At first glance a new $17.2 million cycling path along Steveston Highway appears to come with significant deficiencies, with cyclists needing to channel their inner Mario Kart skills to dodge dozens of utility poles cemented in the middle of the route.
But the City of Richmond says those power and telephone poles, currently outfitted with reflectors as a safety precaution, will eventually be removed.
City spokesperson Clay Adams said planners and road crews made a “conscious decision” to begin construction of the multi-use path before Telus and BC Hydro could remove the poles several feet to the side.
Adams said BC Hydro and Telus will have the poles removed within six weeks and, so far, no cyclists have reported concerns.
“This is seen as a minor issue outweighed by the benefit of immediate user access,” said Adams.
The path is only partly complete and open to the public between Shell Road and Mortfield Gate near the International Buddhist Temple.
The phased construction of the path will continue westward, down Steveston Highway, until No. 2 Road.
This portion of the path, from Shell to No. 2 Road, is projected to cost $11.5 million. Once completed, city crews are planning to build an extension from No. 2 Road to Railway Avenue (and the greenway) for an additional $5.7 million.
Adams said the last, much smaller section from No. 2 Road to Railway is more complex than the main stretch to Shell Road as there is a significant amount of underground utility lines (albeit no poles).
Furthermore, a $2.7 million multi-use path is planned for No. 2 Road, between Steveston Highway and Williams Road, which has a bike lane. This will be an extension of the multi-use path that runs along No.2 Road, south of Steveston Highway to the dyke.
The Steveston Highway path was planned in 2019 as part of TransLink’s efforts to expand cycling networks in Richmond. However, in 2023 some members of city council questioned its utility and cost, particularly since Williams Road offers a dedicated bike route to cross the city.
Council inquired with staff about upgrading the existing Williams Road path to a AAA standard.
However, planning staff told council Williams Road has too many driveways for it to be upgraded and that funding for the Steveston Highway path from TransLink and the provincial government – worth $5.5 million – wouldn’t have been transferable to another road; rather, the city would have had to reapply for this funding.
This year, the city raised property taxes 5.62 per cent; meanwhile TransLink stated this month it is in a financial crisis, looking to cut services by as much as 50 per cent in 2026 unless it gets nearly $600 million in permanent annual funding from senior governments.
What remains unclear about the Steveston multi-use path project, once complete, is how many cyclists will use it; none of the staff reports indicated how many cyclists used Steveston Highway beforehand, although it was suggested cyclists avoid the road due to traffic.
Another matter not identified in staff reports is how the path will connect cyclists from Shell Road to No. 5 Road and ultimately the Massey Tunnel, which is a stated goal. As it stands, cyclists will have to share the road to No. 5 Road, a 600-metre stretch alongside the busy Ironwood mall corridor.
Adams said an exact route is under review with timing and budget to be determined.
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