The Vancouver Greenway Network is a collection of greenways across Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.City of Vancouver. (2013, March 22). City greenways: Improving connections across Vancouver [text/xml]. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/city-greenways.aspx Greenways are streets where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized over motorized vehicles, through structures such as road closures and road diverters to prevent or limit motor vehicle traffic, widened sidewalk-promenades, narrowed road space, speed restrictions, bike lanes, raised sidewalks and speed bumps. The City of Vancouver hopes to create and maintain the trend of constructing new greenways to establish a network where, potentially, every citizen could access a city greenway within a 25-minute walking or a 10-minute cycling distance of their home.
Anticipated ecological benefits of the build greenway networks include enhancing linkage of conservation and recreation areas for cyclists, protection of some natural assets along corridors, and improving resiliency.Metro Vancouver. (n.d.). Regional Planning Services. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/PlanningPublications/Map9.pdf In addition, the current Council hopes that city greenways can encourage recreational opportunities in urban areas for citizens, increase trips by foot and by bike, decrease trips by motor vehicles, and strengthen pedestrian and cyclist links between nature and urban areas.
The network is partly constructed, with several greenways either still under development or in the consultation phase. The completed greenway network will be 140 km long, and serve as a pedestrian- and cyclist-prioritized network of trails and paths throughout the city.
City greenways Arbutus Greenway In 2016, the City of Vancouver purchased of land from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) for the construction of the new greenway bikeway. This occurred after a multi-year dispute between the City and CPR over CPR's plans to reactivate the railway that was unused for over a decade. The Arbutus Greenway will be connected from the Seaside Greenway in False Creek to the Fraser River. The goal is to create a space mainly for non-motorized modes of transportation. As part of a condition in the agreement between the City and CPR, at least part of the corridor is to be used for light rail, in addition to cycling paths. The construction of a section of the greenway bikeway is scheduled to start by late 2019. It will run parallel to Arbutus Street and West Boulevard, from the neighbourhoods of Kitsilano to Marpole.Vancouver, C. of. (2017, January 16). Arbutus Greenway Vision [text/xml]. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/get-involved-in-development-of-arbutus-greenway.aspx
The project is in its phase of conceptual design, which involves "design jams" and creating several design options. The phases are:
Temporary Path Visioning Conceptual design Preliminary design Detailed design Construction
Proposed benefits of the Arbutus Greenway Connect neighbourhoods Provide a place for socializing Provide a safe space for commuters Provide a place for events
Central Valley
The Central Valley Greenway is a pedestrian and cyclist route that runs from Science World in Vancouver to New Westminster, through Burnaby. The greenway provides a safe corridor for commuters and a green route to local parks. In the Burnaby and New Westminster sections, the route runs parallel to the Millennium SkyTrain Line.
Along the way, the Central Valley Greenway connects major destinations, including
False Creek Seawall Great Northern Way Campus Vancouver Community College (VCC) Commercial Drive Burnaby Lake Sports Complex Burnaby Lake Regional Park Hume Park Sapperton Royal Columbian Hospital Downtown New Westminster 13 SkyTrain stations
Comox–Helmcken The Comox–Helmcken Greenway was first approved by City Council as part of its 2002 Downtown Transportation Plan, and it extends from Stanley Park to the False Creek Seawall. The two-kilometre greenway was completed at a total cost of $5 million, and was found in a study by the University of British Columbia to have increased pedestrian and cyclist use, while car use declined due to restrictions in motorist accessibility along the route.
A study called "Active Streets Active People" was conducted by the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility for the Comox–Helmcken Greenway. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the health, mobility and social connectedness of older adults living along the greenway. Through questionnaires, activity monitors, street audits, and interviews, researchers found the following as important to seniors: Gardens and space for local artists to showcase their talent would increase traffic in the greenway Benches or street chairs along the greenway are essential Sidewalks have to be wheelchair accessible by being wide with smooth curb cuts Parking, cycling and pedestrian zones are essentialCity of Vancouver. (2016, May 4). Active Streets / Active People Consultation & Key Findings [text/xml]. Retrieved March 5, 2017, from http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/ASAP-Consultation-Summary-and-Key-Findings-2016-04-28-FINAL.pdf
Proposed benefits of the Comox–Helmcken Greenway Improve community connectivity Encourage non-motorized transportation such as walking and cycling Improve safety for pedestrian and cyclists Improve aesthetics with gardens and trees Provide a place for social interactions
Masumi Mitsui Greenway The Masumi Mitsui Greenway (formerly North Arm Trail) runs east-west, mainly along 59th Ave, in the southern part of the city. This 8 km trail connects major bus routes, five bike routes, and four other greenways and is partially complete. Construction began in 2011 with the Ontario Street section and it is complete to Vivian Drive as of 2012. The city wishes to take it further east but no concrete plans have yet been presented.
