In 2008, when Vancouver’s newly elected mayor proposed taking out a general traffic lane of a busy city bridge and replacing it with a protected bike lane, some pundits predicted it would be the end, not just the beginning, of his political career.

Television helicopters were sent to capture the impending “carmaggedon”. A prominent business leader declared it would “choke the lifeblood out of the downtown”.

Chris and Melissa Bruntlett. Credit:Chris Bruntlett.

Not only did everything turn out fine, but Burrard Bridge — which now sees more than a million bike crossings per year — proved to be the first piece in a robust network of AAA (“all ages and abilities”) infrastructure that has transformed Vancouver for the better. A decade later, cycling is the fastest growing mode of transport in Vancouver — up 300 per cent in that period. Today, 10 per cent of Vancouver residents bike to work.

The most striking changes, however, have been qualitative.