On October 28, NPA council candidate Michael Geller told an audience at the Vancouver Public Library’s central branch that he thinks the city’s plans for the six-lane Burrard Bridge are “ridiculous”.

Kera McArthur, cohost of the Think City Debate ’08, asked Geller and two other candidates if they would implement the city’s $63-million plan to improve the Burrard Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. “The current proposal is ridiculous,” Geller said, later adding, “That’s not value for money.”

Last April, the city stated in a staff briefing to council that upgrading the bridge would cost $57 million to $63 million depending on when construction begins.

The upgrade was estimated in 2002 to cost $14.5 million. Council approved $20 million for the project in the 2009-11 capital plan.

In June, Ladner told the Straight that he had been the victim of a “whisper campaign” before the NPA mayoral nomination meeting, by those seeking to portray him as someone who wanted to shut down a lane of the Burrard Bridge for cyclists. “Somebody is out there telling lies about my position on the Burrard Bridge, and it is making me crazy,” Ladner said at the time.

Geller said at the October 28 debate that this issue almost cost Ladner the NPA mayoral nomination.

After taking control of council in the 2005 election, the NPA overturned the previous COPE council’s decision to allow a six-month trial setting aside two lanes on the bridge for cyclists and in-line skaters. The NPA’s 2008 platform doesn’t mention the Burrard Bridge.

Vision Vancouver and COPE promise in their 2008 platforms to split one of the six lanes to make room for a bike path. Each party also promises to install reversible light signals so there would always be three lanes for vehicles during rush hour. This would leave two lanes for traffic moving in the opposite direction.

The Work Less Party has promised in its 2008 platform to impose tolls on “intra-city bridges”.