Although a ranking website called Walk Score has deemed Vancouver one of the most bike-friendly cities in Canada, city hall isnt stopping while its on a rollfive more bike lane projects were approved Wednesday for various streets by the end of the year.
Sections will be added to 45th Avenue between Ontario and Nanaimo Streets, the Dumfries Bikeway between 37th and 59th Avenue, the Ridgeway Greenway between Nanaimo and Rupert Street, the North Arm Trail between Cambie and Ontario Street, and to the Adanac Bikeway on Union Street at Hawks Avenue.
The overall cost of the projects, approved by a city hall committee, will be $3 million. Director of transportation for the City of Vancouver, Jerry Dobrovolny, said the projects will all be started this year and most will be completed by December.
This week we were ranked number one in Canada for all the major cities for biking facilities and topography and culture, so bike-ability ranked highest in Canada, said Dobrovolny when asked if he thought Vancouver is well-equipped for cyclists.
The Seattle-based Walk Score website ranks North American cities on their friendliness to pedestrians. Its recent bike ranking of cities was created in association with academic and health researchers.
At least one avid cyclist, Conrad Brown, agrees that Vancouver is easy to get around in by bike. While he doesnt use bike lanes that often on his three to four trips per week, he said theyre helpful amenities. I think theyre probably good at getting people who dont normally feel safe on the road to ride, he said. You can bike all year around here. You can bike in the rain. Its not fun, but you can do it.
But not everyone agrees the projects are a good idea. At Wednesdays committee meeting at city hall, Rose Templeton, a resident of the area near the 45th Avenue project, said the projects are a waste of tax dollars. Weve lived there for 47 years and the bikers are very few and far in between, said Templeton. Theres too much waste there. There are other things that are more important to be done.
Another resident of the area, Min Lu, spoke up in opposition to the removal of a traffic diverter on 45th, which is part of the bike lane project. Despite Lus petition of more than 100 names in favour of keeping the diverter, Dobrovolny said it will be removed.
While it did reduce the number of cars substantially on the bikeway, it redirected some of those vehicles to the front doors of two schools in the neighbourhood, said Dobrovolny.
More information on future works can be expected by the end of the month when staff brings a long-term transportation plan for 2040 to council. The plan will go through the second phase of consultations in June.
Twitter: @mickicowan
