Changes to the sidewalks that span the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge cant come soon enough for cyclists who cross it regularly.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is asking members of the public to come to an open house and discuss proposed safety improvements to the bridge, which is sometimes known as the Second Narrows.
Teacher Amanda Reynolds is training for the Granfondo bike race coming up in September and often uses the bridge as part of her training. I am afraid every time I cross that bridge, she said.
In addition to the height of the railings that run between the road and the sidewalk, which she says are just not safe, her two other concerns are the narrow sidewalks that dont leave enough room to manoeuvre and the lack of markings to show cyclists and pedestrians which way to cross.
People dont go with the flow, she said. I almost hit a guy who was walking towards me. Reynolds says she prefers to take the Lions Gate Bridge if she can because it has better markings to direct both pedestrians and cyclists.
Cyclist Chris Hajek agrees people going against the flow cause dangerous exchanges on the bridges narrow sidewalks. Hajek crosses the bridge daily on his commute to his job at North Shore Bike Shop. He says it is a popular route for many cyclists.
Each time he crosses over the bridge he says to himself, I just want to get off this thing. He says surviving it each day makes him breathe a sigh of relief.
According to Jay Porter, senior project manager with the Ministry of Transportation, the planned $20-million upgrades are set to begin this fall and will include widening of the sidewalks from 1.2 metres to 2.5 metres.
The sidewalks will be installed in precast concrete sections which will create less joints and a smoother riding surface, said Porter by email. Construction will take place one side at a time, at night only, and through the winter months. Upgrades will also include converting bridge lighting to LED and installing a new three-metre high safety fence.
Hajek likes the idea of having wider sidewalks and taller fencing, but he wants pullout areas to allow cyclists and pedestrians to stop and let others pass by or for people to just stop to enjoy the view. People get frustrated, said Hajek.
He says he has heard of fights breaking out between cyclists and pedestrians mid-span as they try to navigate around each other.
Figures gathered by Eco Counter show that between September 2012 and April 2013, there were more than 4,000 crossings on the east sidewalk and close to 3,000 on the west sidewalk.
The open house is tonight, July 24 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary School, 555 Lillooet St. in Vancouver.
Ministry staff will be on hand to answer questions and take suggestions about the planned safety improvements.
