Mayor Gregor Robertson will oversee the construction of another separated bike lane in the city before his term comes to a close this year. Robertson, who announced last week that he will not be seeking reelection, voted with council in favour of adding a protected lane for cyclists on the Cambie Street Bridge.

A southbound lane will be converted into a bike lane, image retrieved from Google Street View

The current configuration puts southbound cyclists at odds with pedestrians as they share the pathway on the east side of the bridge. The project will convert one of the three southbound lanes of traffic into a protected bike lane, reducing vehicle lanes from six to five. A section of the southbound exit ramp will also be devoted strictly to cyclists. Staff say the addition of the bike lane would have minimal if any impact on road traffic, as most current delays are associated with traffic lights on the north and south sides of the bridge.

The City's general manager of engineering services, Jerry Dobrovolny, said the Cambie Bridge was never effectively designed to accommodate large numbers of cyclists. He said the high concentration of cyclists and pedestrians using the pathway is jeopardizing safety, pointing to an increase in the number of conflicts and injuries.

Pedestrians and cyclists currently share the pathway at the east side of the bridge, image retrieved from Google Street View

The bulk of the $600,000 price tag will go towards the installation of removable concrete barriers, with the rest dedicated to improving connections at the south end of the bridge. Construction of the project is expected to begin in the coming months and complete in the late spring or early summer. 

Will you use the bike lanes on the Cambie Street Bridge? Where else in the city would you like to see protected bike lanes installed? Let us know by leaving a comment in the field provided below.