Lookout readers have their say on cycling in Vancouver

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.