Have you ridden a bike to Iona Beach recently? This cycling route is truly one of Vancouver’s gems.
Starting from the airport, it’s easy to misjudge given that it initially takes you past the UPS depot and some ongoing airport construction.
However, this passes quickly, and a flat and largely traffic-free road takes you past riding stables on one side and the airport runway on the other — a curious contrast of bucolic scenery and the low thunder of planes taking off and landing.
At the end of the runway, you loop away from the airport and suddenly you’re riding between beautiful wetlands and the ocean until you bear around the corner to Iona.
Here everything is peaceful and quiet. You can park your bike, take a walk along the pipeline that extends out into the ocean, have a picnic at one of the tables on the beach or sit for a while admiring the flowers and wildlife in the nature reserve. It’s a tranquil, beautiful spot in an entirely unexpected place.
One thing you won’t see any shortage of along the way is bikes. From leisure riders out on a flat, easy spin to bike clubs time trialing and solo riders on training pushes, this is one of Vancouver’s prime cycling spots. It’s a lovely route in and of itself, but even better when linked up with UBC and Marine Drive for a longer ride from Vancouver.
Iona has been on my mind this week. A few days ago Vancouver Airport released new details about a high-end outlet mall that’s going to be built on the northeast corner of Sea Island, very close to the Iona route.
Drawings for the 35,000 foot facility, which is scheduled to open in 2015, include changes and new access points to the existing cycling trail network that acts as a crucial link-up for Iona (especially if you want to avoid cycling over the Arthur Laing bridge). Details are fairly vague so it’s hard to tell what the impact will be, though it’s encouraging that the trails are at least acknowledged in the plans.
A bigger concern is the traffic this will bring to the area, and how it will change the nature of the route. Without question there will be more cars, more people, and it won’t feel quite the same. Will it still be a route where new cyclists can test out a longer distance comfortably and confidently for the first time? Will it still be free enough from cars that bike clubs can time trial and group rides can practice training techniques together?
It’s not possible to know the answers to these questions at this point, and there’s no question that the outlet mall will bring huge benefits to the area — 1,000 jobs, increased destination appeal — but at the same time, the harsh reality is that one of the most accessible middle-distance cycling routes in Vancouver is at risk of being forever changed for the sake of designer handbags and high end shoes. And that would be a huge loss.
It’s a good sign that cycling is acknowledged in the master plan for the development; as the project progresses, the cycling community needs to keep asking questions and making sure that the impact on this unique and special route is minimized where possible.
Kay Cahill is a cyclist and librarian who believes bikes are for life, not just for commuting. Read more at sidecut.ca, or send a comment to kay@sidecut.ca
