June is Bike Month all across Canada. As cycling becomes more popular the City of Vancouver is working to improve road safety and reduce collisions between drivers and bicyclists. On high risk streets with the most crashes, the City is proposing to build new bike lanes on Commercial Drive, Point Grey Road, and Cornwall Avenue. Vancouver City Council recently voted to make the temporary lanes on Dunsmuir and Hornby permanent.
By 2014 the City will have spent $35 million in road improvements for cyclists. While a good beginning, some believe it is not enough. City planners are trying to decide what changes to make – separated lanes, painted lanes, or traffic-calming measures like bump-out curbs, raised pedestrian walkways, traffic circles and new traffic signals.
But businesses and those living in the neighbourhood have varied opinions as to what the best bike plan is. Some think that Cornwall and Commercial don’t have enough space for bike lanes. With tight parking spaces on narrow roads, they are concerned about how bike lanes would impact the business community.
But former city councilor Peter Ladner says that this is great news and “most of the neighbours are in favour of traffic-calming, at least, if not a protected lane for cyclists.”
City transportation director Jerry Dobrovolny says plans and public consultations won’t begin until the fall. The number of cyclists will continue to rise during these warmer months. So drivers be extra alert and please share the road.
For More Information:
- Vancouver bike lanes set to expand with Commercial Drive, Point Grey Road under construction, The Vancouver Sun
- Cycling can still be a risky business, The Vancouver Sun
- Bike to Work Week, HUB
