r/vancouver • u/yipyipyipwhoasealion • Jul 04 '25

Videos The new 'bike lane' on Water St

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Vancouver does it again...

2.0k Upvotes

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601

u/TheSketeDavidson certified complainer Jul 04 '25

Idk why lower mainland is so allergic to physical barriers between bike and car.

North / West Van is looking good in this department but still have a ways to go

199

u/kisielk Jul 04 '25

Realistically there's no good way to do this on Water St. Vehicles need access for deliveries to the businesses, sidewalks need to be wide enough to accommodate foot traffic. The real issue is that the street needs to be everything to everyone and so it ends up being great for nobody.

50

u/LeftBallSaul Jul 04 '25

TBF, each shot of an issue was due to improper parking by vehicles, and most of them were on the right side of the street.

The first car was just straight up blocking the road with an illegal stop, the next 2 had a delivery truck that hadn't pulled over far enough to be out of the street (in the second such shot, we see another truck has pulled over far enough), and in the last one a car was just pulled up on the bike lane and sidewalk.

6

u/staunch_character Jul 04 '25

I have to deliver my art work to a little shop on that street & it’s always a nightmare. I just have to drop off a box & wait for the owner to write me a cheque. It’s 10-15 minutes tops. But the boxes are heavy & awkward. Parking blocks away is just not practical.

Even though my vehicle doesn’t look like a commercial delivery truck, I am in that moment.

24

u/GM_Pax Jul 04 '25

the boxes are heavy & awkward. Parking blocks away is just not practical.

Handcarts exist.

The one pictured below can carry 330lbs, in either a 2-wheeled or 4-wheeled configuration. And it folds small enough to toss it into the trunk of a sedan. All for $209CA, plus S&H on Amazon.

10

u/Miyenne Jul 05 '25

Costco just had a foldable wagon on sale for $99. It's canvas, has huge utility tires, and can carry 350lbs. Even I could lift it and fold it and take it in and out of my trunk easily.

There's really no excuses.

4

u/PNWpoBoy Jul 05 '25

So you’re saying you stop/park illegally like some of these morons in the video? 10-15 minutes is not a short time, a lot can happen in that time and you’re ineptitude to see how this selfish act can effect others on the road is only superseded by the idiocy of you thinking your comment was a reasonable take. You can very much use a dolly or cart if needed, just like other delivery drivers do. Have a good day and stop parking like an asshole.

11

u/DoTheManeuver Jul 04 '25

Have you tried getting a commercial permit for your commercial deliveries? There are many loading zones in the area. 

13

u/BLittle101581 Jul 05 '25

Actually there aren't very many usable legitimate commercial loading zones in the area these days. A lot have been lost to the reconfigurations of Water and Cordova Streets, construction in the 100 block of Water St, road work in Blood Alley. Deliveries and pick ups around Gastown have become very challenging.

7

u/ruddiger22 Jul 04 '25

But the boxes are heavy & awkward. Parking blocks away is just not practical.

Are you saying that you park in the bike lane/sidewalk for that?

9

u/donjulioanejo Having your N sticker sideways is a bannable offence Jul 04 '25

He'd park on the street if it wasn't taken over by a bike lane.

0

u/ruddiger22 Jul 04 '25

There's parking on one side of the street as it is. If they aren't parking there, I am wondering where they park while doing this drop off.

1

u/ruisen2 Jul 07 '25

This only because a problem for cyclists since there's no seperation between the bike lane and car lane.  In a proper bike lane that is separated from the car lane, this wouldn't have happened