Vancouver city council will soon consider a proposal to halve the lanes on the Granville Street Bridge and create a more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly route.
According to a report on Jan. 22, the eight-lane bridge over False Creek was built in 1954 to connect to “high-speed, high-volume freeways that were never built.” It also says the bridge sees similar traffic volume to the Burrard Bridge, which has four lanes.
The city’s transportation plan, implemented in 2012, aims to make two-thirds of all trips through the city accessible by walking, cycling or public transit by 2040.
The bridge is “one of the most glaring barriers” in Vancouver’s pedestrian and cycling networks, the report says.
Building a central path along the bridge, which would be elevated and have physical barriers to protect pedestrians from vehicles, is the ideal method, the report says. Expanding existing sidewalks would be too difficult along the bridge’s unique design, while an additional structure just for pedestrians would be too costly.
Councillors are scheduled to discuss whether the proposal, which also includes $25 million in seismic upgrades, should move to public consultation at their next meeting on Tuesday. A refined proposal would be brought in July.
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