Burrard Bridge traffic woes expected till Monday

The City of Vancouver is strongly urging motorists to stay away from the Burrard Bridge this weekend as the city gears up for a bike lane trial starting Monday.

The $1.3-million plan will see the western curb lane on the bridge become a bike lane for cyclists crossing toward Kitsilano, while the eastern sidewalk will be reserved for cyclists heading downtown.

Pedestrians travelling in both directions will be restricted to the western sidewalk, and car and truck traffic will be reduced from six lanes to five, with three northbound lanes and two southbound lanes.

Over the weekend, protective barriers to separate the bike lanes from vehicles will be installed, as will traffic signal modifications. City staff say the work will likely result in extensive lane closures and traffic disruptions.

In 1996, antagonism from drivers forced an abrupt cancellation just one week into a previous bike lane trial on the bridge. The plan was abandoned after public outcry over the traffic jams at the entrances to the bridge.

The current six-month trial is being applauded by cyclists in the city.

Jack Becker, director of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, said he's avoided riding across the bridge for years, even though it makes his commute across False Creek to south Vancouver three kilometres longer.

Becker said he's glad cyclists and pedestrians will no longer be forced to share the bridge's sidewalk.

"People are very cognizant of the issues and they've also recognized that pedestrians will finally be able to cross the bridge without having to worry about a bicycle whipping by or something like that, so I think everybody's going to gain out of this one," he said.

Becker said the bike lane trial is a sign of progress, but added there is a lot more to be done to ensure safety and accessibility for cyclists in Vancouver.