Victoria unveils urban plaza with outdoor table tennis at corner of Humboldt and Douglas

Downtown Victoria’s newest plaza has just been opened to the public, and one of its most unique features is outdoor table tennis.

The corner of Humboldt and Douglas Streets has been transformed into an urban plaza with new trees, seating, outdoor table tennis, bike parking, and pedestrian and bicycle crossing enhancements.

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A new mural will also be added to the corner through a partnership with the Greater Victoria Place-Making Network.

As for how locals can advantage of the outdoor table tennis, the City plans to distribute table tennis paddles and balls to nearby schools, businesses, hotels, and residences.

The unveiling of the plaza marks the completion of the protected bike lane phase of the Wharf/Humboldt project, with the remainder of the Humboldt Street bike use facilities opening later this fall.

“This project has transformed the look and feel of this waterfront corridor. It has improved road safety and has brought more vibrancy to one of Victoria’s most important streets,” said Mayor Lisa Helps in a statement.

It was funded jointly by the City of Victoria, federal and provincial governments, as well as the Trans Canada Trail Foundation, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Here are the new features along the Wharf/Humboldt corridor:

• two-way protected bike lane from Pandora Avenue to Douglas Street
• shared, traffic-calmed road from Douglas to Vancouver Streets (opening this fall)
• eight improved pedestrian crossings and a new pedestrian scramble crosswalk
• two urban plazas with street trees, benches and urban play features
• new pedestrian-controlled traffic signal at Yates Street
• new traffic signal at the Johnson Street Bridge
• new transit stops near the entrance to Reeson Park and on Government Street