Take a look at the photos attached to this blog and try not to throw up in your mouth.
It’s in Burnaby along a stretch of the Central Valley Greenway. In the second pic you can even see a little cycling symbol.
“The Central Valley Greenway is the only off road east/west cycling connection in Burnaby,” tweeted @cathygpersonal, who took the photo in question. “Would drivers put up with such poor roadways? Why are cyclists treated so shabby? This is dangerous.”
Some Burnaby roadways are actually that bad, but when you’re in a vehicle it’s barely noticeable.
But if you’re riding a bike, walking or using a mobility device, this is just unacceptable. It’s also not the only dangerous pathway in the city.
Burnaby senior Wayne McQueen was profiled in the NOW in 2018 talking about the trouble he has navigating the bumps and broken sections of sidewalk along Smith Avenue in the Metrotown area in his motorized scooter.
“It’s very hard to manoeuvre with a mobility device,” McQueen told the NOW, adding that he’d like to see ramps on all corners along Smith Avenue. “It also would help young women with their strollers to have a ramp.”
McQueen said he often feels very nervous riding his scooter in traffic as he goes down Smith Avenue to his doctor’s appointment with traffic.
“I think (city officials) need to take into consideration standards for making things mobility-safe – that doesn’t seem to be their priority, that’s just my opinion,” McQueen said, who has lived in Burnaby since 2008.
And it’s not just places that have no sidewalks. There are plenty of examples of broken sidewalks or pathways that have giant power poles embedded right in the middle of them (see the photo above) – making it impossible to pass if you’re using a scooter, for example.
Burnaby resident Don Anderson told me in November 2020 about the Tyndale Crescent for over 30 years and in that time the sidewalks have deteriorated, he said. (See photo above.)
“When I sent in a sidewalk repair request, the maintenance crew comes along and does a cheap repair with either using asphalt patches or grinds high spots,” he said. “Why would I want to use the sidewalk when it is actually safer to walk along a smooth road surface? No need to worry about tripping over the bumps and abrupt edges or having a consistent walking surface.”
Burnaby currently builds an average of 7 km of sidewalk every year – putting it on pace to cover only half the city’s needs over the next 30 years, according to a staff report. Staff estimate “completion of the sidewalk network would take over 60 years through current policies, practices and funding levels.”
Council has, however, voted to increase spending on sidewalks by $10 million per year to cover the 40 per cent of local roads – 275 kilometres – without a sidewalk on one or both sides.
Marine Drive is one of the areas that will be getting a huge upgrade with plans for Marine Drive from Boundary Road to Patterson Avenue and from Sussex Avenue to Byrne Road with a budget of more than $6.7 million.
That’s excellent news.
Council is also eyeing spending $5,558,910.53 on road rehabilitation, construction of concrete curbs and sidewalks, and street lighting improvements at the following locations:
- · 12th Avenue from 2nd Street to Newcombe Street;
- · Aubrey Street from Sperling Avenue to Cliff Avenue;
- · Berkley Street from Canada Way to 6th Street;
- · Curragh Avenue from Clinton Street to Neville Street;
- · Gilpin Street from Inman Avenue to Patterson Avenue;
- · Humphries Avenue from Edmonds Street to 16th Avenue;
- · MacDonald Avenue from William Street to Parker Street;
- · Stanley Street from Walker Avenue to Leibley Avenue; and,
- · Stanley Street from Lakeview Avenue to Sperling Avenue.
Burnaby is also in the middle of a huge infrastructure project added big, beautiful new pathways on the north and south sides of Lougheed Highway, heading east from Gaglardi Way. This has been a dangerous situation for residents who walk west on their way to the Production Way SkyTrain station. The north side has been particularly bad because there was little room for people to walk.
Burnaby also dramatically improved the situation on the Burnaby Mountain Parkway with a new urban trail on the north side, including lots of street lighting, as well as a lovely path they added along Kensington Avenue on a stretch south of the overpass.
So the city is putting up much more money and that’s to be applauded. Sadly, it takes a long time to see significant changes, but they are coming.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
