The Vancouver Greenway Network is a collection of greenways across Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[1] Greenways are streets where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized over motorized vehicles, through structures such as road closures and road diverters to prevent or limit motor vehicle traffic, widened sidewalk-promenades, narrowed road space, speed restrictions, bike lanes, raised sidewalks and speed bumps.[2] The City of Vancouver hopes to create and maintain the trend of constructing new greenways to establish a network where, potentially, every citizen could access a city greenway within a 25-minute walking or a 10-minute cycling distance of their home.
Anticipated ecological benefits of the build greenway networks include enhancing linkage of conservation and recreation areas for cyclists, protection of some natural assets along corridors, and improving resiliency.[3] In addition, the current Council hopes that city greenways can encourage recreational opportunities in urban areas for citizens, increase trips by foot and by bike, decrease trips by motor vehicles, and strengthen pedestrian and cyclist links between nature and urban areas.[1]
The network is partly constructed, with several greenways either still under development or in the consultation phase.[4] The completed greenway network will be 140 km long, and serve as a pedestrian- and cyclist-prioritized network of trails and paths throughout the city.[1]