Proposed Stanley Park Causeway improvements include safety fence, wider sidewalks
The B.C. government's proposed redesign aimed at making the Stanley Park Causeway safer for cyclists and pedestrians includes widening sidewalks and adding a fence between the road and pathways.
The plan for the route also involves the addition of a cycling-only path on the west side of the causeway, and a one-way cycling and two-way pedestrian path on the east side of the road.
The proposed design, which was revealed at an open house Tuesday (December 2), can be viewed on the province's website.
Some of the other changes planned include a wider path around obstructions like lamp posts and cyclist passing lanes in two or three spots on the west side of the route.
The expansion of the sidewalk as proposed would require the removal of 14 trees that range from 30 to 60 years old, according to B.C.'s ministry of transportation.
Those trees include three bigleaf maples, three Douglas-firs, two English oaks, four western hemlocks, and two western redcedars.
The changes to the causeway are being called for after a cyclist was killed along the route in May 2013. The ministry's plan notes that cyclist and pedestrian conflicts on the causeway are becoming more common.
Up to 2,400 cyclists use the route daily during the summer months, while an average of 63,000 vehicles travel the road each day, the plan indicates.
The 2.2-kilometre segment of Highway 99 connects Vancouver and the North Shore.
Consultation with cycling, active transportation and Stanley Park interest groups was launched in January.
After public feedback has been collected on the province's proposal, the final redesign will go before the Vancouver park board for approval.
Comments
9 Comments
Some Guy
Dec 3, 2014 at 9:05pm
Move the pedestrians and cyclists away from the road. Not only is a trail though the woods more beautiful, but it eliminates TOTALLY the risk of a cyclist riding off the sidewalk into the traffic(considering the height of the cement bunker).
I say this as I remember almost riding off that sidewalk into traffic(which I wouldn't have escaped from) the one time in over 100 that I had ridden that route when I was 14(that's 50 yrs ago) Fence=Expensive and ugly... Trail(away from traffic)=beauty, quiet(sort of hand-in-hand with such beauty), cheaper in the end(considering future repairs-it's easy to fix dirt)...and real safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and the fact that the sidewalks should never have been there in the first place.
Sim City
Dec 4, 2014 at 6:34am
They should just seal off the entire park except for residents of Point Grey Rd., and then put a bike lane through it.
Emily
Dec 4, 2014 at 6:45am
Some Guy, grab a brain - those trails 'through the woods' which you advise commuting cyclists and pedestrians are not lighted, nor should they be - good luck convincing women to take your option.
Ken Ohrn
Dec 4, 2014 at 10:49am
These are excellent safety improvements and are long overdue.
Nick
Dec 4, 2014 at 12:13pm
Just one public consultation? no surveys? The now NPA controlled park board will have to approve this. NPA talked endlessly about how the consultative process was not adequate. The NPA should reject this and send it back for lots more consultation if they are not hypocrites.
Stephen C.
Dec 4, 2014 at 2:18pm
Comment form (and info) available at
www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=3FD04993EC444D4FA307BA6DE420BEC0
ACMESalesRep
Dec 4, 2014 at 3:00pm
Nick:
From the article:
“THE B.C. GOVERNMENT'S [emphasis original] proposed redesign aimed at making the Stanley Park Causeway safer for cyclists and pedestrians includes widening sidewalks and adding a fence between the road and pathways.”
It's not the park board; it's the province. The causeway is part of Highway 99 and lies outside the city's control.
out at night
Dec 5, 2014 at 12:01am
This is my commute, though going north I take the road through the park instead of the noisy, smoggy causeway. Coming home though I have no choice but to go straight down the thing. I'll miss the thrill of descending the causeway at night in heavy rain wondering if it will be my last moments on Earth. But I guess I'll get over that.
out at night
Dec 5, 2014 at 8:22am
@ Some Guy
I'm sure you mean well but you're way wrong. The trails through the woods are great fun if you're in daylight, but they're not only scary in the dark (as Emily has pointed out) but also steep and sketchy in places, with several trail intersections. Even descending the trail in daytime I get quite apprehensive as I approach those intersections as it's pretty much impossible to anticipate other cyclists possibly approaching from either side. They're fairly twisty and sometimes the surface leaves lots to be desired, especially in dry weather when it gets crumbly and rutted. All that plus the trails don't generally lead anywhere we want to get to, which is usually downtown or the other side of it.