Surveyors are set to grade the Stanley Park causeway this month, taking the first steps in a process that could result in life-saving safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.
A 61-year-old North Vancouver woman was struck and killed by a West Vancouver transit bus on the causeway in May 2013 during Bike to Work Week.
The cyclist was heading downtown on the sidewalk when she lost her balance and fell into traffic.
Changes to improve the safety of the causeway for cyclists were fast-tracked following the crash.
HUB, a cycling advocacy organization, gathered more than 600 signatures for a petition demanding sidewalk improvements following the accident.
Barriers are one of the options being considered, according to Ministry of Transportation communication manager Kathy Cloutier.
Barriers should be the top priority, according to Antje Wahl, HUB's North Shore committee chairwoman and a North Shore News contributing writer.
"There is just no room for error right now," she said about the 2.2 kilometre segment of Highway 99 between Vancouver and the North Shore.
Wahl also called for a separation between pedestrians and cyclists, given the narrow sidewalk and the strain placed on communication by traffic noise.
Traffic flow will not be impacted by the topographical survey, according to a release from the Ministry of Transportation. However, cyclists and motorists are advised to watch for surveyors.
An environmental and archaeological review of the area is scheduled for March.
The public is scheduled to have their say this spring. Any proposed changes will need to be approved by the Vancouver Park Board.
