Updated plan called a ‘game changer’
Imagine being able to ride a bicycle, wheel a mobility aid or walk from Langley to Lions Bay on an uninterrupted greenway that traverses parks, skirts waterways and weaves through every Metro Vancouver municipality.
The regional district is updating a plan that, over the next 30 years, could make that vision a reality and almost double the length of the region’s greenways.
“This will be a game-changer for our region — I’m so convinced of it,” said Anmore Mayor John McEwen, who chairs Metro’s regional parks committee. “I think this could rival SkyTrain when it first started up.”
The plan maps out 830 kilometres of greenways, which will connect with other multi-use corridors, such as TransLink’s major bike network and municipal greenways. About 480 kilometres are already in place, but there are large breaks, in particular south of the Fraser and in Richmond, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Some connections have been in the works for years, while others are new in this draft plan and meant to make the greenways “gap free.”
The expansion would help protect natural areas, mitigate climate change, accommodate growth while maintaining livability, and provide more safe cycling infrastructure to keep up with demand.
Although the plan is to build out the greenways over the next 30 years, McEwen would like to see it happen much sooner, and he’s not the only one.
Jeff Leigh, chair of the regional advisory committee for HUB Cycling, said his group participated in consultation with Metro and strongly supports more greenways for active transportation that connects municipalities.
“I understand the 30-year vision, but that doesn’t mean we should be waiting 30 years to do this. We should be getting on with some of it,” Leigh said.
He suggested taking advantage of government grants for active transportation and get going on projects that improve connectivity.
Expanding the greenways network is not easy. High urban land prices and a reluctance to expropriate land mean development can be slow and expensive. Competing land uses make integrating greenways into existing development difficult.
McEwen said nearby businesses could see increased traffic from those who walk and wheel on the greenways, and employees would have another way to get to work.
A UBC study last year showed proximity to green space or parks is associated with less chronic disease and lower health-care costs. Another study looking at the Comox-Helmcken corridor in Vancouver found that people who live near greenways are more physically active.
“This investment will bear significant benefits in terms of public health, both physical and probably mental health outcomes,” said Lawrence Frank, a professor in sustainable transport and director of the Health and Community Design Lab at the UBC, who worked on both studies. “In a way, this is preventive medicine. This is health care. This is what the public needs to be well.”
Frank said the plan is timely and “a very appropriate policy response from government,” given the COVID-19 pandemic and people’s desire to be outdoors and stay physically distant from others.
“It’s the kind of leadership that we like, that responds directly to the needs of the public,” he said.
“It’s consistent with the evidence that’s been developed on the topic, not just here but nationally and internationally.”
A network of greenways will allow open space to function as a transportation corridor and provide an alternative to driving or taking transit when necessary, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It can also link up to public transportation options.
“Thinking about open space as a network, a connective tissue throughout the region is very important for many reasons,” Frank said.
A second phase of engagement on the plan, involving municipalities, agencies, First Nations and other interested parties, is set to take place this summer and fall. The results will help with development of the final report.