Lookout readers have their say on biking in Vancouver

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. Dustin and Geoff have both shared their reading lists and book recommendations recently, so I thought I should too! After going on a big fantasy spree (I’m particularly a fan of the Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson), I’ve circled back to non-fiction. 

I’m currently reading When McKinsey Comes to Town, a deeply-reported investigation into the juggernaut consulting firm McKinsey's influence, conflicts of interest, and unethical practices. They earn billions by providing advice to major corporations and governments around the world, including Canada – advice which often leads to bad outcomes for company staff and the public. 

On a brighter note, I’ve really enjoyed a few other books this year, including The Song of Achilles – a retelling of the Greek fighter Achilles’ life story from the perspective of his lover Patroclus – and Girl, Woman, Other – a series of loosely-connected short stories about belonging and identity. 

What are some of your current favourites? Are any of you reading books with Vancouver connections? Let us know by replying to this email or send them directly to me at [email protected]. 

With that, let’s get to today’s issue!

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout 

Editor’s note: A heads-up to readers, we won’t be publishing anything this Monday due to the long weekend.

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Friday: 24 🌡️ 15 | 🌤️

Saturday: 24 🌡️ 14 | ☀️

Sunday: 22 🌡️ 13 | 🌤️

Monday: 22 🌡️ 13 | 🌤️

OPINON

Lookout readers have their say on biking in Vancouver

Read this story online.

We’re trying a different type of story today, driven by Lookout readers’ personal perspectives on an activity near and dear to many Vancouverites: biking. 

On that personal note, I certainly have a bias about this topic. I love biking in Vancouver. I grew up riding in the city, and my family, especially my father, are devoted cyclists themselves. 

I also didn’t get my driver’s license until my mid-20s, which meant my bike was my primary form of transportation. That’s how I learned to navigate the city, knowing all the intersecting bike routes, shortcuts, and roads to avoid. As a self-described advanced cyclist, I’m convinced I can get around the city core faster and more efficiently with my bike than in a car. 

All this to say, I’m not some neutral arbiter on this issue. I’ve been hit by cars a few times and had too many close calls to remember. The intensity of biking in Vancouver, with cars regularly speeding past, cutting riders off on right turns, encroaching on painted bike lanes, or opening their roadside doors at inopportune moments (ouch), breeds cyclists who feel the need to fiercely, and understandably in my view, protect themselves from motorists.

However, I also recognize that cyclists – typically advanced riders – also contribute to the often aggressive road environment by blowing through stop signs, roundabouts, and even red lights in an effort to keep up their momentum, creating uncertainty, frustration, and danger for pedestrians and drivers. 

Meanwhile, less experienced riders, understandably intimidated by busy roads and not well-versed in the bike lane network, end up riding on the sidewalk, making a bad situation for pedestrians. 

All this is not to mention the politicization of biking infrastructure, which reached a fever pitch in the late aughts and early 2010s under Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver government.

When I put out a call to Lookout readers recently, asking for their joys and sorrows about bikes and biking in the city, I wasn’t quite sure what direction it would go in. What we received were a dozen thoughtful comments from readers, most of them bikers themselves. 

We’ve broken those down into some main themes, including reader comments and some useful information. Let us know what you think of this format at the end of the story!

E-bikes are great, but are regulations keeping up?

Most readers brought up e-bikes, a prominent, game-changing technology that’s increased accessibility in cycling, while raising speeds and weight (and the consequences of a collision), and blurring the lines between bike and vehicle. 

“Cycling is my main means of transportation. I bought an e-bike a few years ago and it was a game-changer. I can go anywhere on that thing. I think they're a wonderful invention and I'm glad to see more people using them. But it's also concerning. A lot of people seem to throw caution to the wind, going too fast, blowing stop signs, not signalling. It's like they think they're invincible,” Cindy H. said. 

• According to the city’s 2023-2024 transportation survey, nearly 40,000 residents own an e-bike. 

