There are several posts in Price Tags that have followed the inception and building of the Tsawwassen Mills mega mall located on Tsawwassen First Nations Land in Delta,nestled between the Agricultural Land Reserve and the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and the Port lands, under the control of the Federal Government. An article written in 2013 by Daniel Wood in the Georgia Straight outlines a conversation with City of Richmond City Councillor Harold Steves, who is also a founder of the Agricultural Land Reserve incepted in 1973. Full disclosure, Harold is a member of a very old farming family that not only tilled these lands, but started up the first seed companies in the province. And that place, Steveston? It’s named after his family.
In that Georgia Straight article, Harold noted that over 400 hectares (which is 988 acres) of Class 1 agricultural land in Delta would be lost to port expansion, and another 100 hectares lost to the residential units being built to the west of the megamall. This does not include the 80 hectares of Class 1 agricultural land sitting below the megamall site.
“That’s the best soil in Canada,” says Steves, incensed by the shortsightedness of corporate capitalism. “You’re looking at the Richmondization of Delta.”
We don’t often think of this, but the Fraser River delta which supports and nourishes Metro Vancouver is similar to the great deltas in the world that provide agriculture to surrounding populations. It is also because of its agricultural status and relatively low land values that it is the most vulnerable to use as industrial or commercial lands. Somehow we don’t value food production and the protection of farmland with a high monetary price.
This area of Delta is also on the great Pacific Flyway used by millions of migratory birds on a route that extends from Alaska to Patagonia. Annually this route is used by birds travelling to food sources, breeding grounds or warmer climates. Boundary Bay and this part of Delta are used by birds for a rest stop on the journey, and has been federally recognized.
But back to Tsawwassen Mills, now a 1.2 million square foot mall built by Ivanhoe Cambridge. With 6,000 parking spaces this will be on of the biggest malls in Canada, with a second 600,000 square foot “more local” shopping centre to the east of it. It is a “drive to” destination. And that is what the developer thinks we will do.
To the west of this development a total of 1,700 housing units are being built, again on Class 1 agricultural land. Half of the new housing will be single family homes; 35 per cent are townhomes, and 15 per cent are apartments. A new road is being constructed connecting this residential development directly with the mall for easy shopping access by car.
Tsawwassen Mills has been having a challenge getting employees to staff the mega mall’s stores. At a recent job fair, 3,000 jobs were available but only 500 potential applicants showed up. The minimum wage jobs and poor transit connections will hinder hiring. The lack of a good separated sidewalk and protected bike lane from Tsawwassen to the mall will also thwart local residents who are active transportation users.
Tsawwassen Mills mall is now lit up at night. While there is shielded light in the parking lot ostensibly to minimize migratory bird disruption, no such regard has been made for the large illuminating signage visible for kilometers on the south side of the mall, as noted in this letter to the Vancouver Sun. Subsequent to that letter being published, another illuminated sign has appeared.
For a mall that is slated to open on October 5 with 150 retail outlets, 90 businesses are concerned they will not have adequate staffing. There is the supposition that shoppers from across the region will drive here to spend a day shopping instead of going to the United States or shopping online. While some light is shielded to minimize disruption of migratory birds, new commercial signage seems to be exempt from any concern.
We as a region have lost hundreds of acres of Class 1 agricultural land that will never be retrieved. A mega shopping mall perches on the sensitive delta which is also on the floodplain. There is no active transportation or good transit to the mall. It looks like any other mall you have ever seen. Just bigger. With 6,000 parking spaces.
In many ways, we are witnessing a motordom experiment of the ilk that the 1950’s and 1960’s would have dreamed about. It’s too late for the agricultural land, and I have not seen an environmental impact study on the migratory birds. What remains to be seen is how this 20th century rendition of shopping can be a commercial success with the high cost to the future of our agricultural food security and disruption of natural wildlife patterns. Would you spend a day driving your car here and shopping? Is this really a viable use of this richly arable land in this century?
This time I think we went too far. I will end with a photo taken yesterday of the bus stop just outside the mall on Highway 17. That bus stop too is so last century. And it tells me that for Tsawwassen Mills, motordom and the twentieth century way of doing things is all that matters.
