January 30, 2018

Bike Lanes, Vancouver and the 21st Century

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No one will argue with advocating for better walking facilities~wider sidewalks, brushed concrete with non-glare finishes, benches and amenities to make walking and wayfinding by foot  in Metro Vancouver safe, comfortable and convenient. The very same can be said about having separated bike lanes so that cyclists no matter what their age and ability can safely and conveniently cycle.  Studies have shown that people who walk or cycle to local shops and services go more often and spend more on a monthly basis than people who travel by cars. Biking instead of driving reduces air pollution, provides exercise and increases health. Being active is vital for personal and community health, connection and society. Biking does that. It’s the right thing to encourage.
So why is it that this is not universally recognized as something that all members of Vancouver City Council advocate? Why is the NPA, one of the parties on Vancouver Council voting against bike lane development, most notably on the Cambie Street bridge that has already seen a decrease in vehicular traffic since 2010 and an increase in people choosing to cycle? At most, car traffic will experience a ten second delay with the implementation of the recently approved trial bike lane.
Adrienne Tanner in the Globe and Mail observed that “It seems that almost everyone in the world except the NPA accepts that separated bike lanes are safer – and cities are rushing to build them. Manhattan is spending millions on more protected bike lanes (they already have 725 kilometres), and Portland has made them the default design for all new construction. Other Canadian cities, such as Calgary and Edmonton, are adding separated lanes. And Montreal’s new mayor has plans to more than double the number of protected lanes in her city.”
Jimmy Thompson in The Tyee makes it even clearer. Protected bike lanes reduce cyclist injuries and increase the volumes of people cycling. Women are more likely to commute by bike with protected bike lanes. Bike lanes mean fewer conflicts, and in Toronto driving times actually decreased by several minutes in the Bloor Street Bike Lane Study..
In the Vancouver NPA’s policy page from the summer of 2017 they maintain  the “support of properly planned bike lanes that do not negatively impact our city, its residents, or businesses. We believe bike lanes can be built with the safety of residents in mind, while also having a positive effect on traffic flow and mobility that does not negatively impact the movement of goods and services or sacrifice ease of access to local businesses.”  Why are they not supporting them?
Having separated bike lanes means that people who normally drive can try biking, and those that do not give up driving will have less congestion on the road. In a Canadian city with arguably one of the best year round climates for biking, the development of separated bike lanes should be championed, not discouraged. It’s time to get on the same page for  developing a city that is safe, comfortable and convenient for all active transportation users, many of whom will be looking at party policy for voting in the next municipal election.
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photo credit: Jean @cyclewriteblog

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