The Vancouver Cycling Coalition put on a demonstration to show how crowded cyclists and walkers are on the bridge. The Vancouver Cycling Coalition put on a demonstration to show how crowded cyclists and walkers are on the bridge. (CBC)

Vancouver bicycling advocates are once again slamming mayoral candidate Peter Ladner's plans for the Burrard Bridge.

The chair of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, Lisa Slakov, said on Tuesday the best solution would be to dedicate one lane of the bridge in each direction for cyclists,

"The reason for it is because its cheap as borscht, it's fantastic. We can put it up right away. We are looking at a reallocation trial, and that was planned a couple of years ago before the last government got in and nixed it," said Slakov.

That proposal was dropped by current councillors in 2005, shortly after they were elected, because they said it would cause too much traffic congestion.

Cyclists and pedestrians share the sidewalk on Vancouver's Burrard Bridge, which crosses False Creek. Cyclists and pedestrians share the sidewalk on Vancouver's Burrard Bridge, which crosses False Creek. (Mike Laanela/CBC)

The issue of how to make the heritage-listed bridge safer for cyclists and pedestrians remains a perennial one in Vancouver's civic politics.

Both of the main candidates are avid bicycle commuters, but they have different proposals for the bridge.

Early this month Ladner, who is the governing Non-Partisan Association's candidate for mayor, announced he doesn't support the council's current plan to spend more than $60 million to widen the bridge to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists.

Instead, Ladner proposed building a barrier to prevent people and bikes from falling off the sidewalks they now share into the adjacent lanes of traffic.

His main opponent for the mayor's seat, Vision Vancouver candidate Gregor Robertson, has instead proposed a pilot project to create two bike lanes between the traffic and the sidewalk.

That proposal would reduce the number of car lanes to five from six and make the centre lane reversible for rush-hour traffic using a system of lights.

Voters will have their chance to voice their opinion when they head to the polls on Nov. 15 to elect the new council as part of civic elections across B.C.