Vancouver Park Board to vote on Stanley Park bike lane

The Vancouver Park Board is expected to approve a motion to remove the temporary protected bike lanes on Stanley Park Drive.

If approved Monday evening, the main road through Stanley Park would have a second lane for cars, leaving cyclists without a designated path around the park.

Read More: Vancouver Park Board set to discuss future of Stanley Park bike lane

The lane first opened in 2020 alongside partial vehicle traffic. Just months earlier, the whole park was closed to cars as part of measures to increase people’s ability to physically distance themselves and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Mimi Errahmani, general manager of Tea House in Stanley Park, is looking forward to the potential bike lane removal.

She says the lone car lane creates a lot of congestion and limits access to the restaurant.

“Everyone has to take Denman, West Georgia, and so at Lions Gate, there is always traffic. Denman, there is always traffic and they need to pass through the West End,” she told CityNews on Sunday. “If they reopen Beach Avenue, everyone could go to Second Beach because now actually there is only one way to go around.”

Errahmani says guests are inconvenienced and discouraged from coming in, due to by the blocked car lanes.

Car services like Uber and taxis, Errahmani says, do not want to have to go around the entire park to get to the Tea House — and that it can take up to 45 minutes by car to get to the restaurant with all the extra traffic.

Not everyone, however, is so eager to see the bike lane go.

Removing bike lane would be dangerous and costly, advocates say

Lucy Maloney is a cycling advocate who organized the “Love the Lane” group, which is aiming to keep the hotly-contested bike lane.

“We are really disappointed that the ABC park board commissioners have doubled down on their decision to remove the Stanley Park bike lanes over winter,” she said. “Cyclists need the protection more than ever when it is dark earlier and slippery and there are a few visitors in the park anyway.”

Cycling advocate Lucy Maloney says removing the bike lane in Stanley Park would be dangerous for cyclists during the winter months. (CityNews Image)

Maloney adds without the designated biking lane, cyclists will have to ride on the road with cars.

“It is really dangerous mixing riders with cars. You are going to get fewer cyclists actually using the road, because not all of us are brave enough to mix in with vehicles, especially with two lanes open. Cars will be overtaking — it is an invitation for drivers to go faster,” she explained.

Recently elected Green Party Park Board commissioner, Tom Digby, opposes the motion to take out the bike lane. In a statement to CityNews, Digby says making a change could be too costly, while the bike lane isn’t perfect.

“The most sensible solution is to keep the current configuration and work to improve it, as cost and resources permit. I will be pushing strongly for this outcome at tomorrow’s meeting,” he said.

Maloney and fellow activists also plan to attend the meeting in an effort to stop the Park Board from removing the bike lane.

The Park Board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday.