A planned bike path through Hadden and Kitsilano Beach parks that sparked public outrage and a B.C. Supreme Court petition has been scrapped.
The Vancouver Park Board told staff to halt work on any form of separated bike path through either park on Monday night, chair Niki Sharma confirmed in a statement.
“We’ve heard clearly from the public that there is significant concern with any proposed changes,” Sharma said.
The board will explore ways to improve safety on existing routes instead, and funnel funding for the cancelled bike path into other projects.
The $2.2 million path was part of the city’s Seaside Greenway project designed to improve walking and cycling routes along the waterfront from Canada Place to Jericho Park.
Construction had already been halted since November due to a court injunction.
News of the path drew outcry from area residents who felt they should have been consulted, and believed the path needlessly destroyed natural green space.
Some feared it would create a hazard by placing cyclists too close to children’s playgrounds and sports courts.
The lawsuit also alleged the path would violate a development restriction that has been in place since the park land was bequeathed to the city in 1928.
