If approved, some major design changes to Mountain Highway in North Vancouver could downgrade the route’s long-running purpose as a north-south arterial road link for vehicles, and introduce improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
Currently, Mountain Highway north of the interchange with Highway 1 is generally a three-lane road with two vehicle lanes in the northbound direction and one vehicle lane in the southbound direction.
The District of North Vancouver is set to consider removing one of the two northbound vehicle lanes for the stretch of Mountain Highway between East 18th Street and East 27th Street. The removal of one of the northbound vehicle lanes would make way for bike lanes, curb extensions, and left-turn pockets.
These changes are expected to cost $1.3 million, including $200,000 for preliminary planning and $1.1 million for detailed design and construction.
This represents the central segment of the District’s plans to change Mountain Highway’s configuration between Arborlynn Drive (just north of Highway 1) and Lynn Valley Road for safety considerations. Future phases of the corridor improvement project would tackle road design changes south of East 18th Street and north of East 27th Street.
According to the District, for the central segment being considered between East 18th Street and East 27th Street, its traffic analysis indicates that the removal of one northbound vehicle lane would “not adversely impact vehicle capacity or vehicle delays.”
The changes are driven by a desire to address Mountain Highway’s issues of having the second most overall pedestrian-involved and cyclist-involved collisions within the municipality, and the most reported safety concerns by the public, with pedestrians not feeling comfortable walking on sidewalks in close proximity to fast-moving vehicles.
However, Mountain Highway is a key arterial roadway linking Lynn Valley Town Centre to Highway 1 and Lynn Creek Town Centre.
An online petition launched on Saturday has already amassed over 1,000 signatures in opposition to the District’s plan to change the street’s configuration.
“Any minor obstacle, like a stopping bus, fender bender, would result in a severe backlog along the now-single lane. This doesn’t only affect me, but affects all others who rely on this route for their daily journeys,” reads the petition.
“While it is evident that creating safer space for bikers is crucial, the reduction in car lanes should not be the primary solution to this. Proper urban planning should consider the needs of all road users.”
Those who commented on the petition page assert Mountain Highway is a highly congested route and sees limited uses for cycling due to its steep incline, and the availability of more suitable alternative cycling routes on nearby parallel local streets with less vehicle traffic.
“Very few people cycle Mountain Highway now because of the incline. I’m a cyclist and am opposed to making Mountain Highway single lane. A disaster in the making!” reads one comment.
Another comment reads, “There is an incredible number of apartment buildings that have been added to the area of Lynn Valley and more to come. The reduction of lanes for traffic is 100% a terrible idea.”
This comment also zeroed in on the possible low utility of a cycling route on steep terrain during the North Shore’s challenging winter conditions: “With over 10,000 new residents in the past 16 years, Lynn Valley needs more vehicular traffic lanes, not less. No sane person would ride a bike on Mountain Highway, just as no sane person would ride a bike in a snowfall.”
District Council will deliberate on the proposed road configuration changes in a public meeting on Monday evening.
Map of Mountain Highway corridor’s safety improvements. (District of North Vancouver)