Vancouver is quite a bike-forward city, even ranking second as the most bike-friendly city in Canada, and, to the delight of cyclists and drivers, the many bike lanes already installed around the city are about to increase. Along with other elements of Metro Vancouver's transportation network, of course.
TransLink, which operates Metro Vancouver's public transit system, is funding the development of new or improved greenways, cycling paths, walkways, multi-use paths, intersections, and roads through the Municipal Funding Program.
Out of a total of $130 million, just over $24.5 million will be invested into Vancouver-based projects alone.
The Municipal Funding Program initiates improvement in each municipality and contributes to the "maintaining, upgrading and building new transportation infrastructure throughout Metro Vancouver," indicates TransLink in an Aug. 3 news release.
The transportation company will fund up to 100 per cent of project costs for projects set to improve the efficiency of bus transit system or cycling infrastructure, and will fund up to 75 per cent of upgrade and renovation-based projects.
Here's how much TransLink will be contributing for each project, investing a total of $24,554,886 into Vancouver's transportation network:
- 49th Avenue - EB at Boundary Rd ($132,000) - Upgrading the bus-priority lane signage from side-mounted to overhead signs, including electrical design for pole/base replacement on the EB approach from Arlington to Boundary Rd in coordination with City of Burnaby (new bus lanes on Imperial)
- 49th Avenue - Oak to Cambie ($209,000) - Extending to the Oak & Cambie segment with bus-priority and approach lanes and bus stop consolidation. Includes overhead signs and electrical design for pole/base replacement
- Arbutus Greenway Spot Improvements - W King Edward ($850,000) - Modify signal operations and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists at Arbutus Greenway / W King Edward Avenue.
- Bus Stop Balancing Routes 4 & 7 - Stop Decommissioning ($529,500) - Decommision 45 bus stops on Routes 4 (UBC to Renfrew/McGill) and 7 (Dunbar Loop to Nanaimo Station) and installing 8 new stops.
- Cambie Bridge Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation - Ph2b ($4,450,000) - Upgrade and rehabilitate Cambie Street Bridge
- Commercial Drive (1st to Venables) Pilot ($228,000) - Test bus-priority measures on Commercial Drive from 1st Avenue to Venables Street.
- Downtown Bike Network Expansion ($1,000,000) - Provide bi-directional protected bike lane on Smithe Street between Thurlow Street and Richards Street.
- East Vancouver Sidewalks ($200,00) - Construct 1 km of sidewalks in the Hastings Sunrise/Renfrew-Collingwood neighborhood.
- Expansion Joint Replacement Program for MRN Bridges ($292,500) - Replace expansion joints on five vehicular bridges located along MRN and one pedestrian bridge that spans over MRN
- Granville and Hastings- WBLT and NBRT Overlap ($231,000) - Modify signal operations at Granville Street / Hastings Street.
- Granville Bridge - Rehabilitation of South Concrete Approach and Ramps ($5,000,000) - Rehabilitate south concrete approach and ramps of the Granville Street bridge.
- Granville Bridge Connector ($2,493,000) - Convert two existing travel lanes on the west side of Granville Bridge to walking / rolling / cycling; Signalize Fir Street and Howe Street crossings; Make South Granville Loop car-free.
- Granville St Phase 2 Upgrades ($125,000) - Evaluate and monitor outcomes of the bus-priority lanes pilot project on Granville Street from 16th Avenue to SW Marine Drive.
- Granville Street Bridge Recoating Phase 2b ($4,995,886) - Recoat Granville Streeet Bridge.
- Kingsway (Fraser to Boundary) Bus-Priority Lane Design ($125,000) - Implement bus-priority lanes and intersection improvements on 11 km of Kingsway between Fraser Street and Boundary Road.
- Langara Sidewalks ($804,000) - Construct 2 km of sidewalks in the Oakridge/Marpole neighborhood.
- Main St and Kingsway Phase 2 Upgrades ($245,000) - Evaluate outcomes of the bus-priority lanes pilot project on Main Street from Terminal Avenue to Kingsway and on Kingsway fom Main Street to Fraser Street.
- Mt.Pleasant Sidewalks ($400,000) - Construct 1 km of sidewalks in the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood.
- Ontario Greenway AAA Upgrades ($1,225,000) - Upgrade Ontario Greenway to AAA standards (partial and full road closures, protected intersection elements, facilitate transitions between bike paths at 1st Ave intersection).
- St George Rainway (Broadway to 5th Ave) ($900,00) - Provide 280 m long bike lane on St. George Street betweeen 5th Avenue and Broadway; Convert St. George Street to one-way southbound; Implement street closures between 6th and 7th Avenue.
- Strathcona Sidewalks ($450,000) - Construct 1 km of sidewalks in the Strathcona neighborhood.
