Survey Shows Support For Burrard Bike Lane Trial

The Burrard Bridge bike lane trial looks set to become permanent after the Olympics in February - a Vancouver City survey found bike traffic was up, accidents were down, and there was general support (45% supported the bridge changes versus 21% against) for the single-lane compromise.

Even a majority of car drivers surveyed were supportive (51% single occupancy drivers were pro and 31% against) and the project engineer has recommended that when council considers options for a permanent reconfiguration of the bridge none of those options include widening it.

I've personally used the new bike lane across the bridge from downtown to Kitsilano a few times. I've pushed a baby stroller across the bridge, and it's definitely an improvement. You feel much safer.

I drove across a couple of times and didn't experience any delay, but I was there mid-afternoon when traffic is always light anyway.

However, from a cycling and pedestrian point of view the east sidewalk of the Burrard Bridge is little improved.

You will remember that Council voted to give one of the six car lanes on the west side of the Burrard Bridge to cyclists, and turned the east sidewalk into a bike-only lane. Pedestrians, going in either direction, are supposed to cross only on the west sidewalk.

Whenever I crossed the bridge from Kits to downtown I met pedestrians going in both directions on the east sidewalk. There were definitely signs saying "no walking", but walking they were.

And who can blame them? It's a long enough walk without having to negotiate all that traffic.

So the compromise is - forgive the pun - a step in the right direction. Once everybody gets used to the idea of a five car-lane bridge, and more people start using the new bike lane, and engineers can do their tests and measurements and give us nice reports with charts and whatever showing the benefits of having more cyclists and pedestrians, maybe then Vancouver councillors will upgrade the East sidewalk?