After bike lanes were removed from Vancouver’s Stanley Park, traffic immediately worsened over the long weekend. The separated bike lanes were removed, but some park-users reported sluggish and frustrating driving experiences. Clashes with cyclists attempting to share the road were also reported.
Tricia Barker, a former Park Board commissioner, shared her experience of a 50-minute journey from Second Beach to the causeway exit on Saturday. Along the way, she noticed numerous frustrated cyclists lacking safe riding space. She took to Twitter to express her concerns.
Driving disaster through Stanley Park
“I drove through Stanley Park late Saturday afternoon. Took 50 minutes to get from Second Beach to Causeway exit. Until a Beach Ave exit is reopened, the access problems remain. And everyone gets mad! A cyclist hit my car because he couldn’t easily ride past the traffic jam!”
I drove thru #stanleypark late yesterday afternoon.
Took 50 minutes to get from 2nd Beach to Causeway exit.
Until a Beach Ave exit is reopened the access problems remain.
And everyone gets mad! Cyclist hit my car because he couldn’t easily ride past the traffic jam! #nothappy https://t.co/g6cjZAabhE pic.twitter.com/6juuK1DpS1— Tricia Barker 🇨🇦🏴 (@TriciaBarker49) May 21, 2023
“Unless we open up the Beach Avenue exit again, we’re always going to have those big lineups in and out of the park,” she stated in an interview with City News. “If everyone has to leave at the causeway, that’s where the big traffic jam happens. It doesn’t really matter what happens inside the park with one lane or two lanes, if everyone who has to drive into the park to enjoy it actually has to leave at the causeway… it’s impossible.”
Barker tweeted about the traffic situation, sharing an image of the stalled line of cars throughout the park. Naturally, upset cyclists, who disagreed with the decision to remove the bike lanes, voiced their opinions.
Cyclists chime in
“Funny… I thought that removing the bike lane was going to miraculously solve all the traffic problems,” @CoralynnGehl tweeted.
The fact that the former politician failed to recognize the issue of allowing more cars and fewer bikes into the park irritated many cyclists.
“Hard to believe someone can see this and want even more cars in the park. Just inappropriate,” ForwardBike added.
One Twitter user summed up Vancouver…
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