continue to be a barrier to the Campus in terms of providing safe access unless the speed and profile of the street changes between Princess Avenue and Victoria Avenue to be more pedestrian friendly. To create a more pedestrian-friendly environment for 18th Street, signalized pedestrian crossings should be provided at Princess, Lorne and Louise Avenues.

Policies:

• Coordinate efforts with the City of Brandon to enable a change to 18th Street to make it a safe and accessible corridor. Including lowering the posted traffic speed.
• The Louise Avenue and Princess Avenue lights at the intersections should be coordinated to allow for a mid-block signalized pedestrian crossing at Lorne Avenue.
• The intersection treatments should be enhanced so that they are highly visible and signify that they are pedestrian priority crossing points. Treatments can include patterning of the intersection, the use of materials such as brick or stone, and integrated BU gateway signage.
• Reduce the current 4.0m travel lanes to 3.5m to encourage a reduction in speeds, to create wider sidewalks, and for wider planting zones on either side of the street and in the centre median.
• Plant streets trees on both sides of the street and in the median to create a significant tree-lined canopy, and to beautify the street so that the street becomes part of defining a beautiful University District.
• Coordinate with the City of Brandon to integrate any streetscape enhancements for 18th Street with the Campus Master Plan’s design for adjacent open spaces.

Existing 18th Street Cross-Section:

Proposed 18th Street Cross-Section:

Elements of the 18th Street Right-of-Way

• 30.0m R.O.W.
• 19.0m roadway, which includes two 3.5m travel lanes in either direction and a 5.0m landscaped centre median
• 3.5m planted boulevard on either side of the street
• 2.0m sidewalk on either side of the street
• 5.0m centre median with street trees and landscaping.

Victoria Avenue

Victoria Avenue does not experience the traffic volumes of 18th Street, which may not necessitate a change to the cross-section of the street, but it still requires a level of enhancement to become more attractive and pedestrian-friendly, including a consistent planting of street trees, a minimum 2 metre wide sidewalk, and signalized pedestrian connection to the Campus.

Princess Avenue

Princess Avenue is also an important street in the Plan because it functions is a key connector linking the Campus to both the surrounding neighbourhood, as well as to downtown Brandon. It defines the northern edge of the Campus and functions as a residential street with slower moving traffic to allow for safe pedestrian crossing between the Campus and community. It is also the location of existing transit stops that service the University and community. The forested nature of the adjacent Edge Landscape should be enhanced to create a memorable walking experience along this corridor and comfortable waiting areas for transit.