“The city needs to come up with some clear and effective ways to address new forms of transportation such as e-bikes. This is a tricky one to figure out but the lack of clear direction from the city is creating dangerous situations, and it is the pedestrian and the cyclist who are bearing the brunt of it,” Jill F. opined. 

• 2024 was a big year for e-bike regulation. The province established new rules on minimum rider age and maximum motor speed for riding e-bikes in B.C. However, those rules apply to the use, not the sale, of e-bikes, meaning faster bikes are available on the market. Specific to Vancouver, the city and park board updated their rules to allow e-bikes and e-scooters to use the Seawall. The city’s speed limit for shared pathways is 15 km/h. 

Lots of love for Vancouver biking 

Many readers expressed their satisfaction with how approachable biking in Vancouver is, in large part due to the city’s substantial bike infrastructure – particularly on the northwest side of the city. 

"It always amazes me how, regardless of the administration in power, the city consistently installs new bicycle infrastructure. It seems at least once a month, I bike somewhere and see something new. The latest are the extension on Pacific Street by Jervis, and the new intersection at King Ed and Arbutus. It makes me feel hopeful for how the city will continue to be a bike-forward city in the future," Jacob M noted. 

“[My husband and I have] done bike trips in Europe and biked in the US but nothing beats the wide choice of biking trails, lanes and quiet bike roads in Vancouver,” Janice M. gushed.

“I enjoy biking, and come from Germany where we have a big bike culture. Here in Vancouver, I have biked to work when my work was within Vancouver, because our bike lanes are quite good! … [But] more bike lanes are needed to connect Vancouver with the surrounding suburbs,” Rebecca W. shared. 

• While there’s always room for improvement, I agree that Vancouver is an enjoyable city to bike in, partly due to the investments the city has made over the past 15 or so years. One big turning point was the Burrard Street Bridge bike lanes, established in 2009, which have become very well-ridden and successful, despite loud protests at the time. 

A lack of bike infrastructure in Southeast Van

While the city has invested a lot of resources and political capital into bike infrastructure – with notable backslides like the removal of the temporary lane on Stanley Park Drive – those investments are uneven, with shortfalls in the far eastern and southern parts of the city.

“Generally speaking, the routes downtown are great,t but as soon as you go south of 16th, and east of Victoria, routes for the most part get significantly worse. We've spent over a decade and literally over $100 million on routes in the downtown core, Arbutus and West Point Grey to get folks to ride, but the trouble is that folks can't safely get there [from other parts of the city],” Mark B. commented.  

• Taking a look at the city’s map of Vancouver bike routes, there’s pretty good north-south coverage, particularly along the Arbutus Greenway, and Cambie, Ontario, and Dumfries streets. But east of Nanaimo, routes become very sparse, with two greenways being some of the only connections to Burnaby and neighbourhoods around Rupert, Renfrew, Killarney, and Champlain Heights. 

Mark B. also points out that eastern bike streets, like 45th Avenue, lack traffic calming measures that are common in central parts of the city. 

“The biggest point I want to make is that while there are all sorts of wonderful lines on the map throughout Vancouver, in reality these routes are poorly signed, offer little protection to vulnerable users, [and are] in poor condition,” he said, part of a lengthy and passionate message.  

Stay off the sidewalks 

As mentioned above, bikes and scooters being ridden on sidewalks are a problem with some understandable causes. While a lack of knowledge about safer routes and a fear of busy roads are understandable, that doesn’t diminish the concerns of pedestrians. 

• To be clear, riding bikes, scooters, skateboards and other vehicles on most city sidewalks is illegal, unless signs say otherwise.

“I frequently experience cyclists, rollerbladers, and skateboarders skirt around me on the sidewalk. I live in constant fear of being clipped and brought to fall, which would be catastrophic to the point of being fatal,” Gisela S., a senior citizen, said, adding that it’s “getting out of hand and should be stopped.”

“What's with all the (primarily) delivery cyclists who think it's ok to use the sidewalk at great speed… I am so fed up having to move out of the way to accommodate a bike which should not even be there,” Dawn M. lamented.

