It’s one thing to discourage people from driving — by reducing lanes on the Burrard Street Bridge or removing street parking downtown. It’s another to encourage cycling as an alternative.
That’s why the City of Vancouver says it’s stepping up plans to provide cyclists with more secure bike parking facilities, which will cut down on theft and give people one fewer excuse not to opt for pedal power.
“We’ve been trying to meet the needs of cyclists and realize that as demand grows, we need to keep up and address the concerns from cyclists who want to know their bikes are safe and secure,” said Scott Edwards, manager of greenways and neighbourhood transportation with the City of Vancouver.
He said people have a legitimate reason to be worried about leaving their bikes on the streets given the vulnerability of locks and racks.
“The city has a number of plans for end-of-trip facilities and parking, starting from on-street parking, to lockers (and cages) near destination areas, to what some people have called a bike-ade,” Edwards said.
“It’s sort of another level of security.”
Edwards did not have a timeline for the implementation of these projects.
In the meantime, Edwards said cyclists can request a bike rack for a particular block or report damaged racks at the city’s bike hotline at 604-871-6070.
The hotline can also be used to inform the city of potholes, damage to existing bikeways or provide suggestions about future connections.
