Metral Drive Complete Street
Bringing multimodal mobility to life
Client: City of Nanaimo
Location: Nanaimo, BC
Project Type: Transportation, Municipal
About This Project
ISL delivered the award-winning Metral Drive project, which is the first corridor designed and constructed using the City of Nanaimo’s (the City) Complete Street Design Guide (CSDG), developed by ISL in 2019. The guide reimagines how streets function as both transportation corridors as well as public spaces and sets a new standard for inclusive, multimodal design in the city.
Following the guide’s completion, ISL was retained to lead the design and delivery of the Metral Drive Complete Street and Utility Upgrades. Spanning 3 km and delivered in two phases, the project transformed a key collector road into a safer, more accessible corridor for people walking, cycling, driving, and using transit. The corridor includes separated sidewalks and bike tracks on both sides of the road, raised intersections, planted boulevards and medians, and bio-swales for stormwater management. The project is built on innovation beyond existing North American design guidance and incorporates principles from Dutch street design to better prioritize vulnerable road users through thoughtful, context-sensitive infrastructure.
The underground utility upgrades included replacing 2.5 km of aging AC watermain with new PVC pipe and installing 1.5 km of storm sewer to support the infill of existing ditches. Where overhead utility poles conflicted with the new design, ISL coordinated relocations with the utility providers.
Our Approach
ISL’s multidisciplinary team provided traffic, transportation, civil, environmental, and landscape design services. The team worked closely with all the interested parties to coordinate delivery, manage costs, and maintain functionality throughout construction. In areas with limited right-of-way, the design team adjusted alignments, narrowed boulevards, and rolled cycle tracks and sidewalks to tie into existing driveways and local roads, balancing safety, comfort, and access.
To reduce material costs and environmental impact, reclaimed asphalt and base materials were reused to strengthen the pavement structure and support ditch infill and trench backfilling. Storm sewer design was updated to reflect the City’s new IDF curves, with oversized pipes used in some locations to provide in-line storage where overland flow was not feasible.
Key Features
Complete Street Design – Separated sidewalks and bike tracks, raised intersections, and landscaped medians create a safer, more inclusive corridor for users of all ages and abilities.
Utility Upgrades – Replacement of 2.5 km of AC watermain and 1.5 km of storm sewer, coordinated with ditch infill and surface improvements.
Sustainable Practices – Use of reclaimed materials and bio-swales to manage runoff and reduce environmental impact.
Context-Sensitive Design – Flexible cross-sections and alignment adjustments to accommodate driveways, commercial access, and constrained rights-of-way.
Collaborative Delivery – Close coordination with City departments, utility providers, and interested parties to align design decisions with the CSDG vision.
Awards
Transportation Achievement Award-Complete Street
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
Award of Excellence in Sustainability
Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM)
TAC Sustainable Transportation Award
Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
Features
Integrated Expertise
- Construction Services
- Municipal