11-year-old cyclist injured after riding over Canada Line Bikeway bump

A dried pool of blood marks the spot on the Canada Line Bridge Bikeway between Vancouver and Richmond, where an 11-year-old boy hit a rubber mat installed by TransLink and flew off his bike, breaking his arm last week.

Lilong Tan was riding the bikeway south towards Richmond with his family. He was unable to see the bump, lost control of his bicycle, and fell on the asphalt.

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“I went flying to all the way over here, where you see what is where I coughed up blood,” Lilong recounted his fall.

He broke his arm, scraped his knees, and badly injured his mouth by chipping his front tooth.

Lilong’s incident was to be expected, according to cyclists who frequent the route, as everyone remembers their first run-in with the bump.

“I didn’t see it on time, so it was a pretty rough one,” a cyclist told CityNews.

“It wasn’t there a couple of years ago, I don’t think… The first time I went over it was rough to say the least,” said another.

“If you’re not aware of it, it can be a real shock to you,” said a third.

A sign, bearing a graphic of a cyclist falling, stands in place to warn cyclists of the potentially hazardous spot.

However, many do not even see the sign when riding through the area.

“There’s a sign?” asked one cyclist.

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know at all.”

The bikeway is owned and operated by TransLink.

Lilong suggested that TransLink, “make the speed bump smaller and not that dangerous, and maybe even some flashing light on the sign.”

In a statement to CityNews, the transportation authority said it had never received a complaint about the speed bump prior to feedback from Lilong’s family.

“We’re exploring long-term solutions, including opportunities for additional signage, to make the Canada Line Bridge Bikeway even safer and more comfortable for everyone,” said a TransLink spokesperson.

The statement explains that the bump, made of rubber strips, was installed to cover an “elevation difference” and smooth the transition between two bridge structure parts.

“The warning signage and these physical treatments are intended to increase awareness and reduce risk from the elevation difference of the bridge’s structure. Our engineers continue to look for a long-term solution for that portion of the Canada Line Bridge Bikeway, and the loose rubber strip your team has pointed out will be fixed immediately.”