Unfortunately, the only monetary value anything has is whatever someone else is willing to pay for it. In our society, a disposable mall will beat out a blueberry farm almost every time. However, I am doubtful of a market study that identified a retail gap of this size in south Delta. If it makes anybody feel any better, at least the Tasawwassen were clearly ripped off, too.
On the plus side, in the long run, one way or another, this land will return to nature. It might be underwater, or just fallow and weed-choked. But this mall’s days are already numbered.
Very excellent summary of everything wrong with what’s occurring in Delta with the full support of Delta Council and the BC provincial government (facilitating motoring to the site with a new 10 lane bridge across the Fraser River). The only thing missing from the article is any reference to the very profound jurisdictional issues in this part of Metropolitan Vancouver. Port Vancouver is federal government jurisdiction. The Tsawwassen lands are within First Nations jurisdiction and covered under a recent treaty. In short it’s a quagmire where no one is truly responsible except that it’s in conformity with a “motordom” ideology dating from the 1950s and 60s and thus acceptable to the Province of BC and Delta Council if not Metro Vancouver and other local government jurisdictions.
You’re right to point out the political forces at play behind this disaster. But it’s easy to villainize the BC Liberals for example and ignore the fact that as citizens of a democracy we are all to blame for tacitly permitting our governments and leaders to get away with these kinds of destructive, out-dated developments. We’re here feeling upset and writing comments but are we attending the approval meetings for these pro-Motordom developments? Are we demanding at election time that candidates have clear sustainable policies about growth and planning? How about educating our friends and family about what Motordom is, and how costly and stupid the results are for all of us? Unless we advocate, speak out and demand better from our elected leaders and from our society, this kind of thing will just keep happening.
The Tsawwassen First Nation is a full member of Metro Vancouver with a leader on the Metro Vancouver Boar of Directors, as well on the Metro Board of Aboriginal Relations, also on the Board of the Metro Climate Action Committee and also on the Mayors Committee.
As your Metro Vancouver proudly says:
“Land use decisions influence the way people travel and impact the environment and public health. In turn, transportation decisions, particularly those related to infrastructure, influence the location, rate, and form of development and economic activity.
Metro Vancouver works closely with municipalities, TransLink, senior governments, and other stakeholders to coordinate these complex land use and transportation decisions.
The region’s goals and actions are established in regional plans and strategies, including: Metro 2040, Metro Vancouver’s Integrated Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Management Plan, TransLink’s Regional Transportation Strategy, and the Regional Transportation Investment Vision by the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation.
Metro 2040 supports coordinated land use and transportation planning by encouraging action at many levels of government, such as requesting that:
Municipalities reduce parking requirements in new developments within Urban Centres and Frequent Transit Development Areas
Municipalities locate uses that generate frequent vehicle trips within Urban Centres and Frequent Transit Development Areas
Municipalities improve municipal infrastructure to support transit, carpooling, cycling, and walking
Municipalities assess how new communities, infrastructure and transportation affect public health, including air quality and noise impacts
TransLink prepare and implement a regional goods movement strategy
Provincial and federal governments support safe and efficient goods movement by protecting rail rights-of-way and access points to navigable waterways. ”
Not even Delta has a say in this.
This mall was approved nearly five years ago.
“Tsawwassen First Nation members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a deal to build one of B.C.’s biggest shopping complexes.
Ninety-seven per cent supported the construction of two major shopping malls in a membership vote Wednesday (Jan. 18). The vote was held in accordance with TFN’s Land Act, which requires community approval of any lease over 25 years.
The proposed shopping malls, which don’t require Delta’s approval, are to open by 2015, if all goes according to plan.
“This is an exciting and encouraging result,” said TFN Chief Kim Baird.
As someone wrote in the Delta Optimist newspaper, a few years ago, regarding these developments,
“I might not necessarily agree with everything TFN members are planning to do, but it is their land and their right to do what they feel is best for their people.”
It is unassailable that a body such as the Tsawwassen First Nation should exercise their democratic right to make land use decisions. That also gives them the right to make the wrong decisions, just as the dominant society has made on a number of issues with far-reaching consequences.
Assuming responsibility for the consequences of decisions and (eventually) taking action to correct them are some of the defining elements of a mature society.
This is disgusting and unbelievable.
