Dear Editor:
Re: Mountain Highway Interchange
In your article Council OK’s North Vancouver Highway Interchange Plan you state that the Mountain Highway interchange project will include “all ages and abilities,” or AAA, cycling infrastructure. This was discussed at the District of North Vancouver council meeting on Nov. 9, but is yet to be confirmed.
On major roads like Mountain Highway and Keith Road, the term “all ages and abilities” means that people on bikes are separated from vehicle traffic by a physical barrier. Experience in countless jurisdictions from across Canada and the U.S. has shown that this is the only way to significantly encourage more people to ride. AAA infrastructure allows everybody to bike: young, old and everybody in between. When bikes are physically separated from walking paths and traffic, safety is greatly improved for all, including for people walking, because with safe bike lanes people don’t ride on sidewalks.
The new Mountain Highway interchange represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make cycling a viable transportation option for current and future residents. Protected bike lanes on the new interchange would provide safe access to Lynn Valley town centre.
Your article indicates district council understands that we cannot build our way out of congestion. We need strategic investments in alternatives to driving, specifically transit and biking. If the province and the District of North Vancouver are serious about the long-term value of today’s transportation investments, building anything that is less than AAA cycling infrastructure is shortsighted. The new Mountain Highway interchange is an excellent place to start. If not now, when?
Tony Valente
Chairman, HUB North Shore committee
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