Traffic headaches for drivers trying to get to Downtown Vancouver are expected to worsen this summer with a million-dollar trial to turn existing vehicle lanes on the Burrard Bridge into bike routes, CTV News has confirmed.

Despite the idea being tried and quickly scrapped back in the mid-1990s, Vancouver City Council is getting set to move ahead with the plan, citing a need to improve cycling.

Council will vote on the $1.45 million decision on May 5. If passed it will start in June.

"It's been a festering problem, it's been looked at over and over again, we're prosing that it's finally time for a solution," said Councilor Heather Deal.

Councilors are considering three options. The first would see both outside vehicle lanes closed and converted to bike lanes -- one going north and the other south.

The second option would see just the far west vehicle lane closed and divided in half to facilitate two-way bike traffic.

The third option is the most complex and is most likely to be approved:

  • The far-west vehicle lane closed and changed into a south-bound bike lane.
  • The east sidewalk would also be closed and converted into a route for bikes heading north into downtown
  • This option would leave the west sidewalk for use by pedestrians only.

The length of time of the bike-lane trial has not yet been decided.

Many drivers aren't happy about the changes to the already congested bridge.

At an open house on the topic earlier this year, City of Vancouver engineer David Rawsthorne admitted the only way traffic chaos will be avoided is if drivers take Burrard Bridge right out of their route.

"If the trial happens and is a success, it will be in part because drivers can adapt to it," he said at the time.

When asked what fed-up drivers should think, Deal said they, too, will benefit.

"What I say to them is you're going to have a safer bridge, you're going to have a place where, hopefully, the people who don't need the bridge are going to move away, which should leave room for you."

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Stephen Smart.