Vancouver park board backs temporary bike lane in Stanley Park

Parks board staff are now tasked with getting the one-lane bike lane set up as soon as possible.

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The Vancouver park board has voted in favour of a temporary bike lane along Stanley Park Drive over the summer and early fall.

Parks board staff are now tasked with getting the one-lane bike lane set up as soon as possible.

Commissioner Camil Dumont, who presented the motion, said the lane would be a test case for the Stanley Park mobility study into the feasibility of reducing vehicle traffic in Stanley Park. This study is expected to take two years.

The bike lane will be in place until the end of October.

The motion stated that between April 8 and June 22, 2020 Stanley Park Drive was closed to all vehicle traffic and turned into a bike lane in order to reduce bike and foot traffic on the seawall route because of COVID-19.

This led to an 180 per cent increase in bike use within the park.

From June 22 until Sept. 26, Stanley Park Drive was returned to one lane of vehicle traffic and one bike lane.

Since Sept. 26, the park has been fully reopened to vehicles.

Staff have been asked to work closely with the City of Vancouver’s Seniors Advisory Committee and Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee and apply learnings from the 2020 temporary traffic management plan in Stanley Park.

The vote passed five to two.