Powell Street Overpass bike lane opens

A two-direction, separated bike lane opened on Powell Street in Vancouver’s railway district at the end of July, spanning Hawks Street to Clark Drive. 

Part of a multi-million dollar public-private partnership between the City of Vancouver, Port Metro Vancouver, Transport Canada, CP and TransLink, the lane is the result of a continued commitment from the City to support Transportation 2040 goals.

It’s also a beautiful example of how industry, car traffic and active transportation can be separated and work together in limited spaces. Powell Street is an important section of east-west commuter and commercial corridor, and a key link between Vancouver, Burnaby and the North Shore.

Visit Powell Street today, and check out the mountain views, trains and grain terminals that line the route. While the construction is complete, note that not all wayfinding signage and paint are in place yet. Helpful hints to keep in mind:

• Westbound towards downtown or Gastown, you can either merge onto Powell Street with car traffic at Hawks, or turn north onto Hawks as it becomes Alexander Street, which is a quieter option.
• Eastbound from downtown along Cordova or Hastings, you must turn left at Hawks (northbound) for a controlled crossing to access the Powell Street bike lane.
• Dismount and walk your bike when directed to do so at the end of the separated lane headed eastbound. HUB has made recommendations about improving connectivity to existing bike routes without dismounting, but in the meantime, please obey all signage. An option for continuing eastbound parallel to Powell is to walk one block south to Franklin St. on hop back on your bike there.
   

Kudos to City of Vancouver staff, mayor and council! Tell them what you think about the Powell Street overpass - email them or post something on the Bike Vancouver Facebook page.