16 — Friday, September 12, 1997 - North Shore News

Residents fail to halt bike path

But councillors
vow to address
their concerns

By Jolanda Waskito
Contributing Writer

DESPITE opinions to
the contrary, cyclists and
wildlife can exist in har-
mony along the Low
Level Road, says North
Vancouver City council.

A group of 20 people told
council Monday night that they
wanted construction of the
bicycle pati: along Low Level
Road halted because its com-
pletion would produce “dan-
gerous” consequences.

Council unanimously
tumed down the request and
instead vowed to address
residents’ concerns.

“Pm certainly not prepared
to stop the bike path without
explonng security concerns,”
Coun. Barbara Sharp said dur-
ing the meeting.

“We need to look at che
bigger picture,” Coun. Darrell

Mussatto added. “There's
always trade offs. This is one
small step in
getting people out of their cars
and into alternative forms of
transport.”

The group’s spokespeople,
Michael Binkley and Kerilie
McDowall, told council thar
the bike path’s construction
would endanger and disturb
wildlife — including a pair of
nesting bald eagles — cause
Possible landslides to the
already steep hill face, and
increase the number of
burglaries in the neighbour-
hood.

“We've had numerous
break-and-enters, arsun, hook-
ers and johns, drunk people
and even a pipe bomb,”
Binkley said. “(The bike path)
will jeopardize the security of
our neighbourhood. There will
be no lights in the lane.”

The group also stated the
path wouldn't be used much
since part of the route along,
the read includes about 50
metres of stairs where a cyclist
must push the bike up 2 steep
incline.

“We're not against cycling
in the area, we are against this
path — it's not needed,”

Binkley said.

McDowall outlined con-
cerns for wild neluding
owls, peregrine falcons, blue
heron, deer, coyotes and bald
eagles.

“Areas have been ripped out
(where) eagles teach their
young how to fly,” she said.
“The area they were being
trained in is now a bulldozed
path instead of dense ground
ivy.”

Besides environmental con-
cerns, Binkley said residents
al the bicycle route — on
East First and Second Streets
— have been “hoodwinked,
lied to and stonewalled.”

No public meeting was
held, Binkley explained, and
residents in the immediate area
of the bike path were informed
only the day before that con-
struction would start Aug. 15.

“After two weeks of con-
struction, we thought we
should make council aw: are of
the devastation in the area,” he
said.

But the city’s bicycle path
coordinator, Emma Dal Santo,
said residents were informed by
letter last May that a bike route
may be put in on the Low
Level Road, and that anybody

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with concerns should contact
her. Dal Santo said she received
only four responses. Not
enough, one city staffer said, to
warrant a public meeting.

She also said the bike path
was routed around the larger

trees, although a handful of

trees, quick-to-grow blackberry
bushes and ground ivy were
taken out.

When Coun. Mussatto sug-
gested the city look at each res-
ident’s concerns and try to
address them, loud “no's” and
“it’s too dangerous,” were
heard from members of the
group.

UE pornewents to the

Council debated the issue
and questioned city staff at
length.

It was Coun. Sharp who
finally put forth a motion to
make an effort ac addressing
concerns before any decision be
made to shur down the bike
path’s construction.

“From what I've heard
from staff, we can deal with
enhancement (of wildlife habi-
tat),” She said. “Bikes are a
benign use unless people are
shouting. I don't think
(cyclists) will send the eagles
packing. They're already close
to the traffic noise of First and

construction .

Third Streets.
“I'm certainly an advocate
of alternate transportation and

we've looked at the bike path +)

program for quite a long time.
{ ould like staff ra ask
residents what would make
them safe and secure, and that
they (the residents) be dealt:
with in some manner.”

Coun. Barbara Perrault said
she supported the motion since
it would address the residents’
main concerns of safety and

rest,” Perrault said.

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