Vancouver Park Board rejects plans to reinstate Stanley Park bike lane by summer
Posted November 28, 2023 7:12 am.
Last Updated November 28, 2023 8:24 pm.
Cyclists will have to continue sharing Stanley Park Drive with cars after the Vancouver Park Board rejected plans to reinstate the dedicated bike lane by the summer.
The decision was relayed at a meeting Monday, much to the dismay of cycling advocates, with some calling the move “devastating.”
According to Lucy Maloney with Love the Lane, staff reported to the board that “there are significant challenges” in reinstating the lane in time for summer 2024. Maloney cited “impacts to other priority works and no funding available” as some of the reasons provided by staff.
“Staff stated that a bike lane proposal could be considered after the completion of the Stanley Park Mobility Study, likely to come to the Park Board for Decision in April 2024 at the earliest,” Maloney wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“I’m deeply disappointed but not surprised with this recommendation, which underscores exactly how unfortunate the Park Board’s 13 February 2024 decision to remove the temporary bike lane is.”
Maloney tells CityNews the safety and convenience of cyclists has been “sacrificed for the convenience of drivers at peak times.”
She’s not alone in her disappointment. Others also took to social media to share their gripes
“Vancouver’s Municipal ‘swagger’ doesn’t include dedicated bike lane- Stanley Park’s Park Drive-now or in near future. Roads in Stanley Park are for 2 lanes of traffic driving to businesses funding Park Board. Watch bike lane get permanently delayed, too expensive, not priority,” Sandy James Planner said in response to Maloney’s posts.
Citing staff, Tom Digby, a Green Party park board commissioner, says removal of the dedicated bike lane “now results in 50 [per cent] of cars going 50kph (in a 30kph zone) as opposed to 11 [per cent.]”
He goes on to say that bike usage along Stanley Park Drive is “way down,” suggesting cyclists are increasingly choosing to use the seawall instead.
“Pretty much everyone is losing,” he wrote, finally taking a shot at ABC Vancouver commissioners, saying, “you broke this @Vote4ABC.”
During Monday’s meeting, staff presented their recommendations as part of an update on the Stanley Park Mobility Study.
The separated bike lane was removed earlier this year. Since its removal, staff note there was “no change” in parking revenue related to this move.
Staff also says there has been “limited negative feedback from park stakeholders since [the] bike lane was removed.” It adds there has been “mixed” feedback from community stakeholders, with a weekly protest in favour of the lane also noted.
Options to bring the bike lane back include a “road reallocation” and a “two vehicle lane + bike lane” proposals.
The first option, according to staff, would require $2-4 million in funding and a two-year lead time. The second would require $30-50 million and at least a four-year lead time, they say.
Other considerations are feedback from the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, other park projects, including ongoing looper moth management, resources, and the Mobility study — which would study both aforementioned options.
Vancouver Park Board commissioners are set to focus on the bottom line at a meeting on Tuesday, with members expected to vote on the annual budget.
As it stands now, the park board will be spending more than $168 million on facilities and services next year.
