Great to see this move ahead. Granville is horrible to walk and cycle over. The Cambie sidewalk gets really crowded at times and will get more crowded with all the development in the area. Bike and ped improvements were recommended way back in 2001 in the False Creek Pedestrian and Cycling Crossings Study. Granville Bridge is shocking empty even at rush hour and Cambie is not much busier. Reallocating underused lanes will have practically not impact on traffic. It will be much cheaper and have much less impact on traffic than the widening of Cambie Bridge proposed back in 2001.

Let’s keep on making infrastructure to support cycling — a fast-growing transportation mode. If we can do it by re-purposing underutilised infrastructure built long ago for what is now a declining transportation mode, then great! Cycling infrastructure is cheap to start with, and this re-purposing makes it a positive bargain.

Really glad to see we are at least starting to look at the feasibility of better walking and cycling connections across these bridges. I walk the crowded mixed bike/ped east sidewalk on Cambie Bridge every day and marvel at the unused road capacity.

Would also be fantastic to have a great pedestrian experience connecting Granville Street downtown, South Granville, and Granville Island (elevator from the bridge deck? 🙂 ).

Time to resurrect GregorsGridlock.com because we know how well that boogeyman worked last time.

For reference, here’s what the Burrard Bridge looked like yesterday at 8:00 am and 5 pm (the height of rush hour):
http://www.katkam.ca/pic.aspx?f=20120919080000.jpg
http://www.katkam.ca/pic.aspx?f=20120919170000.jpg
Uncongested and almost as many bikes as cars.

@Chris Porter. Thanks for that. I go across the Burrard Bridge north in the morning and south in the afternoon. And ever since I first listened to people (like the usual suspects on this blog) light their hair on fire because of congestion caused by the bikelanes, I have experienced little to no congestion. Go figure.
This morning Bill Good tried to get his audience all hot and bothered over additional bike lanes. While Councillor Affleck came off sounding reasonable (it needs more study) Good and professional wrestler Bruce Allen sounded, well, like they had lit each others hair on fire. With Allen, that is what he does. Good is usually more circumspect.

I’d love to see cyclists separated from both vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Cambie bridge. The car traffic is too fast for bikes to mix with, but I feel like a jerk riding on the sidewalk with a bunch of people who are strolling along, not paying any particular attention to whether they’re blocking my way or not. And why should they? It’s a nice place to stroll.

I take the Granville street bridge every day. I’m pretty sure if the trivia question was “what is Greater Vancouver’s only 8 lane highway?”, that bridge would be the answer (until the Port Mann is done)

Accident’s aside, I’ve never seen it backed up anywhere. If there is any roadway that could accomodate a concession of 2 lanes to a walking/biking corridor, this is the one.

“The problem I have with the bike lanes we have today is that cyclists are exposed to the elements”

Very good point. I suppose a series of elevated bikeways, totally surrounded by clear plastic might be the answer. Or tunnels (though that might be a bit on the expensive side and, given that it would hide the cyclists away underground, likely inhibit the whole “greenest city” branding exercise.)

I guess I worded that wrong. Roads and public transit are utilized on a daily basis. While there are some cyclists who brave the winter months, most will get back in their cars or back onto public transit, so whatever gains were made by the bike lanes as far as reducing the strain on our other infrastructure are lost when the rainy season comes.

In what way is improving transportation choices a war on downtown? Downtown has more jobs and way more residents than it did 25 years ago and there are actually fewer car trips being made. When a city becomes more urban, proportionately fewer automobile trips are made.

I’ve never understood why some people equate car traffic and urbanism. Pedestrian traffic is a real city’s lifeblood.

I thought Rod Mickleburgh’s article (not the headline which was misleading but the article) was both thoughtful and a prop0s. Let’s look for solutions which have to include bicycles, pedestrians but most importantly public transit.
The car, which historically been the hog of the road, will not disappear but its dominance will certainly decrease. It has to. Given a choice between Seattle and Vancouver or Portland, just about everyone will take Vancouver or Portland.
There will still be the boo birds who will perceive that anytime room for alternatives to cars are pr0vided, it is a war on cars or the downtown or them or something. While vocal, however, those people remain a minority.

