City plans to extend Dunsmuir bike lane

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - It's been a sore spot for drivers, but the city of Vancouver is claiming success on the Dunsmuir bike lane.

And it's now launching its plan to connect that lane with the existing one on the Burrard Street Bridge.

While drivers are cramped into two lanes on the busy downtown street, the city says 2,000 cyclists are using the Dunsmuir bike lane every day. That is up from 500 a few month ago, an increase of 250 per cent.

To link the lane with the Burrard Street Bridge, city staff will have to choose between either Thurlow, Burrard or Hornby Streets for a new separated bike lane. The city argues Hornby is the best choice because it already has a bike lane and deals with lighter car traffic.

Transportation engineer Lon LaClaire says the city is now working with business owners and people living in the area. "We are really interested in hearing from the people who could be directly affected by any changes to the street."

The consultation process will wrap up mid-September.