The state of biking infrastructure in Vancouver

Good morning,

I’m back after a mini break this week for the holiday. I hope you didn’t flee to another newsletter!

Yesterday there was an air quality advisory issued for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Keep an eye out this morning to see if it’s been lifted. And best not to do any strenuous activities if it continues!

In today’s newsletter, we’ve got:

• A breakdown of biking infrastructure 🚲

• The latest news about the port strike 🪧

• And a BBQ restaurant review 😋

Let’s get at it.

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout writer

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WEATHER

Friday: 27 🌡️ 17 | 🌤

Saturday: 26 🌡️ 16 | 🌤

Sunday: 26 🌡️ 15 | ☀️

Monday: 24 🌡️ 14 | ☀️

TRANSPORTATION

The state of biking infrastructure in Vancouver

Don’t look now, but Vancouver’s position as a bike-friendly city may be starting to face some challenges.

What happened: Bikers took to social media this weekend to illustrate the challenges with Vancouver’s biking infrastructure, posting photos of massive bike lines on the Stanley Park seawall.

Zoom out: Council recently removed the separated bike lanes within Stanley Park, freeing up another lane of traffic. The bike lane was added during COVID to encourage physical distancing and encourage more people to use the outdoors.

• The removal of the lane was ostensibly done to increase accessibility in the park. But those bikers have been forced back onto the bike path which increasingly seems like it does not have the capacity to deal with increased demand.

Bikers can still use the lane to bike, but it is not as safe as it previously was. And as one Twitter user noted, as reported by Vancouver is Awesome, drivers are going well above the speed limit, creating unsafe conditions for those driving on the road.

A shift? While ABC has not embraced the anti-bike rhetoric we see from other centre-right-leaning municipalities in Canada, their recent actions have not inspired confidence. Besides removing the Stanley Park bike lane, the ABC-dominated council voted in March to scrap a separated bike lane on Broadway as part of the SkyTrain construction redesign, according to Global.

• Yes but: Though the bike lane was scrapped, it does mean wider sidewalks and more public spaces for such things as outdoor dining. It also does not mean a bike lane couldn’t be added at a later date.

Dip deeper: The Tyee did a deep dive into ways to improve cycling infrastructure in the city. Recommendations included increasing modal filtering, which prevents cars from using certain roads, reducing speed limits to 30 km per hour in certain areas and removing parking spaces close to intersections. TransLink also has 106 infrastructure improvements for Metro Vancouver, according to the Vancouver Sun.

What’s next: Biking advocacy group HUB is calling for bike highways, that act much like normal highways — paved, well-lit, and don’t require stops — but are meant for bikers, and would allow people to easily traverse Metro Vancouver.

According to their report as analyzed by CBC, only 46 percent of the current biking routes are considered comfortable to bike on. And if there’s one thing that’s key to increasing biking, it’s making it as easy as possible.

Insider tip: If you haven’t already done so, take an afternoon to bike along the Arbutus Greenway, from Granville Island to the Fraser River.

VANCOUVER BY THE NUMBERS

🏠 $1.2 million: The average price of a home sold last month in Vancouver. That’s up 1.3 percent from May, but down 2.4 percent from June 2022. Supply continues to be an issue that is keeping prices high. [Global]

🥵 1,370: The number of people who could die from extreme heat by 2030 in B.C. It could also cost the province an additional $100 million in health care costs. [CBC]

📈 175%: The increase in condo sales in the last six months in Vancouver. The benchmark price has also risen by almost $50,000 from January. [Business in Vancouver]

LABOUR

Where things stand with the port strike

Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s going on with Vancouver’s port strike.

Status: As of Thursday, no negotiations were planned, according to CNBC.

Rallies: Part of East Hastings was shut down for a march, according to Global.

What the union is saying: They claim the BC Maritime Employers Association has launched a smear campaign against workers, with anonymous leaks being fed to reporters, in the hopes of getting the government to issue back-to-work legislation.

What the employer said: They call these allegations baseless. They also claim the union has rejected a third-party mediation-arbitration process.

The federal Minister of Labour met with his provincial counterpart to discuss the strike, while Alberta’s transportation minister called on the government to use back-to-work legislation. The federal government reiterated that no back-to-work legislation is planned, according to CNBC.

• Dig deeper: CBC has a detailed breakdown of why the port workers are striking, the affected industries and the overall impact.

THE AGENDA

🗳️ Do not pass go, do not run in the next election? Mayoral candidate Mark Marissen and Progress Vancouver candidates are banned from running in municipal elections for the next three years because of election finance violations, including an improper loan. Elections B.C. is now investigating. [CBC]

🔥 Bad news for campfire fans. Drought conditions are expected to get worse throughout the province, with temperatures rising to 30C, so don’t expect the campfire ban to be lifted anytime soon. [CityNews]

🏠 Hopefully you aren’t in the market for a rental soon, because the market is rough. Huge demand from new immigrants, and the summer months, are driving up prices and reducing availability. [Urbanized]

👎 A Vancouver builder is criticizing how difficult it is to get a renovation permit from city hall, saying bureaucracy is slowing everything down. [Global]

💉 Jerry Martin, who opened a store selling tested cocaine and heroin, died earlier this week from a suspected fentanyl overdose. [CBC]

⏰ People are criticizing a new annoying alarm at Main Street – Science World SkyTrain Station that sounds in an attempt to deal with gatherings and disorderly conduct. [CityNews]

🌱 Conservationists are warning about spartina, an invasive grass species that target coastlines and grows quickly to cover marsh areas. [Vancouver is Awesome]

