60 per cent of Metro Vancouver Residents Support Separated Bike Lanes | Daily Hive

Three years have past since the first introduction of bike lanes. These two words have become the new 2010 Olympics in terms of stirring up debate in the city and metro Vancouver area. A new survy by Insights West reveals that three-in-five Metro Vancouver residents support the bike lane initiative, and seven-in-ten would endorse the implementation of a bicycle sharing system, similar to the ones currently in place in London, Paris and Montreal.

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The survey found that three-in-five Metro Vancouver residents (61%) are in favour of the bike lanes. Among those who reside in the City of Vancouver, support reaches 64 per cent.

The majority of the survey responders favoured the perceived benefits bike lanes offer, agreeing that it provides opportunities for people to be physically active (75%), being safer for cyclists and motorists (74%) and aids in reducing pollution (52%).

Some of the concerns residents still have are issues with parking, as 70 per cent saying the bike lanes have made parking more difficult, and more than half stating that bike lanes have hurt local businesses. Residents are split on whether the bike lanes are a good use of taxpayers’ money

Clear Interest in Bike-Sharing System in Metro Vancouver

Cities such as London, Paris and Montreal have implemented a bicycle sharing system, where bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis. Seven-in-ten Metro Vancouver residents (70%) would welcome the introduction of a similar program in Vancouver.

A bike share program has been in the works for a long time. However, there is one thing that is holding it back, the mandatory helmet law. No city that has a mandatory helmet law has successfully launched a bike share program. Vancouver will be no different.

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Source: Insight Westby
Image by Mikael Colville-Andersen