Another item from “Designing for People of All Ages and Abilities: Active Transportation & Health in Vancouver” by Dale Bracewell – who pointed out something easily missed but quite amazing in these numbers. Look to the right of the bar chart (click to expand).
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The numbers on Hornby Street and Lions Gate are almost equal. Yet the latter bike route – the Causeway and bridge – is not what anyone would consider an easy route: steep grade, fair distance to destinations, no separation (yet) from fast-moving traffic on the Causeway.
It suggests to me that a lot of people on the North Shore cycle for the workout effect.
Lets see what happens when they put in a safer upgrade, I predict a large increase in cycling.
When I was living in North Van I regularly used the Lions Gate Bridge as a workout circuit, except I turned off at Prospect Point and used the Park roads. So, I would assume that most cyclists using the length of the causeway are more likely commuting. Maybe people training for the Grande Fondo use the direct route to get to the Upper Levels.
I’d be interested to see the numbers for the Second Narrows over the next year, with the recent significant improvements.
I’m rather surprised at the high Lions Gate numbers. Years ago I was told by a regular commuter across the bridge that the natural cross wind combined with the vortices trailing big trucks and buses can suck cyclists right off the sidewalk into traffic. Mind you, that may have been before the bridge was widened.
Hornby is only a fraction of the Burrard Bridge in part because it’s so ridiculously slow in the southbound direction. Unless you’re incredibly fast or extremely slow you end up having to stop and put a foot down every block. I could see the frustration in the faces of some of my fellow cyclists.
Having watched the chaos of vehicles repeatedly crossing the bike lane on Burrard I was always happy to be in the protected lane on Hornby, but plenty of cyclists prefer the more generous signal timing on Burrard. Plenty also travel down Pacific toward Yaletown rather than Burrard/Hornby.
Just wanted to point out that larger trucks cannot use lion’s gate bridge.. No tractor trailers or five tons. Buses and three ton trucks, yes, though if they had the ability to suck you into traffic, don’t you think we would have heard of it?
There is an amazing view off the bridge. That would give me a reason to commute on it every day. Though my view is skewed as I have an electric assist bike.