@Jay and IanS

Great idea. This is being proposed for London.
A start would be to route bike+ped path under the SkyTrain guideways including a path down the middle of Terminal. Might as well take full advantage of expensive elevated guideways.

In addition to rain protection, they also provide welcome shade on hot days, can cut down on being blinded by the sun and help stop ice from forming.

Is it not prudent to wait for the transportation plan, look at the recommended priorities, costs, etc. and then determine how to move forward?

Call me old fashion, but I’d like to see some long term planning out of this council vs. jumping from one thing to the next without a long term vision of where they’re going.

If it’s determined that a cycle/pedestrian path on Granville is a prudent and a priority expenditure in relation to the overall transportation plan, then I would expect the city to begin consultation with key stakeholders. However, choosing this as the priority prior to even having a plan to consider just seems like knee jerk, short term thinking.

We have a lot of transportation needs in this city, and they shouldn’t be looked at in isolation, but rather as part of the overall plan for the city.

Thought of The Day

“Vancouver is a Heart Attack City waiting to happen!”

Who are we kidding?

The Downtown is Vancouver’s heart.
Burrard, Granville, Cambie, Lions Gate bridges, Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts are its Arteries and Veins.
Poor heart!
Not only that she has to pump in and out more and more everyday, to put up with the ever increasing development, traffic, growth… now, she’ll have to do it with less.

It’s basic knowledge.
Removing, Cutting or Thickening Arteries and Veins should be a common sense No-No for any layperson.
But when your City Manager is , ahem, a MD… this measure is at least bizarre, to not say irresponsible.
Roads and bridges, they are utilitarian in function & purpose and they allow the transportation of goods to and fro, civic service vehicles (Ambulance, Fire, Police), public transit and vehicular commuting. They shall not be seen as “entertainment” avenues.

As far as I see nobody seems to think that way, as the cheering and the enthusiasm inside this blog have reached the ceiling.
All the usual suspects are in, yes indeed!

Let me ask you this…
You cannot make a toddler ride his tricycle for more than two – three blocks, you the parent, ending up carrying it for the rest of the day, but let me get this right, he’ll want to cross the Granville Bridge, right through the middle of two ways car traffic. I’d say, it’s nuts!
Not only that I never came across of such foolishness, ever before, but for this to come from the superior minds at City Hall?
Just sad. Sad that we have to pay them!

BTW, any thoughts on how is the city going to pay for it?
From the Sustainable Vision of Gregor’s slush fund?
Is Hollyhock gurus going to advance some “mucho dineros”?
Or, as usual, the Friends Of Larry are all in, only for the profiteering element?

Cambie Bridge… looook at it, looook at it!
Read the statistics, check the numbers, it works just fine for all three categories… cars, pedestrians and cyclists, RIGHT NOW!
Costs nothing to keep it that way!
But can you argue with the Feasibility Studies/ Redesign/ Construction Plans, all done in typical City Hall fashion… billing overtime at Union Wages?

“Hey Peter Judd, don’t make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her into your Heart,
Then you can start to make it better.”

Yeah, right, Fat LDL Cholesterol chance for that to happen!

Someone compared Vision Vancouver’s ideology with that of a Communist regime. Naaah…
FWIW, the Communists were waaay better, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th-Z6le3bHA

See? In all fairness, they created, they built, they made stuff.
“Our” guys, are taking stuff away, obstructing growth, making it harder for the average person to live in Vancouver, generally trying to break… what’s already working!

If I didn’t know better, I would be worried sick right now, at the thought that they might want to try revive, recreate, sew together… the body parts of their New Man!
The Vision Vancouverstein Man aka The Homo Cyclicus Man!

But, don’t quote me on that.

We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.

““Our” guys, are taking stuff away, obstructing growth, making it harder for the average person to live in Vancouver, generally trying to break… what’s already working!”

You might be the only person I’ve heard heard of saying the current transportation system is working. I guess when you’re so blinded and scared by the boogyman, you’ll cling to what you know.

Richard – why undertake the work and cost of a comprehensive transportation plan, yet start making choices before its completed and you have recommendations.

