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“It gets quite congested, especially when there are events at the stadium,” said Leigh. “Giving some of that space back to pedestrians will improve safety.”

A report prepared by city staff says the bike lane should have “minimal impact on motor vehicle traffic,” noting current delays are largely due to the intersections at either end of the bridge and not the number of lanes available on the bridge itself.

But opponent Steffan Ileman said any reduction of lanes leaving downtown will have a negative impact on business.

“This has to stop before the city does real damage to the economy,” he said. “The bridge barely accommodates traffic during rush hour as it is.”

Photo by Ward Perrin / PNG Files

Through Restore Vancouver, Ileman has petitioned the city for the removal of bike lanes on the Burrard Street Bridge and near Vancouver General Hospital. The bridge petition received more than 3,700 signatures this summer.

“Enough is enough,” said Ileman. “If this is approved, we’ll lose another conduit in and out of the city for lanes that are only used in the summer.”

City data shows the shared path on the east side of the Cambie Bridge is among the busiest cycling connections to and through downtown Vancouver. In July 2017, there were 80,000 bicycle trips on the shared path, with about 3,200 per midweek day. The report also notes that vehicle volumes on the Cambie Bridge are lower today than they were 20 years ago.

Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association CEO Charles Gauthier said his organization is supportive of projects that make the downtown “accessible to all modes of transportation,” including the Cambie Bridge bike lane.