The City of Courtenay has completed major safety and accessibility improvements at the intersection of Cliffe Avenue and 5th Street, one of the busiest intersections in the Comox Valley. The project makes it safer and easier for people walking, cycling, taking transit and driving through the area.
The upgrades included removing the northbound right-turn channel and adding a fourth pedestrian crossing. These changes improve accessibility, simplify traffic movements and strengthen connections for all transportation users.
To reduce impacts on the public, the City and its contractor completed most construction work overnight. More than 20,000 vehicles, 1,400 pedestrians and 500 cyclists that travel through the intersection each day.
"We've made one of Courtenay's busiest intersections safer and more accessible, while keeping disruptions to a minimum during construction. That's a win for everyone who walks, bikes, takes transit or drives through this area every day,” said Mayor Bob Wells. “Plus, the data gathered through this project also helps us better understand how people move through our community and gives us the information we need to improve operations, respond to changing conditions and make informed decisions in real time and about future transportation investments."
The project also supported the City’s Intelligent Intersection Pilot, launched in January 2026 using Miovision’s AI-powered traffic analytics platform. By collecting data before and after construction, the pilot helps the City better understand how the intersection functions and evaluate the impact of the improvements. The technology also supports advanced traffic signal operations, enhanced vehicle detection and emergency vehicle pre-emption.
Following the pilot’s success, the City is expanding intelligent traffic monitoring to additional intersections along designated Safe Routes to School corridors:
- Island Highway and Veterans Memorial Parkway
- Lerwick Road and Mission Road
- Lerwick Road and Idiens Way
- Lerwick Road and Malahat Drive
- Cliffe Avenue and 5th Street (expanded monitoring area)
The Intelligent Intersection Pilot supports Council's strategic priorities for transportation, mobility, accessibility and community safety and establishes a scalable foundation for future intelligent transportation systems throughout the City.