Ive been reading the papers with interest this week, as city hall made public plans to introduce more bike lanes in areas heavily used by cyclists and notorious for accidents and altercations between cyclists and motorists: Cornwall Avenue/Point Grey Road and Commercial Drive.
Im particularly interested in the former, as my route to and from work takes me over the Burrard Street Bridge and along stretches of this road. Its worth noting that theres a bike route just a couple of blocks over from Cornwall, but the numbers speak for themselves: 10 per cent of all trips on Cornwall and Point Grey Road are by bike. This isnt just down to cyclists being contrary. The separated bike lane on the bridge funnels cyclists directly onto Cornwall for at least a block, and Kits Beach and its amenities are a huge draw for cyclists. At the far end, Jericho Beach and park provide a similar attraction.
My own experience is that drivers and cyclists rub along pretty well on Point Grey Road. Its narrow and the presence of bikes often mean cars slow to cycling speed until they have a chance to pass, but drivers dont seem to be in as much of a hurry on this stretch and many bikers (me included) try to be considerate of the cars behind them and tuck in close to the sidewalk on the stretches where parking isnt permitted.
Cornwall, on the other hand, can be a dicey spot to be on a bike. An intersection I particularly dislike is immediately after the bridge, where Chestnut Avenue heads off to the right.
In spite of the fact that cyclists have the right of way here, drivers forget to check their mirrors with alarming frequency and cyclists slamming on their brakes to avoid being taken out by vehicles swinging across the bike lane are a common sight. (Not that Im suggesting all cyclists are angelsI also regularly see bikes blowing through red lights at the pedestrian crossing at the end of the bridge, to understandable irritation from cars coming left off Burrard.)
What I am curious aboutand the city hasnt specified yetis how any proposed new lanes would be added to what is already a narrow, busy stretch of road.
The stats already show that simply locating a bike route nearby isnt enough to draw cyclists away from this particular thoroughfare, and it seems that placing a route in the existing space will inevitably mean taking space that is currently used by pedestrians, moving vehicles, or parked vehicles. Im all for improving cycling infrastructure, and Id gain a lot of personal benefit from bike lanes on this particular stretch of road, but it would be nice to see this accomplished without other road users being short-changed.
With limited road space available and increasing competition among existing user groups for the space there is, bike lanes have become a polarizing topic in Vancouver. Whether you love them or hate them, make sure you take the time to get involved and have your say as the citys plan for adding more bike lanes moves forward.
Kay Cahill is a cyclist and librarian who believes bikes are for life, not just for commuting. Send a comment to [email protected]