“I have no problem provided that there are no pedestrians on the street or the cyclist goes very slowly or walks their bike when there are walkers. Too many seem to think they have a right to speed down the sidewalk and it is up to the pedestrians to get out of their way,” Jill F. said.

Caution around cars

It’s probably the biggest concern for bikers and part of what drives other undesirable behaviours with cycling in the city. It’s also much higher stakes in terms of physical safety for the rider compared to the driver. There were 815 reported car crashes with cyclists in Vancouver in 2024, according to ICBC.

Bike streets “often feel unsafe to bike through, and drivers speed down them with abandon, while often acting impatient when they can’t pass, as if it’s preferable for their benefit that I pull so far over to the right that I greatly increase my chance of getting doored,” Jim M. said.

“There are a lot of people wearing earbuds while riding. I don't understand that at all. It's often difficult to see if a car is coming, especially if there are a lot of parked cars. I use my ears almost as much as I use my eyes,” Cindy H. added.

Cars come out pretty far before stopping at stop signs or into an intersection while waiting for oncoming traffic before turning left. It's hard for me to tell if they're going to remain where they are or keep going into the intersection, ignoring their obligation to stop for me. I find myself slowing a lot as a defensive move even though I have the right of way,” Anna B. explained.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

5,232+

The number of people who are homeless in Metro Vancouver, as of March 2025. That’s up nine per cent from the previous count in 2023. BC Housing notes these surveys always undercount the actual number of people experiencing homelessness, particularly those, like marginalized groups, who are less likely to access shelters and services where the surveys are conducted. Read more. [CBC, BC Housing]

THE AGENDA

👨‍💼 Stop the music, it’s the city manager shuffle. Vancouver’s got a new city manager, roughly a week after it was announced that Paul Mochrie was leaving the job. Donny van Dyk is moving over from Delta, where he held the same position, overseeing a modernization of the city’s Official Community Plan. Read more. [City News]

🏊‍♀️ In response to criticism, including from Mayor Ken Sim and ABC Comm. Marie-Claire Howard, the park board announced it will be making some changes to operations at its outdoor pools. Starting August 5th, drop-in users will receive a 50 per cent discount if they arrive with less than 45 minutes left in a swim session. The two evening swim slots at Kits Pool will be combined into one five-and-a-half-hour session. However, the existing 80 per cent reservation system will remain in place. It’s a “timid step in the right direction,” Howard told Vancity Lookout. Read more. [Vancity Lookout, park board]

🏠 Supply and demand are back at it again. A surge in newly completed condos is driving down Vancouver’s overall housing prices, especially in the condo market, which dropped eight per cent in June compared to the same month a year ago. Meanwhile, detached and townhouse prices remain more stable. Read more. [BIV]

🧨 Vancouver Pride Society is calling out the city for double standards around the coverage of costs associated with fireworks shows. VPS says the non-profit is being forced to spend around $80,000 on municipal services for its fireworks show, while the corporate-sponsored Celebration of Light gets all its municipal costs covered by the city. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🎨 The city is cancelling plans to relocate the Trans Am Rapture sculpture from its former home in False Creek to a location near the south end of the Granville Bridge. Public consultation isn’t normally part of the process of public art installation, but the CBC notes that local residents had recently launched an online petition against the artwork. Read more. [CBC]

👮 A Vancouver woman has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison and three years on probation in connection with a random stabbing attack in Yaletown three years ago that left a 29-year-old man dead. Read more. [CTV]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Summer Movie Nights | šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square | July 7 | Catch Wicked this week at Summer Movie Nights, a free outdoor movie event with activities starting at 5 PM | Learn more [Sponsored]

Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon | Dome Vancouver, 1100 Chestnut Street | From Aug. 1, daily 4–11 pm | Immersive 50th anniversary dome show with surround sound | Tickets $40

Harmony Arts Festival | Millennium Park, 1564 Argyle Ave, West Vancouver | Aug. 1–10 | Free live music, art shows, kids’ crafts, food vendors | Free

