Top 5 Vancouver Cycling Bridges

Vancouver is a coastal city connected by bridges, but not all of the urban arches are equal. This is especially true when comparing cycling accessibility and safety. Some of our spans have been upgraded to meld with Vancouver’s modern cycling infrastructure; others are still a dangerous venture on two wheels. Here is a list of Vancouver’s top cycling bridges for tourists and commuters:

5. Second Narrows Bridge (Ironworkers Memorial)

Before 2015, this bridge would have never made the list, but significant upgrades to the walking/cycling path on both the west and east sides have made this bridge a pleasure to cross. The 2015 upgrades have doubled the width of the shared path and improved the off ramps on both the north and south ends. The heightened safety fencing is another nice improvement. Pause at the top of the west side for a gorgeous distance photo of Vancouver’s Downtown skyline.

Cycling Concerns:

• Little protection from high winds
• More communication needed when approaching pedestrians from behind (‘Bell or Yell’)

4. Cambie Street Bridge

The Cambie Street Bridge is an odd duck. The bridge has received multiple upgrades to improve cycling safety, but not all those improvements make sense for commuters. The east side is now a designated north bound cycling lane shared but separated from pedestrians. As of 2018, cyclists have been encouraged to use the west side for southbound travel. The city removed a lane of traffic on the west side to accommodate cyclists, but it’s the off-ramp that becomes a problem. Riders looking to continue south on Cambie are forced to merge with vehicles at the end of the bridge and cross two lanes of traffic. Fortunately most novice riders choose the West 2nd off-ramp, which is completely separated and safe.

Cycling Concerns:

• Southbound off-ramp needs improvement
• Absentminded pedestrians can occasionally cross the line divider on the shared northbound path.

3. North Arm Bridge

Cambie’s other bridge was completed in 2009 for the opening of the Canada Line SkyTrain connector to Richmond. The cycling path is located below the tracks on the west side of the bridge. There are no vehicles on this span and it truly is a joy to travel over. Unfortunately, the south side off-ramp ends in a relatively obscure industrial neighbourhood. Increased signage is needed to help cyclists navigate this area.

Cycling Concerns:

• South side connections need to be improved for increased use.

2. Lions Gate Bridge

Vancouver’s iconic suspension bridge connecting downtown with the North Shore is number two on our list of the top Vancouver cycling bridges. The bridge was upgraded in 2001, with every piece of bridge decking removed and replaced. The new deck features wider lanes for vehicles, but more importantly wider cycling/walking paths on the west and east sides. Like the Second Narrows and Cambie Street Bridge upgrades, cyclists are now encouraged to use the east side as a northbound path and the west as a southbound route. Both ends of this bridge have excellent connection routes to commuting paths.

Cycling Concerns:

• The grade on this bridge can be somewhat daunting for novice cyclists heading south.

1. Burrard Bridge

In 2009, the City of Vancouver took a bold step forward to improving cycling safety by experimenting with a designated bike lane on the Burrard Bridge. This project required one of lanes of vehicle traffic to be repurposed for cycling. This move was initially met with a fair amount of controversy, as many citizens questioned the impact of reducing vehicle access to downtown. Today, the bridge has two designated one-way bike lanes, widened walking paths and excellent connections to Vancouver’s growing cycling infrastructure. It is considered one of the key features in Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan and is now the most well used bike path in North America. High fives Vancouver!

Cycling Concerns:

• None. Flawless victory!

Future Considerations: Granville Bridge

The City is currently moving forward on a plan to upgrade the Granville Bridge. Six designs were shortlisted and surveyed. This week the City announced that the ‘West Side Plus [design] was by far the most popular option with the public during the two previous rounds of engagement.” Construction is set to begin in 2021.