The Vancouver Park Board is set to vote on dismantling the controversial Stanley Park bike lane. ‘Global News Morning’ speaks with cycling advocate Lucy Maloney about the decision to shut the bike lane down. Supporters of the separated bike lane through Vancouver’s Stanley Park are planning a rally Monday evening, with the city’s park board set to vote on removing it.
The lane was first implemented on Stanley Park Drive early in the COVID-19 pandemic. It has existed in its current form, which occupies one lane of the road formerly open to vehicle traffic, since spring 2021.
The lane has proven controversial, with some seniors and people with disabilities saying it has reduced their ability to access the park. Businesses in the park have also complained it is affecting their bottom line.
The ABC party, which now holds a majority on the Vancouver Park Board, signalled after the election that removing the lane for winter would be one of its first priorities, with plans to reinstall a modified version by next summer.
On Monday, the board will vote on an ABC motion to “immediately restore the pre-COVID traffic and parking configuration on Stanley Park Drive in time for the upcoming December 2022 peak Holiday Season.”
The motion would also direct staff to repurpose an ongoing mobility study on park usage as a “planning tool” to deliver new permanent cycling infrastructure in the park, with considerations for accessibility and tourist access by next February.
Lucy Maloney, a cycling advocate with the group Love the Lane, which […]
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