Powell Street Festival | Oppenheimer Park and Powell Street area | Aug. 2–3 from 11:30 am | Japanese fest with food, music, dance, film | Free

Vancouver Pride Parade & Davie Village Pride Festival | Pacific Blvd to Burrard St & Davie St between Burrard and Jervis, Vancouver | Aug. 3 from 1–10 pm | Parade with 150+ entries plus drag shows and DJs | Free

Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival | Pacific Blvd to Burrard St + Davie Village | Aug. 3 from 1 pm | Parade and street fest with music, drag, DJs | Free

Queers and Beers - Pride Block Party | The Birdhouse, 44 West Fourth Ave | Aug. 3, 1 pm | Queers and Beers is back for its August event, but this time it’s a block party | Tickets from $19

Lucha Libre Spectacular 7 | The Waldorf, 1489 E. Hastings | Aug. 2, 4 pm | A long weekend of high-flying Lucha Libre action | Tickets $44

Farmhouse Fest 2025 | 3461 Ross Dr., UBC | Aug. 9, 1:30 pm | Tasting beer and ciders from around the Pacific Northwest | Tickets $108

Pleasant Day Festival | Mount Pleasant | Aug. 9, 12 pm | Live music, patios, beer gardens, food trucks | Free

Comedy Night at The Rec Room | The Rec Room Granville, 855 Granville St. | Aug. 9, 9 pm | Closing out the season is Aaron Read with Cass Furman and Jirair Garabedian | Tickets $15

Concord Burnaby Lake Run 2025 | Burnaby Lake Regional Park | Aug. 25, 7 am | Go for a run and raise money for the Burnaby Hospital Foundation | Entry is $39

Want to see your event here? You can purchase them through our self-service portal here.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Folietta is an Italian love letter to neighbourhood dining

By Sara Harowitz

When I exit the washroom at new Italian restaurant Folietta and head back into the dining room, the first thing that strikes me is the noise.

It’s not often these days that I’m in a restaurant with palpable energy. Sure, I’ve been in plenty of busy spots around town, but none with this kind of buzz. It’s not just loud music and lively conversations; there is a spark—an aliveness—that only comes around when a restaurant has truly hit the mark.

Folietta opened on sleepy Nanaimo Street in late May — a new project by Wentworth Hospitality Group (the same team behind Homer Street Cafe, Tableau Bar Bistro, and Maxine’s Cafe & Bar) — and was pretty much an instant hit. After all, even people who live deep in East Van deserve a quality local.

Read the review and subscribe to our food and drink newsletter

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Calm and quiet aren’t usually words that describe Wreck Beach, but it hits different at 6 am. 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• There’s a ton of events happening this long weekend, including the Pride Parade, the Powell Street Festival and more.. [CTV]

• The WNBA has put out a call for fast babies for an on-court race at Rogers Arena. [Daily Hive]

• People who like sandwiches, running, and have at least three other friends can join the Hoagie Half Marathon. [Eventbrite]

• A Wendy’s has opened at Oak and Broadway, 850m from another Wendy’s. There’s also an A&W, McDonald’s and a Fatburger nearby. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Glizzies and slices are no longer available to the public at Costco downtown, so people are crowdsourcing cheap eats on Reddit.

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Vancouver's arts scene is at a breaking point

‘Tis the season for pop-up events, outdoor music festivals, and innovative exhibitions. But the sunny revelries of summer belie a much stormier picture behind the scenes. Amid economic uncertainty and rising austerity, arts and culture celebrations and venues in Vancouver have been forced to reduce their programming, and in many cases are being pushed to the brink of non-existence. 

Arts and culture organizations are being pressured in multiple directions, stretching their balance sheets to stomach both growing costs and reduced government support. It's created an untenable situation, with many arts and culture leaders scrambling to keep their organizations afloat.

Even large arts and culture organizations are feeling the sting. Many have been threatened with cancellation or have had to significantly reduce their offerings. 

Read the story 

VANCOUVER GUESSER

In honour of our cycling story, can you guess where this bike path is located?