City of Vancouver seeking public feedback on Beach Avenue bike lane
There could be improvements to the temporary bike lane on Beach Avenue within the West End of downtown Vancouver, according to the City of Vancouver’s new public consultation on the roadway changes that first went into place nearly six months ago.
Beach Avenue in the eastbound direction between Hornby Street and Park Lane was closed to vehicles on April 9 to provide added physical distancing space for cyclists and pedestrians.
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The eastbound lane of the road and curbside parking were turned into a bike lane, and the seawall bike lane in the area became an expanded pedestrian pathway, with cyclists currently banned from using this segment of seawall.
The changes have also resulted in the rerouting of TransLink’s No. 23 Beach/Main Street Station bus route to Davie Street.
Map of temporary roadway changes on Beach Avenue. (City of Vancouver)
According to the municipal government, Beach Avenue is currently the busiest cycling route in the city, and improvements would not only enhance safety but also lower maintenance costs.
This could include a sturdier barrier between temporary bike lane and the westbound vehicle traffic lane. Currently, both uses are separated by traffic cones.
Other suggested changes entail improved pedestrian crossings with refuges or painted crosswalks, and increased accessible parking spaces and passenger zones.
An extension of the on-road bike lane along Pacific Street between Jervis Street and Thurlow Street is another option.
The city’s online survey is open from now until October 12.
Eastbound lanes of Beach Avenue between Hornby Street and Stanley Park closed for pedestrians and cyclists. (@Dale_Bracewell/Twitter)
At the eastern end of the Beach Avenue route, beginning tomorrow morning, Saturday, September 26, the bike lane on Stanley Park Drive will be dismantled, returning Stanley Park’s roadway and parking configuration to its pre-COVID state with full vehicle access. The changes also mean cyclists will be able to return to the Stanley Park seawall.
In today’s update, the city also indicates it has designated 40 km of “slow streets” with simple traffic barriers and signs. The ultimate target is up to 50 km by this fall.
Additional traffic-calming measures are being performed on two slow street routes, specifically Ontario Street south of East 30th Avenue and Wall Street near Oxford and Cambridge parks. This includes additional signage and barriers, and local parking and traffic-circulation changes.
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