As part of B.C. on the Move, the Government of B.C.’s new 10-year transportation plan, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone has announced a $7-million commitment toward improving pedestrian and cyclist safety along the Stanley Park Causeway.

The proposed upgrades will include widening the pathways and installing safety fencing on both sides of the causeway. This project is an important safety project, which also provides more transportation choices for people travelling in Metro Vancouver.

Plans and designs for this project include input from the Vancouver Park Board, the City of Vancouver, local First Nations, a variety of stakeholder groups and the public.

The ministry continues to work closely with all stakeholders to finalize a design that meets the needs of all users. Once approved by the Vancouver Park Board, the project will proceed to the contract tender and construction phases.

(flickr.com)

This pedestrian and cycling safety improvement project aims to improve the safety for all who travel along the Stanley Park Causeway, while minimizing impacts to the park’s natural environment, as pedestrian and bicycle traffic continues to increase in popularity along this key route connecting Vancouver to the North Shore communities.

B.C. on the Move is government’s new 10-year plan for the improvement of the province’s transportation network. It provides a comprehensive road map for transportation investments and strategic policy actions over the next decade. The actions prioritized in B.C. on the Move will grow the economy, enhance safety, maintain and replace aging infrastructure and support trade for B.C.’s expanding resource sectors through Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway.

Over the next three years, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will invest up to $2.5 billion to improve British Columbia’s transportation network.

As part of this plan, the B.C. government will increase the cost-shared funding available to communities to improve local cycling infrastructure. The government is committing $18 million over the next three years to this program - a 50% increase over previous years.  

This will help fund municipal and regional projects such as multi-use paths, bike lanes, overpasses and shoulder bikeways. With shared funding from local communities, that’s potentially $36 million in cycling infrastructure improvements in communities throughout B.C.

On main cycling corridors, government will double the frequency of sweeping to improve the ride and safety for cyclists. Government will also consider opportunities for improvements focused on widening highway shoulders. To support cycling tourism, the Province will develop and implement a new Cycling Tourism Signage and Marketing Strategy to promote B.C.’s beautiful cycling routes. This strategy will be piloted in the Okanagan.

B.C. on the Move was developed incorporating feedback received from a wide-ranging public engagement, during which over 12,500 survey responses were received from British Columbians around the province, and the B.C. on the Move website was visited over 44,000 times.

Quote:

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone -

“Today I’m extremely pleased to kick off B.C. on the Move, the Province’s new 10-year transportation plan where the ministry heard that safety is very important along with improving transportation choices. With this investment in infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, we will be improving safety for all users on the causeway, and are helping to promote alternative modes of transportation on a very busy corridor.”

Quick Facts:

• More than 2,200 cyclists and 200 pedestrians travel alongside the Stanley Park Causeway daily during the busy summer months.
• The Stanley Park Causeway is a 2.2-kilometre segment of Highway 99, providing one of two connections between Vancouver and the North Shore. The causeway also provides access to and from Stanley Park.

Learn More:

B.C. on the Move is available online at: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/transportationplan/

Project information is at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/StanleyParkCauseway

Media Contacts:

Government and Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241