Straight Talk

Vancouver park board punts Kitsilano Beach Park bike path back to staff

by Charlie Smith on March 12th, 2018 at 9:19 PM
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      Tonight, five Vancouver park commissioners chose not to designate a route for a separated bike path through Kitsilano Beach Park.

      Instead, they referred the Seaside Greenway report back to the bureaucrats so they can provide more information to the public.

      In particular, the five commissioners want more details on alternative options for a path along the edge of the park or a bike route along Arbutus Street.

      In a report to the board, staff recommended a seamless connection between Balsam Street and Ogden Avenue on the west and eastern edges of the park. After a public-engagement process, staff's preferred alignment can be seen below.

      Park board staff recommended that commissioners approve this alignment through the park.

      The only two commissioners to vote against the referral were Vision Vancouver's Catherine Evans and the Greens' Michael Wiebe.

      Green commissioner and park board chair Stuart Mackinnon voted with the three NPA commissioners (John Coupar, Casey Crawford, and Sarah Kirby-Yung) and former NPA commissioner Erin Shum.

      Prior to tonight's meeting, opponents of the separated bike path, including members of the Kits Point Residents Association, held a rally outside the park board office.

      The proposed separated bike lane was supported by the cycling-advocacy and education group We Are HUB Cycling and the executive director of the B.C. Cycling Coalition, Richard Campbell.

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