Which wheels get to use Stanely Park Drive is up for debate at the upcoming parks board meeting, and Vancouver cyclists are planning to make their voices heard.
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation will be voting Monday evenng on a motion to remove the temporary Stanley Park Drive bike lane. The lane was created in June 2020 as a way for cyclists and cars to share the road through the park during the pandemic. The park board of the day decided to keep it going in 2021 and 2022.
As the recently elected ABC-led park board started its term, Commissioner Angela Haer has proposed returning the road immediately to the way it was before the pandemic. She's also suggesting the scope of the park mobility study underway be changed.
Cyclists unhappy with the proposed change are planning to show up at the Dec. 5 meeting to share their thoughts and protest the change.
"The draft ABC motion offers nothing for cyclists seeking replacement or upgraded infrastructure. It does not lock in commitments made by the ABC party during the recent municipal election to build a new, dedicated cycling path prior to next summer," states pro-cycling lane group Love the Lane (LTL) in a press release.
On their website, LTL notes the seawall is often closed in the winter, and the lane offers an alternate route around the park. This week the seawall is closed for two weeks on weekdays for slope stabilization.
They also note the seawall has barriers for non-standard cyclists and crash hazards, and is narrow, causing traffic jams for cyclists. LTL also points to a survey from not-for-profit HUB Cycling done before the municipal election where all but one of the ABC park board candidates indicated they supported a protected bike lane on Stanley Park Drive.
A different group, which goes by the handle "The VanPoli Group" started a petition in 2020, supporting the removal of the bike lane. It's received more than 35,400 digital signatures on the petition platform Change.org.
The park board meeting takes place Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Correction—Initially the petition was stated to be two months old. It in fact was started two years ago.
