Park Board commissioner proposes reinstating Stanley Park Drive bike lane segment | Daily Hive

Park Board commissioner proposes reinstating a major segment of Stanley Park Drive's bike lane

The previous temporary pandemic-time bike lane on Stanley Park Drive on the steep uphill segment before Prospect Point. (Google Maps)

Next week, Vancouver Park Board commissioners will review the newly completed Stanley Park Mobility Study, which outlines recommendations and options for short-, medium-, and long-term changes to the park’s transportation system. The goals include boosting visitation, reducing vehicle use, improving accessibility, and enhancing the overall park experience.

Among the approaches is a new TransLink bus route beginning and ending at Waterfront Station, looping around the park’s eight-kilometre perimeter road. Planning for the service could begin in 2026, with a potential launch in 2027. TransLink has already begun the process of planning such a potential service.

The study also examined current transportation behaviours in the park, explores the potential for multi-level parkades to support a future car-free Stanley Park Drive, and analyzes the concept and costs of various permutations of road configurations, including options for bus-only lanes, bike lanes, or other reuses of road space.

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One amendment that will be considered during the Park Board meeting reviewing, deliberating, and voting on the study and the direction is an amendment by Green party commissioner Tom Digby to reinstate a major section of the bike lane on Stanley Park Drive.

Specifically, Digby is calling for the creation of a permanent protected bike lane on Stanley Park Drive within the west side of the park — roughly from the first/east intersection of Pipeline Road and Stanley Park Drive (near Ravine Trail) to Second Beach. This segment is about four km long or about half the length of Stanley Park Drive.

He supports Park Board staff’s emphasis on supporting TransLink’s efforts to launch a new bus route in the near term, but says the bike lane on the roadway is “missing.”

Digby says there is a need for a protected bike lane on this particular segment, which includes the steep uphill section of Stanley Park Drive to reach Prospect Point. The roadway currently has two vehicle lanes; if approved, one vehicle lane would eventually be reinstated for cyclists and the second vehicle lane would be retained.

tom digby stanley park drive bike lane f

Green party commissioner Tom Digby’s proposed segment of permanent protected bike lane on Stanley Park Drive. (Tom Digby/Google Maps)

“Everyone knows that buses and bikes don’t mix safely. For the safety of cyclists, active mobility and micromobility users on Stanley Park Drive, I am bringing an amendment for a permanent separated bike lane along the steepest parts of the road up and over Prospect Point hill,” said Digby in a statement.

“Commissioners have the opportunity to bring back thousands of beginner and intermediate bike riders who have been avoiding Stanley Park Drive since the temporary bike lane was unlawfully yanked over two years ago. My amendment will also prioritize the need for accessible parking, Indigenous consultation, and for accommodating park businesses along the bike lane route.”

The temporary pandemic-time bike lane on Stanley Park Drive was nearly fully removed in Summer 2023, following a majority decision by the previous ABC Vancouver party-led makeup of Park Board commissioners.

Digby’s proposed bike lane segment for Stanley Park Drive closely mirrors Park Board staff’s “Option A” — one of three options identified by Park Board staff in February 2023 on potential changes to retain a portion or remove the bike lane.

Rejected February 2023 concept: Option A — Stanley Park Drive bike lane. (Vancouver Park Board)

The highly controversial temporary bike lane drew strong criticism from restaurants and other park businesses, who blamed it for a confusing layout and traffic congestion contributing to financial losses, as well as from accessibility and seniors’ groups who stressed the need for private vehicle access. Its complete removal, however, was opposed by cycling advocates and other supporters who argued it compromised safety and comfort, forcing cyclists back onto the Stanley Park seawall, which is busy with pedestrians.

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