Richmond councillors reject spending extra $2.5M to move forward on major bike path

A long-planned bike lane next to one of Richmond's busiest corridors is in jeopardy after city council voted against the additional funding necessary to move it forward.

By a 5-4 vote, councillors rejected giving $2.49 million to address the budget shortfall for the Steveston Multi-Use Pathway, which would create a shared cycling and pedestrian path on the busy corridor of Steveston Highway between Shell Road and No. 2 Road.

The path had been conceptually approved in 2012 as part of the city's Official Community Plan, and money was committed to the project during capital budget discussions in 2019 and 2020. 

But its cost increased from approximately $9 million to $11.5 million due to bids by contractors being above anticipated amounts, requiring the further approval of council. 

Among the reasons cited by councillors for rejecting the additional funding were the narrowing of Steveston in certain areas and a lack of consultation. 

"I support cycling … but Steveston Highway is the busiest road in Richmond, and we need to corral that, and we need to get public input, and I feel we're rushed," said Coun. Bill McNulty, who voted no.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who voted in favour, noted that council had been asked to endorse the project "well over a dozen times" over the past decade. 

"We're planning for the future, not today and tomorrow," he said, arguing that the pathway would expand the city's active transportation capacity for decades to come.

Unclear if TransLink funding will be pulled

About 43 per cent of the funding for the pathway would have been provided by TransLink because the route was slated to be part of the organization's Major Bikeway Network, a long-term plan for 850 kilometres of "safe and comfortable" cycling routes across the region as part of its overall 10-year plan.

As of 2021, approximately 250 kilometres of the network had been completed. According to TransLink, in the last two years, it has provided $61.9 million for 119 kilometres of new cycling or mixed-use paths across the region.

It is unclear whether Richmond council will attempt to move forward with new consultations on the pathway or whether TransLink will continue to commit the $5 million in funding — a point emphasized by those voting in favour of the project. 

"We've got a steady plan. We're able to get matching funding from different organizations, whether it's TransLink or the province, so we're able to get the best deal possible for the people of Richmond," said Coun. Alexa Loo.

"The more investment we get from different levels of government, the more we'll be able to push our program further faster."

Meanwhile, in Vancouver...

Richmond's decision comes days after Stanley Park's temporary bike lane began being removed by Vancouver Park Board staff, sparking another round of debate over its long-term future, now in its fourth year of consultations.

HUB Cycling President Jeff Leigh, who leads the most influential cycling advocacy group in the region, admitted it was a setback but said there were plenty of encouraging signs on a regional basis.

"We've had some challenges with the City of Vancouver … but there's also some good stuff happening," he said.

"We're encouraged by what the City of North Vancouver is doing. We're encouraged by what's happening in the Tri-Cities. We're very encouraged in Surrey that under the new Skytrain extension to Langley, there will be an active transportation connection … those are all really positive signs, and we just need to keep the pressure on."

One of the places in Vancouver they'll be keeping pressure on is the Portside Greenway, which would create a continuous bike path from the Second Narrows Bridge to downtown Vancouver.

An update to the proposal is expected to be in front of council next week, and Coun. Lisa Dominato said she was enthusiastic about progress happening soon after.  
 
"I think the inter-municipal connections are really important," she said.

"This will be a good opportunity for council to ask questions about everything from cycling infrastructure to what we're doing to deal with pedestrian crossings, lighting and crossings … I'll certainly be asking questions about what we can do more in terms of planning for cycling."