A three-metre wide bike/pedestrian lane along Steveston Highway will go ahead after all, despite being rejected two weeks ago by city council.
City council rejected a plan, in a 5-4 vote two weeks ago, to increase the bike/pedestrian lane’s budget by $2.5 million – after bids came in higher than expected.
The item was back on the table this Wednesday afternoon at an extra council meeting with various alternatives.
In the end, city council voted for the original plan of a multi-use pathway, which will eventually extend from Railway Avenue to Shell Road on the south side of Steveston Highway and which has funding from senior levels of government.
While the vote on Wednesday was once again 5-4, this time it was in favour of the project, with Couns. Carol Day, Bill McNulty, Andy Hobbs and Kash Heed voting against it.
The vote followed more than two hours of comments from the public, with some arguing in favour – including Richmond’s medical health officer Dr. Meena Dawar – while others argued against it.
“Let’s get on with it,” Dawar told city council. Dawar noted in her presentation that climate change is an “existential threat,” and said the multi-use pathway would be an “important investment into the health and wellness of Richmond residents.”
When the item was voted on two weeks ago, Coun. Laura Gillanders voted against it. This time, she voted in favour, flipping the decision.
At that point, there was discussion about building the multi-use pathway on Williams Road, which is already a dedicated cycling road.
However, funding for the Steveston Highway pathway from TransLink and the province – worth $5.5 million – wouldn’t have been transferable to another road, rather, the city would have had to reapply for this funding.
