DEAR EDITOR:
Users of the Lions Gate Bridge have, for the past two years, had to tolerate major inconveniences of traffic as a new bridge was built over the Capilano River and lane reconstructions at the Lions Gate Bridge interchange took place to allow for dedicated bus lanes. I am truly dismayed with some of the results of this $34million expenditure.
I think the dedicated bus lane east of McDonalds on Marine Drive is excellent and the best part of the design. It allows buses to directly access Taylor Way and then the crossover signal escorts the buses to the outside lane where they have quick and direct access to Lions Gate Bridge.
However, my greatest criticism is levelled at the dedicated bus lane along the south side of Park Royal, to the west of McDonalds. I consider this is an unsafe situation.
The layout of the dedicated bus lane, from where it starts just after the SPCA road entrance, has a series of dashed line entrances to allow you to cross the bus lane and enter your desired Park Royal entrance. I consider this extremely dangerous. The drivers have to look back in their blind spot whilst in a busy lane to see if there are any potential traffic conflicts, then duck into the entrance being sought at an angle. For seniors (very numerous in West Vancouver) this could be especially confusing.
I suggest that the current dedicated bus lane west of McDonald's should be eliminated as a dedicated bus lane and shared with cars as a right turn lane for its respective entrances into South Park Royal. This move would protect the turning vehicles from the mainstream of Marine Drive traffic but being less used would give buses an almost dedicated lane, particularly in the morning rush hour before Park Royal opens. This would be eminently safer and I suggest safety should be the paramount consideration in any traffic movement.
The new Capilano River Bridge is deficient in lane capacity, left turn traffic into South Park Royal at Taylor Way is already backing up into the new outer westbound lane on the new bridge.
Heading west between Tatlow Avenue and Capilano Road in North Vancouver, the road lines take an abrupt offset to the left before Garden Avenue, presumably to allow for a dedicated buslane - these are confusing and hard to respond to, and this will be especially so on a dark night in the rain. Once again particularly hard for seniors.
Nigel Grant
West Vancouver