Along with all the environmental/agricultural reasons this is an abortion on the landscape it will also either be successful and kill the businesses in Ladner and Tsawwassen or it won’t be successful and we’ll be left with a scar for decades.
Author
Reblogged this on Sandy James Planner.
It is too late to stop this mall fiasco. But it is not too late to stop the 10-lane, $4 billion Massey Tunnel replacement boondoggle. See https://www.facebook.com/FraserVoices/
It’s too late unless the NDP wins in May 2017 and brings this province to its knee economically like they did in the 1990s or like they do in Ontario or Alberta now. That is possible but unlikely to happen.
We rather need to look at WHERE ELSE do we need new bridges: Oak Street, Knight Street bridge, Lions Gate, Second Narrows, Boundary Road extension south over Fraser River, 8 lane Patullo bridge (not only 6 lanes) .. or onto Vancouver Island to move this island off the government dole and expand its port and industrial activity. Of course we also need more rapid transit in our soon 3M+ metroplex that is governed like a few villages although it ought to be governed like London, with boroughs: into E-Van then extension onto Northshore, and along the North Shore (from Dundarave via Park Royal to Lonsdale), to UBC along/under Broadway.
We need FAR MORE investment into people moving infrastructure, not less. Glad to have some politicians that understand that.
SFPR is already undersized.
In 2040 they will call this bridge “visionary”.
The new Patullo Bridge will be 4 lanes
– expandable to 6 lanes with some effort and money by constructing cantilevered sidewalks.
Far too small.
Thomas, Conservative right wing governments usually cause more economic harm than (real) liberal or socialist governments. They’re just better at hiding their massive debts and passing the costs onto the powerless and onto future generations.
We’ve had far-too-conservative governments in power for a looong time and you’re still whining that they haven’t served you well. Most of the world struggled through the 90’s no matter what flavour of government each country had.
Right wing governments hide their debt by using P 3s. Instead of calling it DEBT they call it a lease. Either way the taxpayer pays . MORE if its p3)
I hadn’t noticed we had conservative governments. Fiscal spending was through the roof even with those in power that called themselves conservatives.
Thomas, You like to bash non-conservative governments, but the evidence shows that they are the worst stewards of the economy.
Macleans did a study of the performance of the federal government under Chretien, Martin and Harper. Harper came last under many metrics.
http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/of-the-last-three-federal-governments-which-had-the-best-fiscal-record/
For example:
“Chrétien reduced real net debt at an average annual rate of $533 per capita. Martin posted a whopping average annual reductions of $870 per capita. Harper increased net debt at a modest average annual rate of $4 per capita”
I have heard that Bush Jr spent more during his terms than all the presidents that came before him combined.
Closer to home, the UBC Sauder School of Business compared NDP and BC Liberals between 1991 and 2013.
http://news.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/NDP-vs-Liberal-Performance.pdf
“On average, the BC government’s fiscal performance was marginally better under the NDP than under the BC Liberals, when compared to the performance of other provinces.”
Maybe you should vote for the NDP in the next election. Or the Greens.
Oops. It should start ” You like to bash non-conservative governments, but the evidence shows that conservative governments are the worst stewards of the economy.
It’s really a shame that the place in this country that has rich delta soil and a mild climate with moisture is being paved to make malls and more suburbia. Sure we get a lot of food from California and Mexico but one day the shipping of that will be very expensive. Housing could be up mountain sides or in high rises within the food growing areas.
Look at Creston. They spent a lot of effort making farm land in the river valley so their sprawl goes up the hills on the sides.
Hence, the 2040 transportation plan needs updating: https://pricetags.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/2040-transportation-plan-update-required
Our First Nations always get special treatment. Please don’t forget that. It is constitutionally enshrined.
Let’s keep in mind though that similar to the airport mall, it is along an existing highway so it will appeal to tourists and folks going to/from the ferries, and folks that live south of the Fraser. They might even throw in 3-4 car charging stations and call it “green” in time ! But it seems rather large, poorly integrated and could be much higher density / mixed use, say housing on top or 3-4 stories, or with solar roof panels. But then, the land is “free” and putting up concrete floors and one story structures is fairly cheap. So much for “stewards of the land”, eh ?
Thomas, it was highly calculated by your “Liberal” government by Gordon Campbell at the time that the TFN treaty was just a back door to neo-liberal/conservative-capitalist-growth-at-all-costs-anti-environmental ends: paving the valley and undermining the ALR.
