In this city of ours, we are home to a helmet-wearing Mayor who arrives to meetings by bike and whom you can see pedaling around town dressed in business attire. He has promised to make this city the greenest in the world and when it comes to championing transportation of the two-wheel variety, he is cycling in the right direction.

On March 10, 2010 Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson officially opened the Dunsmuir Viaduct bike lane with a quick cruise on what was a typically rainy Vancouver morning. The protected two-lane bike path, lined with cement barriers, finally provides commuters with a safe cycling route from the Adanac Bikeway into downtown Vancouver.

The opening of the Dunsmuir Viaduct bike lane is part of a larger picture that will [hopefully] see a protected bike route run through downtown to hook up with Burrard. This comes eight months after the City first initiated the Burrard Bridge bicycle lane trial.

Arno Schortinghuis, President of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) spoke at the opening celebrations of the Dunsmuir Viaduct bike lane following Mayor Gregor Robertson. If you happened to miss it, here is what he said:

"Wow! Isn't this a great bike path? (lots of cheering from cyclists)

This project has exceeded all my expectations. The best I had hoped for was a one-way separated path, but here we have a nice, wide two-way path with a gentle grade. It blows me away!

Pre Olympics, only the very brave cyclist would dare to ride on this viaduct. Now it is suitable for all riders from 8 to 80 years of age. This has suddenly become the best way of riding into and out of the downtown core.

The transformation of the Burrard Bridge and now of the Dunsmuir Viaduct sets the stage for more separated bike paths both downtown and throughout Vancouver. As more separated bike paths are built, more people will use a bike to get around and this will leave more space on the streets for those who really need to drive - a win-win for everyone in Vancouver.

More people riding bikes means a healthier population - a healthier city - a healthier planet.

This project is... one small step for a city --- one giant leap toward Vancouver becoming the greenest city on earth!"

The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition is a volunteer-run non-profit society whose members work to improve conditions for cycling in the Lower Mainland. So far, Schortinghuis thinks Vancouver is on track to becoming a bike-friendly city.

"Last year, the City completed most of the Central Valley Greenway. It has implemented a 30km/hr speed limit on all residential bike routes, put into action the Burrard Bridge protected bike lane trial and now delivered the Dunsmuir Viaduct protected lanes."

He is confident that the City will continue to rapidly add protected bike lanes throughout Vancouver.

Send transit tips/news to Beyond Robson writer Jennifer Laidlaw at jennlaidlaw@beyondrobson.com.

Photos courtesy of Rob_'s, a member of the Beyond Robson Flickr pool.