A Burnaby Green Party candidate in the 2018 civic election brought up an interesting issue on Friday.
Carrie McLaren tweeted about the need for a proper sidewalk along Lougheed Highway near Lougheed Town Centre.
This covers a stretch of Lougheed between Gaglardi Way and Bell that only has a dirt path for pedestrians and cyclists.
“@CityofBurnaby any way we can get a #sidewalk (wide enough for walking & cycling share like in front of production way stn) on Lougheed between Gaglardi and Bell? It would make a continuous link b/n Lougheed & Production Way. #burnaby,” read the tweet.
It’s a good point because a lot of people live around Bell and walk west towards Gaglardi – with this dirt path being the only real option. These include people going to the SkyTrain station at Production Way, to the industrial park on the west side of Gaglardi, or possibly to Burnaby Mountain Secondary School.
The problem is that Gaglardi Way has no areas to cross other than at Lougheed so people have to hug the highway on this path to get there.
A proper sidewalk and cycling path would provide a continuous link that is way safer than what is there right now.
On Monday, the City of Burnaby responded to McLaren's tweet with some good news. According to the city's tweet, an "improvement project is planned for this segment of Lougheed Hwy, adding off-street walking/cycling facilities on both sides from Gaglardi to Austin. We expect this to be don by the end of 2021. Timing may depend on potential pipeline construction at this location."
This isn’t the only area that needs sidewalks, of course. South Burnaby along Marine Drive is a bit of a mess as the photo attached to this column shows.
There are too many areas in which people are forced to walk along rough dirt paths. Imagine using a wheelchair and facing something like this.
More work needs to be done to ensure Burnaby areas are as walkable as possible.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44