First Nations have been abused for centuries and are often desperate as a result. They were duped. The abuse continues.
FNs keeps winning legal battles in our legal system – in our courts. We have no more right to take their land for our purposes than we have to take any land owner’s land. But we have and do and still try or weasel ways around it. Most of BC may come to be recognized legally in our court system as belonging to them (collectively). We owe them compensation and so far it hasn’t been anywhere near enough. We’ve given a few trinkets to appease our guilt as we raped and plundered but never defeated them. When they have been adequately compensated for our society’s abuses, legally defined or otherwise, the “apartheid” should end. But only then.
Thomas: “When will it end?”
Answer: When the tragic legacy of residential schools has run its course.
That legacy covered three generations of wide-scale abuse of children and the government-backed erasure of aboriginal culture, identity and family structure. It only ended in the 90s. It might take another generation or two to heal. Should we be apologizing that you find this part of Canadian history and its legal remediation process inconvenient to your narrow socioeconomic views?
Regarding Tsawwassen Mills, it was obvious at the time that Gordon Campbell needed the land as part of his “Gateway” precept about the provincial economy, and the close geographic proximity to the industrialized Roberts Bank site could not be ignored. Commodity prices played havoc with his ideas, but it was a masterstroke to trade yesterday’s outdated models of resource extraction and industrial economic activity (in the complete absence of value-added multipliers, I have to add) for access to traditional Tsawwassen lands for yesterday’s snake oil: a square kilometre of blacktop with a supersized mall plunked in the middle of nowhere.
It is a sad day when Natives get blamed for their gullibility in these get-rich schemes after decades of poverty and the original purveyors are long forgotten.
How was Thomas able to delete his earlier comment without a trace?
@RV: They got removed as too “offensive” by pointing out the preferential treatment of FN as it relates to planning. This kind of frank speech is too sensitive for this blog. Being your own nation comes with privileges ..
Well I’m disappointed that all reference was removed without being tagged for what it was.
The University of Chicago is at last stopping this silly trend of sanctimonious political correctness.
“Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,” John Ellison, dean of students, wrote to members of the class of 2020, who will arrive next month.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/us/university-of-chicago-strikes-back-against-campus-political-correctness.html?_r=0
There are limits to free speech and insisting that First Nations have gotten the better deal in Canadian society goes beyond opinion and becomes hateful antagonism. Nothing good was meant of Thomas’s comments except to perpetuate prejudices and stall reconciliation.
Still I think it would have been better for Thomas to wear his comments in perpetuity. We are going to see a lot of people look very foolish for their “flat earth” views. For those who really have had machiavellian intent and influence such posts can be used as evidence in their trials for crimes against humanity.
Free speech is relevant for a healthy society and a healthy discussion on planning decisions. Not everyone agrees on every issue incl rights under our charter or the charter itself.
In my opinion none of my comments are offensive but of course some disagree with that. Personally I find the removal of comments offensive.
I respect the right of a blog owner or a blog content provider to remove or amend comments but I disagree with it. It is unhealthy.
What is the opposite of diversity ? University ?
The self-governing agreements recently completed with the Tsawwassen First Nation ends them being ruled under the Indian Act and is a signal that others may well follow. The Osoyoos Indian Band will also speak forcefully for this new form of governance.
Stating that something is a better deal than another is merely a unquantifiable subjective opinion.
I think we are still a long way from The Hague.
I am curious that no-one in the media (at least to my knowledge) has tied this mega-fiasco to Kim Baird, former Tsawwassen Chief, close personal friend of Christy Clark, and current Chair of the Ministerial Review Board on the Trans Mountain Pipeline project. This is a Province it seems, where the worst decisions are made by a vanishingly small number of very big fish.
I wonder what the economics of this particular mall might be?
Remember that it IS in the middle of nowhere – so land costs (i.e. ground lease) should be relatively low and lease rates for retailers shouldn’t be stratospheric (unless Ivanhoe Cambridge is gouging them).
There are plenty of malls that aren’t massive success stories like Oakridge or Metropolis at Metrotown.
The decline of Lougheed Mall has spurred its rebirth into “The City of Lougheed” by its owner Shape Properties.