Along the Masumi Mitsui Greenway, the following landmarks and features can be found: Langara College, the Marpole–Oakridge Community Centre, several elementary and secondary schools, and the George Pearson Centre Fraserview Golf Course, Langara Golf Course, and a number of smaller parks Views of the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Baker
Ridgeway The Ridgeway Greenway is long and runs from west to east across the city. It starts at Pacific Spirit Park, and continues to Vancouver’s boundary with Burnaby, where it ends at Central Park. This greenway passes by attractions such as the VanDusen Botanical Garden and Queen Elizabeth Park. Pedestrians and cyclists do not share a path along the Ridgeway Greenway, except for a small section by Jones Park. For the majority of Ridgeway, cyclists ride on traffic-calmed streets together with vehicular traffic, while pedestrians use the sidewalks.
Seaside
The Seaside Greenway is the longest greenway in the City's network. It starts in Coal Harbour, includes Vancouver's seawall around Stanley Park, and extends around False Creek, then westward past Vanier Park towards Spanish Banks Beach. The section along the False Creek seawall is the oldest and one of the most popular greenways in the network, dating back to 1975. Both the North and South False Creek Seawalls are currently being altered by the City to encourage more potential users. Changes include separating paths between pedestrians and cyclists, as well as widening pathways, narrowing road space, adding wide boulevards, removing parking, restricting vehicular access and creating new signage.City of Vancouver. (2015, June 30). North False Creek Seawall improvements [text/xml]. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/north-false-creek-seawall.aspx In the western section of the Seaside Greenway, a 2 km section is not at the seaside but within the Kitsilano neighbourhood along residential Point Grey Road. This section of the greenway is not yet completed.City of Vancouver. (2016, September 14). Seaside Greenway Completion and York Bikeway [text/xml]. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/point-grey-cornwall.aspx Changes to Point Grey Road to extend the greenway include substantial widening of sidewalks into the right-of-way, narrowing of the road, moving of utilities, regrading and repaving, tree and parking removal from the North side, boulevard installation and numerous motorist traffic diversion measures (including bike lanes and cul-de-sacs). The end goal of Vision Vancouver's Seaside Greenway project is a 28 km walking and cycling route, excluding motor vehicles, that begins at the Vancouver Convention Centre and ends at Spanish Banks Park.
Sea to River The Sea to River Bikeway is a greenway which runs through West Burnaby between the Second Narrows Bridge (Burnaby Heights) and the South Slope neighbourhood on the north shore of the Fraser River. The route connects with the Spirit Trail (a greenway in North Vancouver), intersects with the Central Valley Greenway at the corner of Gilmore and Still Creek Avenue and the BC Parkway at Central Park, and links with the Marine Way bike routes (shoulder bike lanes).
Along the route, greenway users can pass the following locations: Gilmore Station Burnaby Hospital Wesburn Community Centre Patterson station Metrotown
Criticisms Arbutus Following the sale of the Arbutus rail land to the City in 2016, there was criticism from citizens and disagreements on how to proceed with the Arbutus Corridor re-design and use it as a green transportation pathway. The City had started paving a temporary asphalt path in the summer of 2016 in the hopes of encouraging the public to use the corridor more often, in preparation for public consultations that were launched in January 2017. However, some citizens raised concerns over the temporary asphalt, citing issues related to rain run-off and the potential of increased collisions and accidents between pedestrians and cyclists sharing the paved path. As of April 2017, the paved pathway's painted lines that separate pedestrians and cyclists seem to create a 2/3 bicycle to 1/3 pedestrian split of the available pathway space.
North Arm Trail The construction of bike lanes for the North Arm Trail met with criticism and opposition from residents while it was being completed. Local residents objected to the construction of a bike lane, citing the safety concern of the bike lane being too close to sidewalks, as well as the loss of street parking.
Seaside: Point Grey Road