Lougheed Hwy needs safety upgrade, says cyclist hit by driver in bike lane

Nazanin Moghademi considers herself an experienced commuter cyclist.

But the former Green Party MLA candidate for Vancouver Kensington, who moved to Burnaby last November, had a terrifying experience over the weekend while cycling on Lougheed Hwy—she was hit by a car.

Moghademi says she was turning onto Lougheed Hwy from Springer Ave around 1pm on Saturday, Feb 5—it was a clear day with no rain or visibility issues—when the car behind her also began turning into the bike lane.

Before she knew it, she had been hit and was pinned right between the car and the curb.

Luckily, Moghademi isn’t badly hurt other than a few scratches and some soreness. She also thinks she may have suffered some whiplash.

“He pulled aside and he slowed down. But I signaled him to stop and because I’m me, I yelled at him for three minutes. [I told him] that he could’ve killed me, and what was he doing? He was very apologetic—I told him that it was okay, but he needs to be more careful,” she told the Beacon.

“Because literally, he could have killed me right then and there. Funnily enough, he offered me money. And I was like no, just drive carefully.”

Moghademi has now written to Burnaby city council, asking them to address safety concerns on Lougheed Hwy that she first brought up in November.

“The conditions of the bike lane are pretty bad. There are parts of it, right around Brentwood, that are well lit and well separated. But then the rest of Lougheed— it’s like someone made it and then they just left it,” she said.

“It’s full of construction debris. After every storm, it’s full of branches. There isn’t a lot of signage. And there’s no lighting, especially after Holdom—so unless you have good lights, cars are just not going to see you.”

Construction vehicles also often park in the bike lane, meaning that cyclists have to veer directly into the highway to get around them. And after Sperling Ave, Moghademi said the bike lane gets “lost” due to the construction, and cyclists end up riding their bikes directly on the shoulder of the highway.

That’s a concern shared by city councillor Alison Gu, also an avid cyclist.

Burnaby’s Town Centre Standards require developers building within one of the city’s four town centres to provide space, and build infrastructure, for separated cycling lanes.

“And that’s a fine policy—except for the fact that when you look at it in real life, it means that there’s sections of bike lanes that are built at different times. And then you end up having this piecemeal implementation of cycling paths—people tend to refer to these as orphan bike lanes,” Gu told the Beacon.

“And this is a huge problem… if you’re on a cycling lane, and you’re not aware that it ends suddenly, and then you’re split out next to high moving traffic, as a user that is also moving at a considerable speed—it’s really quite dangerous. And Lougheed is one of the examples that I bring up over and over again, as to why these orphan lanes can be really risky.”

The policy, Gu pointed out, also depends on whether or not developers decide to buy and rezone land, and build a high-rise there. She said it’s not a reliable way for the city to build up its bike lanes in busy town centres.

The issue has been top of mind recently in council. Gu introduced a motion that was passed last week, directing staff to find a strategy to make sure developers are meeting the bike lane requirements in a way that doesn’t risk cyclists’ safety.

But it’s also an issue that extends far beyond the boundaries of Burnaby’s town centres. A high-profile hit and run in June 2019 claimed the life of Burnaby resident Charles Masala, as he was cycling the popular route up Gaglardi Way just off Lougheed Hwy.

The driver who hit Masala, 25-year old Sumeet Mangat, pleaded guilty last October to impaired driving causing death and failure to stop after an accident resulting in death.

A petition to the City of Burnaby launched one year after Masala’s death alleges the city “does not feel the lives of cyclists and pedestrians on Gaglardi Way is a priority.”

“Despite being a strong advocate for bike safety, he was still killed through no actions of his own. Charles’ death could have been prevented. Separated bike lanes, barriers, speeding deterrents and education could have saved his life,” reads the petition that’s garnered nearly a thousand signatures.

Gu said advocating for safe cycling infrastructure is one of the reasons she is in local government to begin with—and she has a very personal experience to back it up.

“I was hit by a car when I was cycling when I was 17. And one of the reasons I ran was because municipal governments have the jurisdiction to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists. I suffered with concussions and long-term post-concussion symptoms for five years, and it very significantly, negatively impacted my life,” she said.

“The tragic accidents that happened because of a lack of safe infrastructure are the reason why I’m here. It’s frustrating to me as well, the speed at which things can or cannot be done. … Because I am very acutely cognizant that if we don’t accelerate the work, it could mean the difference between a family being impacted or not.”