Bottom line is that the parcel is a commercial area and land use could morph over time.
Looking south to the very successful Seattle Premium Outlets (also on native land away from urban centres) there’s a very successful casino resort next door (apparently the buffet is awesome).
I could see a casino hotel added to the Tsawwassen Mills site over time (especially if another drawing card is needed to bring in shoppers).
I did a simple Google Search on Mall Decline and got lots of hits. For example:
http://time.com/money/4327632/shopping-malls-closing/
One wonders how developers and retailers can think that a 1960’s mall like this at the end of nowhere can work today, especially given the huge shift to online shopping and car free lifestyle. I use my daughter as a good gauge of what younger people are thinking and doing and notice that she orders a lot of stuff online. I predict at least 2 white elephants (actually grey elephants) in the near future. One is this mall and the other is the Massey replacement bridge if it ever gets built. I wonder what George Massey would say about all this if he were still alive.
Not entirely on the topic of the mall, but let’s not forget that one major reason for the expansion of Delta port is that it’s much more economical to get containers from there the trans-shipment/distribution centres in Delta/Surrey/Richmond than from the port in Vancouver.
And why is that? Vancouver driving all industry out of the city in favour of condos, and the difficulties for many large trucks to navigate their way out to Surrey etc.
It’s all very well to complain about the bad choices of others, when the city dwellers force externalities on them…
I don’t recall any condo developments subsuming heavy port industry anywhere in the Metro. Interior lands sure, but nothing that affects containers or bulk cargo.
Baloney! They are expanding the centennial port as well, downtown Vancouver. What a grossly uninformed comment.
There’s no question that shippers prefer Deltaport rather than struggling with trucks negocating Vancouver streets. Last week, when speaking on a third crossing to the North Shore, Gordon Price said some see congestion as a solution that limits the traffic.
Together with the growth of Deltaport, which is under a $280 million intermodal expansion project that started last year and is now receiving 12 state-of-the-art new gantry cranes from Finland, two megamax ship-to-shore cranes from Shanghai and eight wide-span 41-tonne capacity shore cranes from Kunz in Austria.
Staffing of the largest container port in Canada will be expanded. Housing for the staff will be required. Access to the airport and the universities needed. Rail capacity is being expanded. The latest ships can carry 18,000 containers. Most will move by rail but thousands of trucks are also needed.
It’s difficult to imagine the Tsawwassen people listening to Harold Steves, who’s family set up shop on what was Musqueam land.
The mall was deal between the Tsawwassen First Nation and real estate department of the Govenment of Quebec (Ivanoe Cambridge, Quebec). The Tsawwassen First Nation is a full member of Metro Vancouver, Greg Moore of Port Coquitlam is chair and Raymond Louie is Board Vice Chair. It is inconceivable that this mall development did not come before the board of Metro Vancouver at the planning stage.
In the last few days Hanjin, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, announced they are in financial trouble. Part of the reason is the worldwide slowdown in shipping, an oversupply of ships, and extending the company too far into debt.
I was at Granville Square yesterday and all 19 freight tracks below were empty for the first time in memory, except for a handful of empty container cars on one track. Vanterm looked half empty. Perhaps this is a temporary blip, but it was unusual.
Congestion per se isn’t caused by commercial-industrial traffic. It’s caused by an increasing number of cars on limited road space. Every independent study around the world provided evidence that increasing road space only increases congestion after a brief period of relief, making it very difficult over time on those who move goods, and costing the region even more in lost productivity. The key is to decrease the number of cars on the road and leave more room for trucks on the existing roads.
Actually, the market is moving around and despite efforts to consolidate and idle fleets, container ship capacity is growing at 3.2% a year, while demand for container cargo is a tepid 1.8%, notes Rahul Kapoor of maritime specialists Drewry Financial Research Services. Supplies for the Christmas rush are already ordered and on the way. Now starts the low season for shipping.
Funny MB, there were a lot of ships waiting in English Bay waiting to unload, perhaps what you observed was just the effect of a long weekend.
As far as I know, the biggest issue facing shippers is filling capacity heading back from North America.
Having empty ships transit from North America to Asia isn’t good when margins are low. The US and Canada tend to run huge trade deficits these days though.
