Another downtown Vancouver traffic artery could see the addition of a dedicated bike lane by the end of the 2010 Games if a proposal from the City of Vancouver is approved later this week.

An engineering report will go before council Thursday recommending the installation of a protected bike lane on the north side of the Dunsmuir Viaduct. The project will cost $300,000, with funds coming from last year's streets basic capital budget.

Related: Read the report

The project builds on the Burrard Street Bridge bike lane project, which closed one lane of vehicle traffic and dedicated it solely to bikes. The experiment, originally slated for six months only, has been extended until March.

"We know from the Burrard Bridge that when we separate bike lanes from cars with protective barriers, more people cycle and it reduces the risk of injury or accidents," said Mayor Gregor Robertson Sunday.

"We need more protected bike lanes in Vancouver and the Dunsmuir Viaduct is the logical next step."

The lane would reconfigure and relocate existing gravity barriers from the south side of the Viaduct to the north side. It would not remove any traffic lanes.

Councillor Geoff Meggs, who is part of the city's bicycle advisory committee, says the lane will provide a secure route for cyclists coming into the downtown core from East Vancouver.

"The Burrard Bridge helped a lot for north-south connections to downtown, but we didn't really have a strong east-west one," he told CTV News.

Staff is recommending the installation be completed following the 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremonies. The viaduct will be closed to traffic until March 2 because of security requirements.

The proposal also recommends developing a network of protected bike lanes through downtown Vancouver. This phase would involve a series of public consultations and another report submitted this spring. An estimated cost for these extensions was not provided.

Robertson, an avid cyclist, says increasing cycling in Vancouver will make the city a contender for the world's greenest.

"Cities throughout Europe and Asia have hundreds of kilometres of protected bike lanes, and we know from the Burrard Bridge bike lane that there is a demand for them here," he said.

"Developing safe, separated bike lanes downtown – and eventually throughout Vancouver – will make our city a better place for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers alike."

A poll commissioned this fall found overwhelming support for the Burrard Bridge project.

The poll, of 310 downtown residents, also shows 90 per cent of cyclists support continuation of the project, along with 79 per cent of pedestrians.