The city wants to hear your thoughts on a proposed bike path at Kitsilano Beach Park

To bike path or not to bike bath, that is the question the City of Vancouver is looking to answer with feedback from Kitsilano residents.

The city is looking at introducing a cycling path that could connect Balsam St with Ogden Ave and include a section within Kitsilano Beach Park. More specifically, the city hopes to better understand how residents access and connect to Kitsilano Beach Park and the Seaside Greenway. 

“Your input will help us to develop design options for a separated cycle path that make it a safe and comfortable route for all users, including children, families, and people with reduced mobility while reducing conflicts between park users,” the project’s designated webpage reads. 

Currently, there is a shared path within the park for people walking, rolling, and cycling along with a temporary protected bike path through the south parking lot of the park. A designated bikeway on the residential streets immediately east of the park, including Arbutus Street, serves the surrounding neighbourhood and people accessing Kitsilano Beach Park.

As one of the city’s most popular trails for walking, rolling and cycling, the 28km‐long route does not provide separate paths. The lack of separation has led to some access and safety concerns found in a Park Board engagement study conducted between 2013 and 2018.

The City of Vancouver is looking for feedback on a proposed bike path that could connect Balsam Street with Ogden Avenue and include a section within Kitsilano Beach Park. By City of Vancouver

The project, led by the Park Board will include city engineering staff who will provide their transportation design and construction expertise while looking at possible reallocation of street space.

Here’s how the public engagement process will work:

1. Round one which began this August will ask park and Greenway users, residents, and businesses what is important to them regarding how they access and connect to Kitsilano Beach Park and the Seaside Greenway.
2. The second round in the fall will ask people to evaluate different separated cycle path design options based on the values and priorities identified in round one, and will help identify a preferred route for the path.
3. The third round in early 2022 will help to confirm and fine-tune the preferred route.

The first round of engagement ends Aug. 30 and residents can submit their feedback via an online survey. Paper copies of the survey are available on request. You can also email the project’s leaders at [email protected] or call 3-1-1.