Stanley Park bike lane 'should have been stopped a long time ago': park board commissioner

This week is the final chance for Vancouver residents to have their say on how traffic should move through Stanley Park before the fall election.

The decision, set to be made during a meeting Monday night, will be in place until at least after a new park board is voted in in October. 

One item on the agenda is the Stanley Park Mobility Study, which includes the separated bike lane through the park -- a concept that has divided many Vancouver residents.

It has also divided park board commissioners. Tricia Barker has long been against it due to the difficulties it has created for the elderly and those with mobility issues seeking to access the park.

“We still have the access to get into the park but pushing a wheelchair for a mile to get somewhere isn’t easy access,” Barker said. “Yes it’s access, but it’s not easy access.”

There’s also the price tag. Last fall, CTV News was provided with the cost of the bike lane, which came to $815,000 for public surveys, consultation and implementation. In addition, Barker said there is about $2 million in lost parking revenue

“Right now we can’t even afford to mow all the lawns, we can’t afford to pick up the garbage and we’re spending money, time and energy on something that I don't think the majority of people want in Stanley Park,” Barker said. “I think that it should have been stopped a long time ago.”

Commissioner John Irwin, on the other hand, is one of the bike lane’s strongest advocates.

“I think it’s been a really good success,” he said, adding it’s a step toward tackling climate change.

“I think the goal is, in a situation where we’re in a climate crisis -- and it’s going to take us a long time to get carbon producing cars out of our system -- we need to look seriously about how we get people around,” Irwin said. “The pandemic has been, and seemed like, the pressing emergency of our time, but from my perspective… the bigger crisis is the climate crisis.”

Irwin said he also has a vision of implementing an electric shuttle bus through the park for tourists, operated by TransLink.

“It could be two or three smaller community buses, right? Or ideally, smaller electric shuttles,” he told CTV News. “TransLink could feature it as ‘This is our new direction for community shuttles.’"

The separated bike lane has been in place since the early days of the pandemic, initially to move cyclists off the seawall and allow for greater physical distancing. In October the Vancouver Park Board voted to extend the project until the Stanley Park mobility study was complete.

The configuration of the lane through Stanley Park involves one-way traffic along Beach Avenue, meaning cars can only exit onto Georgia Street, creating bottlenecks at the exit when vehicles are leaving during peak hours, and on some weekends.

BUSINESSES STRUGGLING

Gerry O’Neil is president of the Stanley Park Horse Drawn Tours and this year the company is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

2022 is also the first summer in two years that tourists are visiting the park, meaning O’Neil’s business is back up and running. But on top of a staff shortage, experienced in businesses across B.C.., O’Neil and his staff are also struggling with the carriages having to use one lane through the park with other vehicles.

“People are behind us and honking and screaming so, it’s unfortunately, it’s unpleasant,” O’Neil said. “We already had two staff that quit this year, two drivers, they just had it.”

On top of causing delays for other cars, O’Neil said his carriages also create challenges for paramedics and fire crews called to the park.

“The first responders (have) had to wait behind us for five minutes, 10 minutes,” he said. “We brought this issue to the staff, we’re just ignored.”

O’Neil said he has asked Park Board staff if the carriages could also use the bike lane, but that request was denied with staff, citing safety reasons. He believes the bike lane setup should be more flexible, especially during the weekend when the park is busy.

“You could shoot a cannon in middle of the day, weekdays and you’re not going to hit anybody in the bike lane,” he said.

The Vancouver Park Board meets Monday night and residents can still sign up to speak.