News for Youse: Point Grey bike lanes debate, Strathcona protests bike lanes, and a vote on bike sharing

Point-Grey bike lanes up for debate  A marathon council session is expected to unfold this evening (July 23) in relation to a vote on the Point Grey-Cornwall transportation corridor. The report going before council recommends bike lanes for Point Grey Road that would include making some of the street closed to commuter traffic. City staff will make a presentation followed by speakers from the public.

Bike lane protest  A peaceful but noisy demonstration was held on Union Street in Strathcona this morning. Residents from different community groups voiced their opposition against the way the Vision-dominated city council is implementing bike-lane developments in Vancouver. Protesters argued there is a lack of consultation on bike lane introductions.

Bike-share program vote  A report recommending a public bike-share system will go before Vancouver City Council today. If adopted, it’s expected the program would roll out in Vancouver in early 2014. The initial launch of the system is expected to involve about 25 stations and 250 bikes located downtown, plus helmet vending machines and return receptacles.

Transit policing costs up  The cost of policing transit in Metro Vancouver is steadily on the rise. According to Transit Police’s financial report for the first quarter of 2013, there’s been a five-percent increase in operating costs over the previous year. Transit Police’s budget for 2013 is just over $31 million.

Reconciliation Week coming September  Today Vancouver City Council is expected to adopt a recommendation that $535,000 be spent on activities for “Reconciliation Week,” an initiative of Truth and Reconciliation Canada. The events are scheduled to take place through September as part of the “Year of Reconciliation” as a means of promoting dialogue with First Nations groups.

Canada a costly home  A new analysis of a report prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says Canada a very expensive place to live, even by the standards of the world’s most-developed nations. The review published at Yahoo Finance found that living in Canada costs residents 22 percent more than the international average.

B.C. Asians sex study  A new study by UBC researchers found that less than 10 percent of B.C. East Asian teenagers in grades 7 to 12 were sexually active. This was lower than the provincial rate of 22 percent. You can read more about this story here.

Fukushima leaking into sea  The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant has for the first time admitted publicly that contaminated ground water has leaked from the facility and into the Pacific Ocean. The announcement by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Teptco) general manager Masayuki Ono follows Tepco revealing that radiation levels of groundwater at Fukushima were on the rise.

Violence in Egypt  At least nine people were killed over a 24-hour period in Egypt during which supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi attempted to stage protests around Cairo. Sporadic violence has continued since the Egyptian military removed Morsi from office on July 3, 2013.

Royal baby arrives  Kate Middleton and Prince William are reportedly the mother and father of a healthy baby boy. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth yesterday (July 22). “The world now awaits the couple's choice of names for their son,” according to BBC News.