Cyclists call for safer detour after collapse of East Vancouver parkade closed section of major bike path

Vancouver-based Carter Fox usually cycles to work in Burnaby, taking the Central Valley Greenway — a major 24-kilometre bike corridor that connects Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster.

But for the past month, Fox has avoided the greenway after the City of Vancouver closed off a section adjacent to the site where a rooftop parking deck collapsed on July 14.

Cyclists have had to take more dangerous routes around it since, says Fox.

"This is a major bicycle highway and it's been closed for more than a month without a viable alternative for bicyclists," he said.

He adds that his new bike route "takes me on roads where drivers are not looking out for bicyclists, and it also takes me past the Burnaby Hospital, where there's a lot of construction right now."

The collapse happened while a skid-steer loader was working on the roof of the building on 3434 Lougheed Highway, according to fire officials. Eight people were later rescued, and one man was found dead. 

Both the City of Vancouver and WorkSafeBC declined CBC's request for interviews but sent statements emphasizing the area is still being investigated.

"We understand the frustration cyclists are having with the closure of part of the Central Valley Greenway," the city told CBC.

"Due to its proximity to the collapsed building and the potential for debris to fall onto the CVG, the greenway remains closed."

On Friday, the city tweeted that they are exploring "various alternative routes" to the greenway, a process it said started shortly after the closure. 

WorkSafeBC said the closure of that section of the greenway will remain in effect as the damage is still being assessed. Engineers hired by the building owner are probing the structure's integrity as they plan remediation or demolition work.

"While this work is being done as quickly as possible, it must also be done carefully and thoroughly with safety as the top priority," they said in the statement.

"As a result, it is not possible at this time to give a timeline on the reopening of the Greenway."

"I feel like if WorkSafeBC is forcing this closure, then we should have a detour," said Fox.

"Without a viable detour for bikes, they're trading one set of risks associated with the collapsed building with putting bikes on busy highways. I don't really see that cyclists are actually gaining safety here."

'City is responsible for accommodating all road users'

Vancouver-based Sieva Kimajeu says he does not need the greenway for his commute, but after hearing how the closure has inconvenienced fellow cyclists, he took it upon himself to film drone footage of the site and an alternate route that showed him merging onto busy roads.

"I followed the highway to Boundary Road, then I had to merge with traffic from the Trans-Canada Highway. It was pretty intense," Kimajeu said.

Kimajeu says he understands closures due to emergencies, but he questions why it is taking authorities more than a month to figure out a safer detour.

"This area [of the path] is squeezed between Lougheed Highway, Grandview Highway, Boundary Road and Rupert street, which are very car-centric and dangerous roads for cyclists," he said.

"It just sits there unused just because people are unable to figure it out for a long time.

"The city is responsible for accommodating all the road users and it would be very good if pedestrians and cyclists were accommodated," he added.

Fox concurs, adding: "If the city was really serious about active transportation and trying to get people out of cars, then we'd have a viable detour by now."