As thousands of cyclists get set to ride the Sea to Sky Highway for the third GranFondo mass bike ride this fall, the pressure is on to improve safety along the 120-kilometre route between Vancouver and Whistler.
A group of Simon Fraser University researchers suggests the highway, which was upgraded before the 2010 Winter Olympics and is advertised as an “epic route to cycle,” is fraught with cycling hazards, such as blind corners around Porteau Cove, narrow shoulders, lack of signage and drainage pit grates that can easily snag a tire.
And they hope to persuade municipal and senior levels of government that the highway could be improved substantially — and for just $116,000 — by adding more signs, making “bicycle-safe grates” and more shoulder sweeping to keep the road clear of debris, like fallen branches and large rocks.
Marking hazards to alert cyclists of upcoming obstacles would also be helpful, according to a study released by the researchers this year, along with cyclist-activated signals at each end of Porteau Cove.
“If we can make it safer for cyclists, it’ll be safer for all users,” said Ann Yew, a PhD student in SFU’s geography department, who was involved in the research. “Awareness is the key. If you’re driving on the Sea to Sky Highway on any given day those drivers aren’t doing the speed limit.”
Yew and the other researchers plan this week to map out the highway’s danger zones, which are mainly between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish.
The mapping comes just ahead of the third annual GranFondo mass bike ride, set to run Sept. 8 with 7,000 participants. The ride is run on a dedicated, uninterrupted lane along the highway, but in 2010, John Botelho, a 51-year-old Victoria cyclist, suffered a brain injury during the ride after he struck an unmarked grate and was catapulted headfirst into a concrete divider on the Upper Levels Highway.
The ride has also led to an increase in cyclists training along the scenic route. GranFondo organizers suggests 52 per cent of cyclists — including 18 per cent of the out-of-province participants — train on the highway beforehand.
“Normally when people are training they’re not paying as much attention ... they want to do a fast time,” Yew said. “The [Sea to Sky] highway is really only one of the highways that cyclists can access.”
The SFU researchers argue the changes would save money by reducing injuries, decreasing medical costs and limiting highway closures. With 1,400 injuries and 10 fatalities involving road cyclists every year in B.C., the study said, a drop of just one fatality on the Sea to Sky “at any point in the future” would offset the cost of the suggested upgrades.
Jay MacDonald, spokesman for HUB North Shore, a non-profit cycling advocacy group, agrees there are problematic areas along the Sea to Sky, particularly around Porteau Cove. But MacDonald, who has often cycled the highway, said he believes money would be better spent on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, which sees more cyclists on a daily basis and has its own hazards.
“When I ride solo along [the Sea to Sky] I feel entirely comfortable most of the way,” he said. “Traffic goes by a little fast but they do that no matter what. It’s not a very heavily used route; there’s a few recreational cyclists but you get upwards of 100 cyclists going over the Second Narrows nearly every day.”
Officials from both Squamish and Whistler say they have seen a huge influx of cyclists since the highway was improved. And while neither municipality has pushed for improvements, they say they would support anything that makes its safer for cyclists using the road.
Squamish Coun. Ron Sander said the proposed improvements are based on common sense, and aren’t as costly as extra lanes or barriers.
“If you’re going to have people on the highway, you have to make it as safe as possible. You can see the potential there [for accidents],” he said. “Personally I wouldn’t do it ... you’re biking on the side of the highway with pretty big, wide vehicles ... but a lot of people do it. It’s a beautiful highway.”
B.C.’s transportation ministry said it is reviewing the SFU study, specifically the signage recommendations. But the province already marks and paints around the grates annually, and has partnered with GranFondo organizers to provide three additional sweeps of the highway.
One sweep will be completed before the Gran Fondo, which remains open for registrations until Aug. 26.