Stats show fewer cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers use Burrard Bridge
The numbers of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists using the Burard Bridge in the week of August 17 to August 23 were are all down significantly from the first week of a lane reallocation trial in mid-July.
On July 13, the city set aside one lane of vehicular traffic for bicycles on the west side of the six-lane bridge.
The east sidewalk was reserved at that time for northbound cyclists, which means that all pedestrians must use the west sidewalk.
According to city statistics, the number of cyclists using the bridge between August 17 and August 23 was down 22.7 percent from the first week of the trial.
Between July 13 and July 19, 41,580 cyclists crossed the bridge; that fell to 32,214 in the week of August 17 to August 23.
City statistics for the week of August 17 to August 23 indicate that 59,246 drivers made the crossing per day.
According to the city, that's a five-percent decrease since the first week of the trial between July 13 and 19.
Slightly more vehicles--59,609--used the Granville Street Bridge on a daily basis over the same week. That's up seven percent since the first week of the trial.
The city's summary on its Web page pointed out how much vehicular traffic had fallen from the first to the sixth weeks of the trial.
However, the city didn't draw a similar comparison with bicycle crossings. Instead, it compared the August 17 to August 23 cyclist numbers with the previous week, which was particularly rainy.
During the 19 days of the trial in July, 108,524 cyclists went over the Burrard Bridge. In the first 23 days of August, 96,130 cyclists made the crossing.
That's an 11.4-percent reduction in the number of cyclists during August, which, according to the latest statistics, includes four more days.
The weather hasn't been as sunny in August as in July, which could be a contributing factor behind the decline.
Meanwhile, the number of pedestrians using the Burrard Bridge fell 16.8 percent in the week of August 17 to August 23 compared with the first week of the trial.
Between July 13 and July 19, an average of 2,829 people walked across the bridge each day.
That dropped to 2,353 daily pedestrians in the week of August 17 to August 23.
Shortly before the trial began, pedestrian advocate Bev Ballantyne wrote an opinion piece on Straight.com saying the trial would benefit drivers and reduce pedestrian access.
"To deny walkers use of the east sidewalk during the trial adds insult to injury after years of negotiating the trek beside equally impositioned bike riders," Ballantyne wrote at the time. "Will pedestrians forever be banned from the sidewalk if the experiment becomes permanent?"
Comments
9 Comments
August is vacation time for many
Aug 30, 2009 at 10:43am
Perhaps the reason the numbers were down in all categories also involves the small matter that many people are away on vacation in August.
Tama
Aug 30, 2009 at 11:06am
Just a thought: a lot of people take vacation this week, the PNE is on, school is about to start. A fairly uninteresting explanantion, but worth considering.
Gregor to lead the NDP!
Aug 30, 2009 at 3:41pm
Gregor Robertson should be strapped to a bicycle and shot into the ocean AT an endangered dolphin.
Just kidding I love that guy. This story and its stats strike me as pretty meaningless. The bike lane has been up for a couple months - give it time to do some good. Its too easy to harpoon earnest efforts made for the greater good.
Keep up the good work Gregor!
Chris Van Ihinger
Aug 30, 2009 at 5:13pm
We are pleased with the early success of the Burrard Bridge bicycle lane and look forward to Vancouver City opening a northbound lane to bicycle traffic. This will give back the eastbound sidewalk to pedestrians.
Noah Vail
Aug 30, 2009 at 6:37pm
I've avoided riding over the Burrard Bridge recently. It used to be a pleasure and I almost always paused midway to admire the view. Cycling in the new lane is sort of like driving over the Port Mann: it's fast, but you just grit your teeth and get over it.
RetroFit
Aug 31, 2009 at 9:45am
I know that the Burrard trial has gone well. And it seems that a crossing under the Burrard Bridge will never happen.....which dumbfounds me because it's not like there are any vessels going under the bridge except rich people in sail boats.
Long term, another crossing should be built, maybe under the Granville Bridge. Granville bridge should be able to support another crossing. And if you think about it, Granville is more accessible for more people in the city, not just those that live in Kits. The other factor that makes Granville appealing is turning Granville st into a bike road. I was talking to a bus driver the other day and he figures that the city will not run the buses on Granville after it opens. I think that Granville has to be made more appealing to more people in the community, not just the drunk 'idiots' from the burbs. Granville is slowing becoming a very secular and enclosed street. Opening the street to another sector of society will benefit all - cyclists with there own road, traffic on Burrard can continue on it's way, and diversity can return to Granville.
jamie griffiths
Aug 31, 2009 at 4:44pm
I love it! I often ride the bridge and I feel so much safer now. Its exhiliarating and makes me very happy. I don't own a car. I do have a drivers license but I ride a bike in order to stay healthier, save money and help the environment... and I pay my taxes. . I am sure that there are other statistics to show that many city residents take holidays in August! Also cycling is a weather dependent issue for some riders. I celebrate the initiative of the city for encouraging more cycling. Its a good thing. The drivers have every other bridge! It's time they learned to share nicely. Thank you.
Noah Vail
Aug 31, 2009 at 5:22pm
A few popular comments suggest that the decreased use of the Burrard Bridge may be due to the fact that many people are away on vacation.
The article notes an increased use of the Granville Bridge however.
Would this perhaps be a new holiday destination?
Kramerr
Sep 14, 2009 at 4:47pm
Earlier this summer there were Fireworks / Parades and a number of other events going on in the west end which drew crowds (many on bicycle and foot). Its not much of a story that less people use the bridge when there is less reason to be on the other side.