Cyclist bike on a greenway

Greenways: Making Vancouver a more walkable, bikeable city

Greenways are high quality active transportation corridors for walking, biking, and rolling for people of all ages, abilities, and identities.

They include car-light to car-free segments that connect users with public spaces, green infrastructure, and other natural features.

A key goal of the Vancouver Plan is that all residents live within a 5-minute walk of a greenway. It also identifies 3 types of greenways: 

  • Major greenways: connects Vancouver’s major and regional destinations, such as major parks, hospitals, higher education, and cultural intuitions extending even beyond city boundaries
  • City greenways: connect Vancouver’s neighbourhoods, such as important city destinations, community parks, schools, and local shops
  • Neighbourhood greenways: smaller-scale connections, that can be several blocks in length, between major or city greenways and local destinations.

Bikeways to greenways

While ‘greenways’ and ‘bikeways’ have been separate in the past, the distinctions were blurry and sometimes confusing. In recognition of their common goals and features, both are now referred to collectively as ‘greenways’ to support the aspirational vision of Vancouver’s active transportation network.

Additionally, with the rising popularity of scooters and other new mobility devices, it is important to clarify that greenways support more than bicycles.

There are 8 city greenways currently in progress or completed:

Check back for updates as projects are completed

There are no neighbourhood greenways under construction, but the City is always accepting proposals for neighbourhood greenways. See the page about neighbourhood greenways for details.

What are greenways?

Many people think about greenways in the traditional sense of nature trails or pathways through natural areas or along waterfronts. In Vancouver, greenways are that and much more.

Greenways are high quality active transportation corridors for walking, biking, and rolling for people of all ages, abilities, and identities. They include car-light to car-free segments that connect users with public spaces, green infrastructure, and other natural features.

Vancouver Greenways can be waterfront promenades, urban or heritage walks, nature trails, and local streets. Greenways enhance the experience of nature, community, and city life by providing an alternate ways to move through the city.

Who pays for greenways?

City greenways

City greenways are normally paid for from the City's capital budget, the funds approved by Vancouver voters at municipal election time.

Other funds may come available through other levels of government programs, donations, non-profit agencies or business associations.

The construction and maintenance of some greenways are negotiated through development approval processes at no cost to the City.

Neighbourhood greenways

Neighborhood greenways are partially funded by the City, with the community providing funds or in-kind contributions to their planning, construction and maintenance.

Public consultation

Whenever greenway development is proposed, there will be significant consultation with residents along and adjacent to the routes prior to design development.

History

Greenways have a legacy dating back to the Bartholomew Plan of 1928, with Harland Bartholomew's vision of a continuous waterfront parkway from Stanley Park around False Creek.

The inspiration for today's greenways came from the work of the Mayor's Urban Landscape Task Force, appointed by Council in 1991, and chaired by Landscape Architect Moura Quayle.

Their final report, Greenways-Public Ways, extended the traditional definition of Greenways to include streets in the downtown - the Public Ways - and streets in Vancouver's residential neighborhoods. (A copy of this report can be purchased at City Hall - 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4).

After city-wide public consultation, the Vancouver Greenways Plan was approved by Council in July 1995. The plan and program are comprised of two important components: city greenways and neighbourhood greenways.

The 2022 Vancouver Plan builds upon this work and includes 3 different greenway categories: major greenways, city greenways, and neighbourhood greenways.

Contact us

To learn more about greenways, contact the Engineering Services Greenways Program.

Address:
320-507 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V5Z 0B4

Fax: 604-871-6193

Inquiries for cycling upgrades