Stanley Park Causeway bike path safety improvements revealed

The B.C. government has revealed plans to improve the bike route along the Stanley Park Causeway by expanding the sidewalk and adding a fence.

The proposed changes for the busy route, which connects downtown Vancouver with the North Shore, include:

• Installing fences to separate the sidewalk from the road.
• Widening the sidewalk on both sides.
• Limiting pedestrians to the east side of the road.

It is estimated about 13 or 14 trees would have to be removed.

Currently the cyclists and pedestrians share the elevated sidewalks on both sides of the causeway, including a long downhill stretch for traffic heading into downtown Vancouver.

Cycling advocates called for safety upgrades after a 61-year-old woman was killed last year when she rode off the elevated sidewalk and into the path of an oncoming bus.

The ministry plans to collect public feedback, but the Vancouver Park Board has the final word on the design and says it likely won't vote on any plan until the spring.