Some Vancouver residents are frustrated after the city cleared bike lanes of ice before sidewalks.
Pedestrians navigated the icy walkways along the False Creek Seawall on Tuesday, with many we spoke to saying it looks like the City of Vancouver has not put down nearly enough sand or salt.
“I think it’s really treacherous here,” said one person who was out walking in Olympic Village. “It’s surprising they haven’t cleared this. I’m slipping and sliding.”
However, the adjacent bikeway is mostly clear of ice and snow and people have noticed a similar situation in other areas of the city since the winter weather hit.
The False Creek Seawall is public property and the City of Vancouver is responsible for clearing it.
In response to Global News, a spokesperson for the city said:
Where pedestrian pathways are adjacent to bikeways, both are to be cleared of ice and snow, but some have been missed as crews had been dispatched to other priority areas and service requests.
“The bike lane isn’t as icy and as slippery,” said one False Creek resident.
The City of Vancouver says some pedestrian pathways next to bike lanes have been missed as priority areas are dealt with. The city did tell Global News, however, that crews will salt those areas on Wednesday. They did not say what those priority areas were.
One civil lawyer says potential slips and falls could lead to more snow and injury claims this year.
“Now you have bikes on bike paths as well coming around a corner not expecting pedestrians,” said Chris Carta with the Trial Lawyers Advocacy Group. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”
In Surrey, our Global News cameras also caught a man in a wheelchair being forced to ride on the road as the sidewalks were not clear. However, in this stretch of road it is the businesses’ responsibility to clear the sidewalks.
-With files from Kristen Robinson