Widening McGillivray Boulevard’s existing bike lane from 5 feet to 10 feet requires removing a car lane in each direction, impacting 11 percent of Vancouver residents who live in the area with a 2.5-mile single-lane commute and 11 stop signs.
This change benefits only 1 percent of Vancouverites, and it adds nothing new at the expense of those directly affected — 9,000 homes and 20,000 people who primarily or exclusively use McGillivray, the forgotten 11 percent.
Negative comments in the McGillivray community survey outnumber positive ones 8 to 1, yet this feedback was not relayed to the city council by planners. Despite promises to engage with McGillivray residents and relevant commissions, evidence shows minimal outreach by planners to key stakeholders, with less than 50 percent notified via a single flyer.
Planners hid the gory details of the surveys, the ugly truthful parts. There’s a lack of fairness and equity in this process, and city councilors have shown limited responsiveness despite repeated attempts for communication. I have sent a letter a month to each of the councilors for the past five months. Erik Paulsen responded at Month 5; the mayor says she will respond; from everyone else, crickets.
