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Opinion: Burnaby streets have emptied. Let’s use that road space

The group HUB Cycling is calling on Burnaby and other Metro Vancouver municipalities to install temporary facilities for walking and cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Where exactly? Why on our currently under-utilized roadway spaces.
cycling
file photo Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

The group HUB Cycling is calling on Burnaby and other Metro Vancouver municipalities to install temporary facilities for walking and cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Where exactly?

Why on our currently under-utilized roadway spaces. Traffic has dwindled all across our city as people stay home to help flatten the curve.

“Metro Vancouver municipalities have an opportunity to make it easier and safer for residents to walk and cycle around their city,” said HUB news release. “The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in massive impacts on the way we move around. Transit vehicles run nearly empty, and most roadways have few motor vehicles on them.People have returned to the simplest modes, walking and cycling, to get to essential businesses or just to get some exercise. However, with the increase in people walking and biking, it can be difficult to maintain adequate distance, especially on crowded bicycle facilities or narrow sidewalks.”

Sounds like an idea – one that is catching on.

“Many cities are doing this - installing temporary facilities for people biking and/or walking,” says HUB. “Calgary is planning to close roads to vehicle traffic on the weekends to allow people to get outside while maintaining social distancing. Minneapolis is closing roads to vehicles and opening to people walking. Bogota, Columbia installed 76 kilometres of temporary bikeways.”

One issue is that while traffic in Burnaby and around our region has dropped dramatically, some of those still driving are doing so at faster speeds because peak traffic times aren’t clogged with vehicles.

Burnaby and other cities need to get creative right now. A few simple changes would make a big difference.

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.