Vancouver pedestrian walkways slippery as bike lanes remain clear

Park Board Commissioner Tricia Barker went out for a winter stroll in downtown Vancouver when she noticed pedestrian walkways were filled with snow and ice.

Meantime, she said bike lanes had been given much more attention from city crews.

The City of Vancouver is mandated to clear pedestrian paths before they touch bike lanes as walkers are the top priority when it comes to safety.

“The City of Vancouver has to clear the pedestrian path before they clear the bike path … so this is our big snow dump, and here we are. We are still doing the bike path before the pedestrian path,” says Tricia Barker, Vancouver Park Board Commissioner.

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Barker is frustrated and believes there needs to be more done so walkers can stay safe.

“We come into the safety issue. If you’re going to clean a pathway, you have to clean the pedestrian walkway, if someone else hasn’t cleaned it. You don’t just leave it because that’s where people get hurt, and we have lots of people fall and really injure themselves.”

Sarah Kirby-Yung, a councillor with the City of Vancouver, says she sent out a clear message well before the snowfall notifying crews of the incoming weather, and stating clearing pedestrian areas must be a priority as they have the greatest risk of injury.

“This might identify a gap, that we are not seeing a change in staff response, because council was very clear,” said Sarah Kirby-Yung, Vancouver City Councillor.

Hey @CityofVancouver,
I thought we had decided that pedestrian walks would be cleared before bike lanes?
This is a safety issue.
And so far I’ve seen lots of people walking and not one bike. pic.twitter.com/jWx63iX6lA

— Tricia Barker (@TriciaBarker49) December 26, 2021

Kirby-Yung added private property owners have a responsibility of clearing sidewalks adjacent to businesses and residences along with some key walking areas. That must be enforced by the city.

“This is our first year-end big snowfall since council adopted and approved snow policy in March, and this a test to see if we delivered,” said Kirby-Yung.

Walking will only become more popular with the closure of gyms and the temperature expected to drop, so the city will get another chance to prioritize walkers.