Fit City

We’re fit.

This is the time  of year when Vancouverites are in their best shape.  They’ve been outside more, vacationed, walked and run and cycled and sailed and hiked and just generally moved around more on their own power.  They’ve used the City as workout.  With a little sun, they’re looking great.

And so the consequences of two decades of how we’ve built our city – more priority on pedestrians and cyclists than most places – is showing up in the way people are getting around.  You can see it here, on the east side of the west convention centre, where new shops, restaurants and a pub have opened since the Olympics.

Unlike the walkways on the Canada Place pier, this one is intensively used.  The young people in blue are a pack of SFU Frosh who were everywhere downtown on Saturday, pursuing points, I’m guessing for an introductory scavenger hunt.

Note how on either side, there are packs of bikes too – so many some are piled on on top of each other.

And here, just alongside the pub, where the bikes are parked in surprising number – more, at least, than anyone likely expected.

But even with all the new bike racks installed, reports are coming in from around the city of bikes overwhelming available parking.

Ironically, the Park Board had a tent up too, at the entrance to Stanley Park on the Coal Harbour seawall, where they were surveying users of the park about cycling – and many cyclists stopped by.  Except there were no bike racks.

Not a big thing – but an indicative one.