EVENTS

Food + Drink

Greek Summer Fest | Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver | Now until Sunday, 11 am | Greek food, Greek music, Greek performances, what’s not to love? | Free

Vancouver Bubble Tea Outdoor Music Concert | Bubble tea and music? Heck yes. Come check out the musical group Coco Project and enjoy some delicious bubble tea | Learn more

Vancouver Craft Beer Week | PNE Fairgrounds | Saturday, 3 pm | Over 90 breweries bringing you their best beer. But it’s not just beer, it’s music, good and beer culture. If you love beer, this is a must-attend event | Starting at $75

Cultural + Family

Carnaval Del Sol 2023 | Concord Pacific Place | July 7-9 | Come check out the biggest Latin festival in the Pacific Northwest, with music, dance, art, and of course, food | Tickets $15

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden Community Days | Saturday, 10:30 am | Celebrate Hong Kon’s culture and history with music, art, food and games, it’s a perfect family event | Free

Orpheum Tours | The Orpheum | Saturday, 11 am | Come see and learn about The Orpheum, which has been around since 1927, with a fun walking tour and history lesson | Free

Festival

Khatsahlano Street Party | Saturday, July 8, 11 am | An epic street party taking over the whole neighbourhood with over 60 performers | Free

Vancouver Chinatown Festival | In Chinatown | July 15-16 | The popular event features walking tours, food stalls, stuff for kids, and opportunities to check out local businesses | Free

Market

Powell Street Festival | Oppenheimer Park | August 5-6 | Celebrate Japanese art and culture at the popular festival this summer, with music, food, crafts and more | Free

Asian Summer Market | Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport | Saturday and Sunday | A family-friendly event celebrating Asian food and culture, including artists, crafters and small businesses | Free

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Everyone’s favourite reporter Justin McElroy has a deep dive into B.C.’s real estate numbers, along with an interview with Bryan Yu, Chief Economist at Central 1 Credit Union.

FOOD

Where to eat this weekend: Forget Western BBQ. Go to Chinatown BBQ instead

I’m not a food reviewer, but I do enjoy a good meal out. Every so often, I’ll share a recommendation on a place you should try, based on my experience at the restaurant. It may be recent and it may also be from a while ago, so some of the restaurant meals may have changed.

Here’s the deal — if you’re a vegetarian, you may want to skip this place. Someone who likes meat? Go there. Right now.

Chinatown BBQ is an unassuming restaurant located at 130 E Pender St. that brings together traditional Chinese cooking styles to deliver authentic food at a price that’s, frankly, downright affordable.

The vibes: As you enter the place, you’re confronted with what I can only describe as the most beautiful shade of green imaginable. With its black and white tiled floor, it evokes an old-school diner vibe that’s hard to find in the city. Whoever designed the place clearly had a vision for it.

The food: Honestly, any of the meats are worth trying. The Soy Sauce Chicken and BBQ Duck are two standouts, but you can’t go wrong with any of the meats. If you’re a fan of crunchy food, the Roast Pork is worth trying. They also have Gai Lan if you really need a vegetable. I haven’t had the curry, but they say it’s one of their best dishes.

• What makes it unique: The combination of simple, authentic food with affordable prices is unbeatable. Where else can you get a full meal for $13?

Insider tips:

• Get there early because the server said they sell out often.

• Load up on the ginger scallion sauce, it goes well with everything.

• Their tea is called Li Chi Black Tea and you can score it at Ten Ren nearby. I have two bags of it.

• If it’s full, check out Pizza Coming Soon or DD Mau across the street.

• Grab a dessert at the hidden gem Kouign Cafe down the street. I’d recommend the Easter Bunny and the Treasure Chest.

Other restaurant news

VV Tapas Lounge at 975 East Hastings St. is serving up some delicious tapas, with unique takes on dishes like sliders, shishito peppers, prawn cocktails and burrata. [Vancouver Sun]

The list of night markets this summer is long and absolutely full of fun, and of course, food. [Dished]

Bar Susu, which shut down due to a fire, is opening up a pop-up restaurant at Novella Coffee bar at 2650 Main St. taking over Vignette. [Scout Magazine]

District Noodle House, a Vietnamese noodle shop, is now open at 3468 Sawmill Crest. in Vancouver’s River District. [Dished]

Get some Thai-style BBQ at The Pie Shoppe this Sunday at Oliver Hill, with “marinated-and-charcoal-grilled pork skewers, grilled rice, and papaya salad.” [Scout Magazine]

Unni Pasteries,Please! Tasting House and Mnimes Restaurant round out the list of the top five best new spots in Vancouver to try. [Dished]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• You may be able to see the Northern Lights later today. [Curiocity]

• Go check out Yew Street when you can. It’s closed to cars and illustrates how the city could be even better when our infrastructure serves people, not vehicles. [CBC]

• Here’s a list of the cheapest homes you can buy in Vancouver. It’s…not good. [Daily Hive]

• Want to reach 10,000 Vancouver locals? Contact our sales team today.

TWEET OF THE DAY

This is how much space publicly-owned golf courses take up in Vancouver. That’s a lot of potential areas to build homes!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

I know this type of transit map would never happen, but it’s fun to believe. Thanks to Reddit user _keith_b_ for creating it.

GAME TIME

Congrats to Shahrzad Abouhaji, Logan Rudrum and Karine fro guessing the answer to Monday’s quiz. The answer was there are 7,400 port workers on strike.

Think you can answer this week’s Vancouver Wordle? Play it now