Vancouver Park Board votes to remove Stanley Park bike lane

A controversial bike lane that has been in place in Stanley Park since the beginning of the pandemic will be no more following a vote from the Vancouver Park Board.

Commissioners voted along party lines in a 6-1 decision in favour of a motion that will see the entirety of Stanley Park Drive be converted back to a shared road between motorists and cyclists.

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.

Read More: Vancouver Park Board to vote on Stanley Park bike lane

The bike lane had become a point of contention for park-goers, with those in favour of the bike lane saying it promoted active transportation, while those opposed pointed to slowed vehicle traffic in the park.

The ABC Vancouver party, which makes up the majority of Park Board commissioners, said in its election campaign it would build an “improved” bike lane on Stanley Park Drive.

Cycling advocate Lucy Maloney says the Park Board vote will make riding bikes in the park more dangerous.

“Tonight the Park Board took a step backward, without locking in its election commitment to install an improved separated bike lane by next summer,” she said.

“Removing the lane will not only reduce safety for cyclists but also increase traffic by attracting more drivers to the park—a well-documented phenomenon known as induced demand.”

The only non-ABC party Park Board commissioner, Tom Digby was the only one who voted against the motion.

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“It makes your head spin to contemplate the unnecessary costs incurred by taxpayers to remove a perfectly safe and viable bike lane only to replace it months from now with even more expensive infrastructure,” he said in a statement.

Moving forward, Park Board staff will be directed to immediately remove the bike lane, with a progress report on the matter slated for later this month.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar