Permanent Burrard Bridge bike lanes approved

Vancouver city councillorsvoted Thursday to makethe Burrard Bridge bike lanes permanent, just a day after the millionth cyclist used the lanes to cross the bridge.

The councillorsunanimously approveda $2-millionplan that will include permanent replacements for the concrete barricade on the bridge deck.

City staff estimated the millionth cyclist used the lanes to cross around 10 p.m. PT Wednesday, based on data collected bysensors embedded in the lanes that counted the metal wheels.

According to city staff, the number of cyclists using the bridge has increased 24 per cent since the laneswere opened on July 13 last year.

This week, approximately 6,000 bicycle trips a day are being made over the bridge, and during peak periods between 500 and 800 cyclists an hour cross the bridge, according to city estimates.

The number of cyclists injured badly enough to require hospital care while crossing the bridge also fell from four to one during a five-month period.

"This is a remarkable achievement," said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a statement release on Thursday morning.

"Before the bike lanes were in place, only the most dedicated cyclists used Burrard Bridge. Now it's become a popular route for families, seniors, kids it's a safe and fun way to get into downtown or head towards Kits beach."

But many motorists haven't been happy about the bike lanes, which removed one lane of southbound traffic from the bridge.

A city report found the bike lanes did make the trip across the bridge longer byup to sixminutes for vehicles, but only in certain directions at particular times.

Coun. George Chow says the city will look at ways of speeding up traffic exiting the city during afternoon rush hour.

"I think engineering will be considering some other ways of getting some of the traffic on to the bridge much quicker and perhaps another light, or another stop sign on there somewhere, or another lane trying to get the traffic onto the bridge would help," said Chow.

The city has delayed much-needed repairs on the bridge until a decision was made on whether to make the bike lanes permanent.

Earlier this year chunks of concrete fell from the bridge onto a bike path below, forcing the city to hang protective netting on the bridge to catch any more debris.