To respond to Bob below, the ships in english bay are bulk carriers. They carry bulk products like rocks, logs, grains, chips, and such. They are unrelated to container ships which will have containers on deck and are typically much larger than the ships in the bay. Ship schedules are done based on delivery dates and weather, not north american holidays as the crew does not work under north american contracts, typically.
Eric, Why would Metro Vancouver have anything to do with a mall development? Would they have had anything to do with the rezoning for expansion of Oakridge mall? Would they have anything to do with my neighbour renovating their house? Of course they should have some say in it, but I don’t think we have anywhere near that level of regional planning in Metro Vancouver. Certainly not when the Province seems to have all the levers and they actively hobble our transit system and build massive freeways and bridges in order to keep the region car dependent and to encourage sprawl and elimination of the ALR. If they really wanted to move trucks and reduce motor vehicle congestion they would invest heavily in transit and cycling so that people would have transportation choices. And implement road pricing in order to reduce demand. And they would support Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy and their transportation plan instead of working against it.
Arno; above here I wrote extensively regarding that the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) is on many Metro Vancouver committees, as well as on the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors.
Partly, I noted this: “Metro Vancouver works closely with municipalities, TransLink, senior governments, and other stakeholders to coordinate these complex land use and transportation decisions.”
Under the self governing agreement signed with the TFN neither the province nor the municipality of Delta, nor Metro Vancouver can dictate or change the 97% affirmative vote that the Tsawwassen people, and they alone, gave to this grand project.
Furthermore, it is incumbent on the province to provide necessary highway infrastructure in this area, if only to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic to and from the municipality of Tsawwassen and the main BC Ferries terminal, as well as to the largest shipping container port in Canada and the coal transshipment facility at Robert’s Bank.
The destinations and routes served by transit are determined by the transit authority, Translink, who works in conjunction with Metro Vancouver and their members, in this case the TFN, when planning any new routings. Metro Vancouver would have been aware of the new mall and associated developments as a routine information sharing process by member TFN since they have a substantial presence on many Metro Vancouver committees and the Board. Translink would have been appraised of the development also since transit is required to service the planned commercial and residential developments.
The TFN Economical Development Corporation has more information on their web site, should you be interested.
Arno; on November 8, 2013 Delta council voted 5-1 approving a 500 acre development known as Southlands. 80,000 sq’ of commercial space and 2,700 residents are planned for this area east of 56th and south of the Beach Grove golf course to the US border line.
On May 24, 2014 the GVRD (Metro Vancouver) Board in a regular meeting approved the amendment of the Metro Vancouver 2040: Shaping Our Future document to accommodate the Delta Proposed Amendment regarding Southlands.
All 38 members were present. Based on the weighted voting system the amendment passed 93/31, all Vancouver councillors voted against, as did Harold Steves. All others, including Bryce Williams of the Tsawwassen First Nation, voted for.
This is the way Metro Vancouver works. Minutes of meetings are published on the Metro Vancouver web site.
Umm, please name the trans-shipment and distribution centres in Vancouver…
Everything that comes off the ships gets trucked out to Surrey or Richmond. And then the stuff needed by people in the city gets trucked back to Vancouver in smaller trucks.
That’s what happens when you turn industrial and light industrial land into condos…
“To the west of this development a total of 1,700 housing units are being built, again on Class 1 agricultural land. Half of the new housing will be single family homes; 35 per cent are townhomes, and 15 per cent are apartments. A new road is being constructed connecting this residential development directly with the mall for easy shopping access by car.”
Looks like the author has not researched the rest of what is being developed. There is a network of multi-use wide paths and an extensive bike network being built through out the neighbourhood. Most of the multi-family and apartment buildings also have much less parking than what is being built elsewhere. The First Nation is building a walkable, bikeable community on their land.
Well if it has bike paths everything must be hunky dory. Although like most bike paths here, they will be obviously geared towards leisure users.
Do you have any evidence that most bike paths are geared toward leisure users? I would argue that the opposite is true. Do you realize that 10% of commutes in City of Vancouver by Vancouver residents are by bike? Cycling is mass transportation.
This is ridiculous. A walkable, bikeable neighbourhood on a highway offramp. If I build a new house in the middle of nowhere suburbia and put a separated bike lane from my garage to the end of the driveway, a cycling friendly development it is not.