Vancouverites may notice a bounce in their step while walking in the 400-block of East 17th Avenue, where the city has unveiled its first rubber sidewalk.
The sidewalk, which runs from St. George Street to Carolina Street, is made up of recycled tires and was designed to prevent cracking.
Rhys Williams, manager of street designs for the City of Vancouver, says the walkway was installed almost a year before being unveiled on Thursday.
"We wanted to wait until the product settled, had some time to age so we could have time to work out any issues," Williams said.
The city has experimented with rubber sidewalks before, installing rubber panels along West 8th Avenue in 2008 in response to numerous complaints of tree roots cracking the concrete and making it uneven to walk on.
Residential reviews from both projects have been positive, according to Williams.
"The residents love it; their old sidewalk was full of cracks," said Williams. "One of the advantages of the rubber is the installation is straightforward, similar to concrete, and easier."
The cost of the rubber sidewalks is 30 per cent higher than its concrete counterpart. However, Williams said he believes that during its lifecycle, the rubber will cost less to maintain.
Alberta-based company Eco-flex, which supplied the sidewalk, says a four-foot-long stretch weighs about 215 pounds and that roughly 1,500 tires were used to make the portion along East 17th Avenue.
The company says the process of manufacturing the sidewalks is non-pollutant, and that cities in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia have been using the alternative method for years.
The city will be looking at the durability of the rubber sidewalks over a five-year period.
