Summer Trial...

From CBC news today....

Many Vancouver commuters were adjusting to the changes on the Burrard Bridge on Monday after the city turned one of the southbound traffic lanes into a bike-only lane over the weekend.

The six-month trial project also created a second bike-only lane for northbound cyclists on the eastern sidewalk, while the western sidewalk is now reserved for pedestrians in both directions.

On Monday morning, traffic on the bridge was light and there appeared to be few problems with the new traffic patterns. Some pedestrians said they were annoyed about losing access to the eastern sidewalk, forcing them to cross busy intersections at both ends of the bridge.

On Monday evening, traffic on the bridge remained lighter than usual, but southbound cars faced delays getting onto the bridge during rush hour. Drivers along Pacific Street on the north end of the bridge reported delays of up to 20 minutes. But once they got on the bridge, traffic appeared to move quickly.

Mayor Gregor Robertson pedalled his way over the bridge Sunday afternoon after crews had finished installing the concrete barriers and new signage.

He said the change in traffic patterns might be most noticeable in the afternoon when there will only be two vehicle lanes, instead of the usual three, heading southbound out of downtown.

"Hopefully, everyone [who] is in cars can adjust. The Granville Bridge has a lot of spare capacity and we're hoping that people, particularly coming out of downtown, can use Howe Street onto the Granville Bridge to exit the downtown, spread the traffic, and we don't have congestion like some are predicting," Robertson said.