Cities

Starting in 2010, the City of Vancouver is looking at establishing more segregated bike lanes, according to Meggs and Mike Anderson, a civil engineer with the City of Vancouver’s greenways and neighbor-hood transportation department. Anderson said there is also going to be a bigger push for safer downtown bike routes and much-needed bike parking facilities including on-street bike parking corrals.

“I would say that cycling permeates throughout a lot of the city now. It’s a pretty high priority,” said Anderson. “Things have changed culturally; we’re much further along.”

NAVIGATING THROUGH IT ALL

Vancouver can be intimidating for visiting cyclists because of its hilly terrain, tall buildings and trees, and its numerous bodies of water and bridges. Once you discover the bike routes and Seawall, the city is your oyster and biking is the best way to explore it. A free, pocket-sized bicycle route map is available at most bike stores and as a free download from vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling. A note to visitors: it’s the law in Metro Vancouver for all cyclists to wear a helmet. You also need a bell and lights for night riding. In Vancouver, it’s possible to avoid busy streets and enjoy the quiet and lovingly-gardened neighborhoods by traveling along bike routes.

Vancouver’s interconnected transit system can help you travel further. By hitching your bike to the front of Metro Vancouver buses, using their bike racks that can hold up to two bikes at a time, you can get to just about anywhere. There’s also the Sea Bus that will take you and your bike over the Burrard Inlet and over to the North Shore where you can visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Lynn Canyon Park. You can also take your bike on the Canada Line, a light rail system, that opened August 17, 2009 and that connects Vancouver International Airport to downtown Vancouver.

The UBC Bikeability Map is a great way to plan your trips. The map allows you to pick the route with the least traffic pollution, least elevation gain, most vegetation and shortest path. Designed by a team of University of British Columbia researchers, the map also provides information about nearby light rail (SkyTrain) stations, alternative bike routes, community centers and more.

The VACC offers online resources and bike maps on its website: www.vacc.bc.ca/resources

Tourism Vancouver (www.tourismvancouver.com) has a host of information about local sights and sounds, as well as information to help you enjoy your stay.