You’re saying either a) the plan is a collasal waste of time and money on the tax payers dime because they already had all the answers or b) they are being ridiculous by not waiting for the recommendations of a plan they commissioned before setting the transportation priorities

Or I guess c) they can do no wrong as long as its got the word bike in it

I’m guessing your going for c.

@Jason

Cities don’t stop everything for a year or two and wait until new plans are completed. For example, they are going ahead with the Powell Street overpass. Are you suggesting that they stop that and lose federal funding?

Or maybe you think that transit planning on Broadway should be stopped until the new transportation plan is completed.

I should be obvious to anyone who has travelled over Granville that it is horrible for people to walk and cycle over. The city spent $1 million on the study 10 years ago and has confirmed that as a priority in this plan.

Seems like the responsible thing to do is proceed with the planning of such safety improvements.
And, like I said in the last post, they are just trying to find the cost of options like you said they should. This is part of a proper planning process.

boohoo #30
““Our” guys, are taking stuff away, obstructing growth, making it harder for the average person to live in Vancouver, generally trying to break… what’s already working!”
Finally you are right on something that makes sense, boohoo!
Roger #33
“Messing up the Granville Street Bridge is fine with me . . .”
I liked the sarcasm. Sign me in!

Boohoo @37
Change. Yes but not in the wrong direction!
And bike lane-ing the Gramville and Cambie is the wrong direction. 🙁
Sorryto disappoint you, boo!

Whenever that stat about car trips dowtown is thrown out it ignores a couple things: a)car registrations have gone up in the CoV b)there’s been a huge increase in the suburban population.

What it really indicates is that a lot of people just avoid downtown now. And before someone bleats pedestrian and bike trips
have gone up-no sh!t sherlock. How much development has gone in downtown and in Kits/Fairview/OV. Why would they drive. Downtown is becoming a quaint little village for its inmates. Sure some 20somethings come down to use the Granville Street fighting urinal, but its not a necessary or appealling experience for anyone over 29.

Chris K – serious, non-political question. What sort of hill or increase in grade would become a deterrent to the average cyclist. I am not talking about the hard-core sport cyclist but the commuter/rec type.

If you don’t know… where might I find out.

Or brilliant, they maybe taking transit downtown including the Canada Line, whose ridership has greatly exceeded expectations.

There are other signs that the policies of councils over the last few decades of encouraging the use of transit, walking and cycling are paying off or at least not hurting downtown:
– There are several office towers being built
– Pretty much every nook and cranny of downtown is being targetted for development including postage stamp sized bits of land around the stadiums
– Pacific Centre is one of the most successful malls in North America and is expanding

If companies are investing hundreds of millions of dollars, that is a very strong indication of a vibrant downtown. This money speaks a lot louder that anonymous Internet posters.

Brilliant, waltyss, gman. Stop. Every post turns into a childish pissing match between you three. We get it.

Waltiss you’re wrong buddy. Gregor and Vision’s sanctuary is Hollyhock on the island, there’s where they carry their loot. Vancouver is only their main bread winner …for now. After they are done here they will split. So many cities to pluck so little time. By the way, what’s your favorite charity? Tides? Oh, FYI they need to concentrate on public transit if they want the situation to improve. Biking is not PUBLIC and also doesn’t have the ridership to justify the investment, let me rephrase that, the money spending hemorrhage!
Cheers.

@Julia:

Those commuter buses account for less than half of the current Canada Line ridership. I’m working from memory here, but the figure that was talked about repeatedly before the Canada Line was built was in the 40-50,000 riders a day range, while the Canada Line currently has ridership over 100,000. It was brought up repeatedly because commentators alleged that the Canada Line would never make the 100,000 mark that was in essence guaranteed to the private operator of the line, and thus would be a money sink. I too was skeptical at the time, but those concerns have been proved wrong much quicker than anyone expected. It really is a good news story.

But on the general issue of cancelling those bus lines, of course they weren’t going to duplicate service with buses. No transit service would. Portland eliminated many bus routes even before their MAX light rail line came in, every subway line in Toronto replaced bus lines, and same is true for every city. It would be a catastrophic waste of money for an organization already barely treading water financially to duplicate service like that.