Vancouver park board votes to immediately remove temporary Stanley Park bike lane
The Vancouver park board has voted to immediately remove the temporary bike lane on Stanley Park Drive that has been in place since early in the pandemic.
Removing the lane was a promise ABC Vancouver candidates made during the recent civic election and now that they have a majority on the board they have followed through on it at Monday night's Park Board meeting.
"We're taking everything into account and it's a hard decision. But I think it's time to move forward but then also come back with a better solution for the bike lane," said Angela Haer, the commissioner who brought the motion forward.
The motion to remove the lane passed 6 – 1 with all ABC commissioners in favour.
Cycling advocates say the separated bike lane on the roadway was a safer option than sharing a lane with traffic, or riding on the seawall which can get very crowded.
"It's just such a joy to be able to safely ride through the forest," said Lucy Maloney with Love the Lane, an advocacy group formed by people who wanted to see the lane made permanent.
"The bike lane is wide enough that you can ride side by side and chat to a friend and there's still plenty of room for faster cyclists to pass you."
The motion also directs staff to begin exploring how to create a permanent bike lane on Stanley Park Drive that is less disruptive to other park users.
Haer said it is ABC's intention to move forward with that plan in a way that maintains two lanes of traffic for motor vehicles.
"Our goal is to keep the two lanes of traffic -- just like pre-COVID -- just like we had previously, and bring in another bike lane," Haer said.
Given the confines of the roadway and the close proximity of hundreds of large trees along Stanley Park Drive, it is not clear if that ambitious goal will be possible.
Haer said it will up to Park Board staff to figure out if it can be done.
"The engineers that work with our Park Board and the City of Vancouver, they're brilliant," Haer said.
"And we trust them. They're going to come back with an even better solution than this."
Maloney said she would have preferred for the park board to maintain the existing lane and make changes to sections of it over time rather than remove it now and then replace it in the future.
"They could leave it in place and make incremental improvements," Maloney said. "Leave it in place so cyclists are safe and Vancouverites have a healthy low impact option for outdoor exercise."
Many business operators in the park blame the lane for a drop in customers, saying it creates additional congestion and the cones and signage around entrances and exits to parking lots has been confusing.
Gerry O'Neil, owner of Stanley Park Horse Drawn Tours, says the bike lane forces his carriages to share a single lane with cars.
In the years since it's been in place, he has seen numerous impatient drivers swerve dangerously into the bike lane to get around his carriages rather than wait for a safe opportunity to pass.
"I feel really good. I am cautiously optimistic. The devil is in the details," referring to the possibility a new permanent cycling lane could soon be on the drawing board.
Work to remove the barriers, cones and signage for the bike lane is set to begin immediately.
It's not clear when, or even if, a new permanent replacement will be built on Stanley Park Drive.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.