Arbutus Greenway - Vancouver's Newest Trail

Exciting Update April 20, 2018:
Vancouver has published their summary of the greenway here and has a more complete explanation of their implementation strategy and process here

Vancouver is developing some great unusual ideas about the future greenway.  The Vancouver Sun ran an interesting article about the  concepts here and the city of Vancouver has posted more details here, including a potential future streetcar.

Update Feb. 3, 2018: At the far western tip of Point Grey is UBC, the University of British Columbia. The Seattle Times has published an excellent article on its attractions at this link.

Update Nov 25, 2017: Vancouver is the only North American city without a freeway in its city limits. And now, 50% or more of all trips are totally by walking, biking, or using public transit.
Background to Vancouver's approach to transportation is at this link.

With the RSVP ride from Seattle to Vancouver coming up on Aug. 18-19, 2017 it’s a good time to check out Vancouver’s newest rail to trail paved greenway, the 9 km (5.5 miles) long Arbutus Greenway. http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/arbutus-greenway.aspx

The speed with which Vancouver can install its facilities is phenomenal compared to Seattle.  In March 2016, after years of fighting with Canadian Pacific Railways, the city bought the line.  By June 2017 the city had completed a temporary paved trail.  They are continuing to consult with the neighbors while the final trail and park is designed with planned for construction beginning in 2019.

The Arbutus Greenway is one of Vancouver’s city-wide network of connected protected bike lanes, bikeways, and greenways routes connecting all parts of the city;  see its cycling map at http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/map-cycling-vancouver.pdf  (Below, the Arbutus Greenway is circled in red, the Off-Broadway Greenway circled in blue)

The quality of the TEMPORARY Arbutus Greenway rivals the quality of many of Seattle’s permanent trails.  Like many of the facilities in Vancouver, in many areas pedestrians and bikes are separated.  Where pedestrians frequently cross zebra striping is installed.

At most street crossings there are stop signs on the roads that cross it; the bikes and pedestrians have priority.  At most of the major street crossings the trail temporarily detours to nearby traffic signals, but it’s planned that it will have its own signals in the future.

Calming Residential Streets
Off-Broadway Greenway

While checking out the Arbutus Greenway, check out the Off-Broadway Greenway.

Broadway is a major east-west high-traffic arterial.  It is paralleled a couple of blocks away by the Off-Broadway Bikeway, on 7^th and 8^th.  It’s a traffic-calmed residential street -  traffic calmed to a much greater degree than greenways in Seattle. It’s speed limit is 30 km/h (18.5 m/h).  To prevent through vehicle traffic there are right-in right-out concrete and landscaped vehicle diverters at many of the major cross-streets, and periodically cul-de-sacs have been inserted within its right-of-way.

Seaside Trail

Of course, most visitors check out the network of PBL’s in downtown and the famous Seawall and Seaside Trail.

http://www.letsgobiking.net/beginner/10-seaside-four-routes/ and https://averagejoecyclist.com/seaside-bike-route-vancouver-guide-video/

The Seaside Trail begins downtown at the convention center, loops around Stanley Park (warning: because of the volume of bike and pedestrian traffic, it’s one-way for bikes in a counter-clockwise direction around Stanley Park), and then follows Burrard Inlet and False Creek eastward to their end, then continues on their south shore westward to Granville Island and on to Jericho Beach (where there is a large hostel - http://hihostels.ca/en/destinations/british-columbia/hi-vancouver-jericho-beach ) and continues westward to Spanish Banks near the University of British Columbia. (From its end , only at low tide, one can access Vancouver’s famous clothing-optional Wreck Beach. http://wreckbeachcanada.com/trails.htm#From_Spanish_Banks_or_Jericho_Beach )

The first parts of the Seaside Trail were built decades ago around Stanley Park and in the mid 70's along the south shore of False Creek.  Lesson learned: At those times a mixed use promenade 12 to 18 feet wide was considered more than adequate. Since then the popularity of the trail has mushroomed, as have pedestrian-bicycle and bicycle-bicycle collisions. Most newer portions of the trail are much wider and separate pedestrians and bikes.

Laurel Street Bridge

To get between the Seaside Trail and the Arbutus Greenway one can use the Laurel Street Bike and Pedestrian Bridge, thence the Off-Broadway Greenway west to the Arbutus Greenway. 

The Laurel Street Bridge runs from the Seaside Trail at False Creek, somewhat east of Granville Island (it's not well signed - its right next to the Dog Park - use Google Earth to figure it).  It runs across 2 roads (one 4 lane, one 2 lane) and a rail track and ends up at the Off-Broadway Greenway on 7th.  When you're on the bridge, you won't notice it ... its heavily planted and is a place that mixes pedestrians and bikes well ... quite a different experience from Seattle's proposed Northgate Bridge.

Crossing the middle of the Laurel Street Bridge

Laurel St. Bridge between South Shore of False Creek and the Off-Broadway Greenway on 7th

Have fun in Vancouver ... there are days of biking explorations to do.