Two high profile Vancouver city councillors are backing a plan to build new bike lanes along the Burrard Bridge, one of the city's major arteries for traffic coming in and out of the downtown area.
Councillors Raymond Louie and Gregor Robertson told CTV they are prepared to add bike lanes on the bridge for a six-month trial period, if either of them is elected mayor in Vancouver's civic elections in November.
"Based on the results from that, we make it permanent,'' said Robertson.
However, Robertson said it's vital that the cyclists are protected from vehicle traffic.
"That's the key thing, so that it's safe for bikes.''
Louie is taking the view that adding bike lanes is another way to encourage people to try alternatives without removing vehicle capacity from the system.
"This bridge represents an opportunity to do that,'' he said.
Confirmation that the concept is gaining support at city hall comes after municipal engineers warned that the cost of building bike lanes across the bridge has quadrupled to $63 million.
The escalating cost has left some councillors wondering if it would not be better to proceed with the older - but much cheaper - idea of closing traffic lanes on the bridge to allow for more cyclists.
Louie and Robertson are among four candidates who are expected to challenge incumbent Sam Sullivan in the fall mayoralty elections.
But another candidate - Councillor Peter Ladner - is opposed to the bike lane idea.
"There was a time when I thought that was the way to go,'' said Ladner, a well-known cycling ethusiast.
Now he has reached the conclusion that closing down one or two of the existing traffic lanes would cause too much conjestion.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's St. John Alexander
