Yesterday I hit up another popular tourist destination in Vancouver, the Granville Island marketplace. Packed with shops selling everything you can imagine, this it’s pretty easy to understand why so many people visit it. There was a food market, toy store, brewery, distillery, as well as numerous art galleries and shops. After browsing for a while with a coffee, I sat to listen to some wonderful live music in the square. My only negative experience with the market was the traffic congestion! What could have easily been a pedestrian-only area was full of idling vehicles, all cruising around looking for non-existent parking spots. Vancouver’s transit system could easily support these visitors and it would certainly make the market a cleaner and friendlier place.
I then decided I’d like to check out the east end of the city. Heading east , I crossed the water on the Iron Workers Bridge. Unfortunately I developed a bit of an achy knee and decided it would be best to then head back, so I completed my loop back to North Vancouver, across the Lions Gate Bridge, through Stanley Park, and back to downtown. For those cycling across the Iron Workers Bridge: it was not a pleasant experience. While the posted traffic limit is 70km/h, cars were travelling much faster and one side of the bridge was closed for construction, leaving a path barely wide enough for two people let alone two cyclists.
Grenville Island was definitely the highlight of yesterday’s 35km route. It is absolutely a must-see!
Beyond the Automobile 