VPSN on Point Grey Road and Cornwall Street Corridor Safety Improvements

Photo by mellbin.

Thanks to the Vancouver Sun for publishing the VPSN’s letter in support of the City of Vancouver’s proposal for cycling and pedestrian enhancements to the Point Grey-Cornwall Corridor today, which are going before Vancouver’s council on Tuesday, July 23rd. (You can find the letter on the Vancouver Sun’s website).

The VPSN supports this proposal for its contributions to the City’s goals of zero pedestrian fatalities, for supporting sustainable modes of travel, and for effectively balancing the needs of mobility with expressed desires for high-quality public spaces, as defined in the City’s Transportation 2040 plan.

See the text of our full letter to the Sun below.

Re: Residents face off over Point Grey Road bike lane

The Vancouver Public Space Network supports the City of Vancouver’s proposal to improve pedestrian and cycling experience by reconfiguring Point Grey Road and Cornwall Street. High-quality public spaces start with safe pedestrian facilities. The corridor has long been identified as problematic for people traveling on foot; enhancements in this regard, including measures to reduce speeds, are overdue. Pedestrian improvements will benefit a large group of residents and commuters — as transit users end their trips as pedestrians. Finally, the close proximity of Kitsilano to both Downtown to the north and the Broadway corridor to the south — important pedestrian areas each in their own right — makes this area ideal for increasing pedestrian traffic to local businesses and improving pedestrian circulation by making walking safer, more enjoyable and more popular.

Additionally, cycling is a convenient, viable, and enjoyable mode of transport. Ever-increasing numbers of Vancouverites are choosing to cycle and realizing its wide range of benefits — for improving and maintaining physical and mental health, and for connecting people to their neighbors, enjoyable places and recreational opportunities in their communities, among numerous others. This plan also makes important strides towards reducing conflicts between travelers using different modes — particularly cyclists and pedestrians, and between cyclists and transit vehicles.

By investing in infrastructure to make our network of cycling and pedestrian routes more attractive and comfortable, we broaden access to these travel options for those of all ages and abilities. We support the Point Grey Road/Cornwall Street proposal for moving Vancouver towards the vision of a public realm supportive of people, not motor vehicles, in keeping with the objectives identified in the City of Vancouver’s Transportation 2040 plan update, including its commitment to zero pedestrian fatalities. We encourage and support these changes for its positive impacts to supportive and inclusive public realm in Vancouver.