Home > Advocacy

There was a ‘funeral’ for the removed bike lanes in Stanley Park

Cyclists rode to mourn the removal of the popular infrastructure

A sign for a funeral in Stanley Park
June 5, 2023
Share on SMS

Vancouver cyclists held a protest ride in Stanley Park, following the removal of bike lanes that have been there for three years. On June 1, the Vancouver Park Board implemented its decision to restore Stanley Park Drive to its “pre-pandemic traffic flow and conditions.” Consequently, the temporary bike lane in Stanley Park has been largely dismantled.

Ex-politician gets blowback after complaining about Stanley Park traffic despite bike lane removal

The park board, along with city engineering crews, removed barriers and existing line markings along the route. Subsequently, new lane markings were painted to indicate the restored lane configuration. With those modifications, the majority of Park Drive now accommodates two lanes of vehicle traffic, eliminating the physical separation between bikes and cars.

Stanley Park funeral for bike lanes

The ride on Sunday included a “funeral procession,” featuring a symbolic “hearse” and “coffin.” The participants gathered on the front lawn of the Park Board before embarking on the demonstration.

In a Facebook post shared by Critical Mass, the protestors expressed their concern over the removal of the bike lane. The group said that the move was a very poor one. “Vancouver has become an international embarrassment,” organizer Carol DiPasquale posted. “Tourists are already cancelling planned trips to Vancouver to cycle. This is not just a matter of debating the rights of people on bikes to ride safely in the park—it’s an issue of climate.”

The protesters even held a eulogy for the removed bike lanes. A minister spoke to the group assembled about the death of the cycling infrastructure.

A eulogy for infrastructure in Vancouver

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, to say goodbye to dearly cherished bike lanes,” the speaker began. “And to celebrate what it has given us. This bike lane allows thousands of people to recreate. The young, the old, the able-bodied and the disabled. It gave us the freedom and safety to recreate safely during a global pandemic.”

The speaker goes on to refute the reasons the city gave to remove the lanes, that it caused traffic. Now, cyclists are far more vulnerable riding in the popular cycling venue.