Vancouver park board looks to improve cycling in Stanley Park

As part of the planning, the board is holding an open house in the park on Saturday, September 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The open house locations will be near Georgia Street and the Chilco Street underpass, and near the concession at Second Beach Pool next to Ceperley Field.

“We’re looking at ways to try and improve the cycling in Stanley Park to make it more effective and more pleasurable for all users in the park,” said Alan Duncan, park board environmental planner.

“What we’d like to do is eliminate conflicts that we seem to find,” he told the Straight by phone.

For example, Duncan said tourists who visit the park for the first time often have trouble finding their way around by bicycle as there is a lack of information about routes.

Also, he said visitors who don’t want to ride all the way around the seawall will abruptly turn around and ride against the flow of one-way bicycle traffic. Some get lost trying to find their way back to bike rental shops, he added.

He suggested improving signage in the park or providing more information online about routes as possible solutions.

The park board is only in the early stages of developing its so-called Stanley Park cycling plan and has not yet presented any detailed options to the public.

“People are biking much more than they were five years ago, three years ago,” board commissioner Constance Barnes told the Straight by phone.

“So what’s prompting it is we want to get people out of their cars, but we want to make sure that there’s a good, safe route for people [on bicycles] to get in and out of the park, as well as pedestrians.”

Everyone from cyclists and inline skaters to pedestrians and motorists is being asked for input during the open house.

“We’re trying to look at all the areas of concern people might have with cycling in the park,” Duncan said.

Public consultation on a more detailed cycling plan is expected to take place in late fall. The park board will probably receive recommendations from staff on potential improvements by early 2012, Duncan said.