Vancouver proposes new protected bike lane on Melville Street

Route of the protected bike lane extension along Dunsmuir Street, Melville Street, Jervis Street, West Hastings Street, and Broughton Street between Hornby Street and the Coal Harbour seawall. (City of Vancouver)

The City of Vancouver is in the process of considering a new westward extension of Dunsmuir Street’s protected bike lane route within downtown.

Currently, Dunsmuir Street’s protected east-west bike lane — continuing from the Dunsmuir Viaduct — has its westernmost end situated at the intersection with Hornby Street.

This proposed project would extend the protected two-way bike lane west of Hornby Street, across the intersection with Burrard Street, and onto Melville Street (with Dunsmuir Street transitioning into Melville Street), before running north-south along Jervis Street for its transition onto a one city block east-west stretch of West Hastings Street between Jervis Street and Broughton Street.

At the northernmost foot of Broughton Street, the route would briefly run north-south again to reach the Coal Harbour seawall.

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Overall, the project would have a length of approximately one km, and use “quick-build” materials. This replaces an existing painted bike lane running along much of the project route west of Hornby Street.

vancouver melville street bike lane concept

Looking west on Dunsmuir Street from the intersection with Hornby Street, where the protected bike lane extension project will begin. (Google Maps)

Three vehicle lanes, including turning lanes, would be retained on the arterial road segment between Hornby Street and Thurlow Street, with significant vehicle traffic volumes turning left from Dumsuir Street onto Thurlow Street.

For the remaining span of Melville Street west of Thurlow Street, the existing configuration of two eastbound-only vehicle travel lanes would be reduced to one eastbound-only vehicle travel lane, while preserving curbside vehicle parking spaces on both sides of the street.

For the segment along West Hastings Street, the existing centre median would be removed to accommodate the protected bike lane while also retaining vehicle travel lanes in both directions and curbside vehicle parking.

At Broughton Street, the protected bike lane would terminate immediately adjacent to the City’s new Coal Harbour mixed-use building with an elementary school, childcare facility, and social housing, which will reach completion and open in 2025.

Existing condition:

Intersection of Dunsmuir Street/Melville Street and Thurlow Street. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Conceptual artistic rendering of the Melville Street/Dunsmuir Street and Thurlow Street intersection with a protected bike lane extension. (City of Vancouver)

The protected bike lane extension onto Melville Street also provides a connection to the future continuous north-south Bute Street Greenway, stretching between the Coal Harbour and English Bay waterfronts.

To accommodate the street design changes, the City has indicated that over 30 curbside vehicle parking stalls would be removed, along with changes to traffic signals, loading zones, TransLink bus stops, and Mobi bike share stations, including new additional Mobi stations.

As well, the short one city block segment of Melville Street immediately south of SkyTrain’s Burrard Station (next to Hyatt Regency Hotel) could be converted into an eastbound-only street to reduce conflicts with vehicles.

If approved, construction on the new protected bike lane could begin in 2026.

Concept for new protected bike lane on Dunsmuir Street/Melville Street between Hornby and Thurlow streets. (City of Vancouver)

Concept for new protected bike lane on Melville Street between Thurlow and Jervis streets. (City of Vancouver)

Concept for new protected bike lane on Jervis Street, West Hastings Street, and Broughton Street between Melville Street and the Coal Harbour seawall. (City of Vancouver)

480 broughton street vancouver coal harbour elementary school social housing

2021 artistic rendering of the Coal Harbour elementary school, childcare, and social housing complex at 480 Broughton Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Vancouver School Board/City of Vancouver)

coal harbour elementary school social housing construction august 8 2024

Construction progress on the new Coal Harbour elementary school and social housing building, as of August 8, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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