bike lanes down the centre of granville bridge: smart planning or 'carmageddon'? - smart

"First of all, in terms of vehicle traffic, this is not a bridge with heavy traffic, so I think it makes sense to strengthen pedestrian and bicycle access.
"For supporters and critics, the theme of the Vancouver bike lane and its expansion over the past decade are linked to the legacy of visual Vancouver.
Next week, when the Council considers a proposal,
Along the bike trails in the center of the Granville Bridge, there will be a chance to see the first council after Vancouver
This theme is the visual age.
Although the vision of the City Council was canceled in the last October election, some observers believe that the new mixed parliament is unlikely to want to make a difficult U-
The way to open the bike infrastructure.
On Wednesday, the City Council will discuss a staff report seeking approval to advance the design concept of the Granville Bridge, including the redistribution of the central lane to serve the "barrier-free road" for cycling, walking and wheelchair use.
Former city councillor Gordon Price said the suggestion to remove the driveway for other purposes always worries motorists about "Carmageddon ".
He said he expected similar restraint on the Granville proposal this time, although recent history did not confirm such concerns.
According to a staff report to the Council, not only has the number of pedestrians and bicycles at Burrard Bridge increased significantly since the recent infrastructure upgrade, however, it also reduces the driving time of the south-bound car and improves the "reliability of driving time ".
Similarly, early data showed that Cambie Bridge's recently added bike infrastructure "has no significant impact on motor vehicle driving time ".
Above, a concept map from the City of Vancouver shows a possible traffic situation in the central passage of the Granville Bridge.
Below is a recent "photo" of the same section of the bridge ". (
City of Vancouver)
Photo submitted: Vancouver city/Baoxin "this is almost against common sense, right? ” said Price.
"You have to bring two (car)
Of course, it will cause more congestion --
Why not?
The reason, Price said, is "because it's not about the bridge deck, it's about the intersection . " He served as a member of the NPA between 1986 and 2002.
"Talk to any transport engineer and they will tell you the same thing: the capacity of the bridge is determined by the intersection leading to it.
Three fake Creek Bridges
Granville, Camby and Pollard
This week's employee report noted a significant excess of car capacity, particularly the Granville Bridge, which opened in 1954, "designed to connect highspeed, high-
A large number of highways that have never been built.
"Even if every street that feeds the bridge is full, the bridge itself will be relatively empty," the report said . ".
The idea of improving the Granville Bridge bike infrastructure is not new.
The Transport 2040 plan approved by the Council in 2012 identified all three false creek crossings, including Granville, as "high priority" areas to address the city's bicycle network gap.
In this week's report, city manager Sadu Johnston's comments, Granville Bridge is described as one of the most obvious obstacles in "vancouver's spedestrian and bicycle networks.
Price said that although the NPA tried to turn the bike lane into a campaign issue in a previous election match with Greg Robertson, he expected, the overall idea of supporting the bike infrastructure will be supported, if not all, among the five current NPA MPs.
At this point, the opposition to bicycle infrastructure in principle represents "no political benefit and a lot of political shortcomings," Price said. ”First-term NPA Coun.
Lisa Dominato said: "In terms of vehicle traffic, this is not a bridge with frequent travel, so I think it makes sense to strengthen pedestrian and bicycle access.
However, she did plan to seek more from the city staff about why the proposal would put the bike in
Pass through the path in the middle of the bridge, not in the east or west. Researcher NPA Coun
Melissa De Genova said she wanted to ask staff questions and hear from the public before deciding on plans for the Granville Bridge, and she had some concerns about the proposed design.
"I fully support the upgrade," De Genova said . ".
"However, I'm not sure if the whole concept of a green channel is the direction I want to move forward.
. . . . . . I would like to hear what the public thinks about the issue, but I do have some concerns about canceling the driveway.
"The timeline presented in this week's employee report will see stakeholders having conversations on Granville Bridge connectors, workshops and open houses on February, April and June and will be presented to the Council for approval on July.
The detailed design will then begin in September.
Dfumano @ postmedia. comtwitter.