July 20, 2005

Mayor and Council
453 West 12th Ave.
Vancouver, BC   V5Y 1V4

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing today on behalf of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, in support of the Haro/Nicola bikeway and the West End Bicycle Friendly Streets initiative.

Through the BAC and its Bicycle Network Subcommittee we have discussed these projects with City staff. Staff have been very receptive to our concerns and ideas, and most of our concerns have already been addressed in the design phase of this project.

There are only two remaining issues on the Haro/Nicola bikeway which do not appear to be addressed in the report to council, and we would like to draw them to your attention:

  1. The intersection of Nicola with Pender and Georgia: The original plan called for a redesign of this intersection and  the addition of a signal to allow cyclists to cross Pender St.; we hope this is not forgotten.

  2. Smithe St. between Howe and Hornby: It is recognized that Smithe is a major vehicle east-west connection and not originally part of the Downtown Transportation Plan. However with a short bike lane existing on Smithe off the Cambie bridge and this new bike lane proposed on Smithe west of Hornby, it is clear that cyclists will be encouraged to use this as the most direct east-west route.

    The block between Howe and Hornby is particularly problematic since cyclists have to cross two right turning lanes in order to continue straight, often resulting in conflict. At a minimum, we would like to see bicycle logos stenciled on the road (possibly with chevrons, as used, for example, in San Francisco). These will indicate to cyclists where to position themselves and also alert cars to expect cyclists and to share the existing lanes. Staff have indicated their approval of this idea but it does not appear in this report to council.

We look forward to the implementation of these projects, and the ongoing work on the Downtown Transportation Plan.

Sincerely,

Hans-Jürgen (Jack) E.H. Becker
Chair, VACC Vancouver Committee
Director, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition