For those that know the iconic 4km pipeline (Iona Terminus) that juts west into the Straight of Georgia just north of YVR Airport, you may also remember a 5(-ish) km road that takes to the Beach at the start of it.
It is called Ferguson Rd. and is the access way for Canada Posts largest sorting station in the region.
As of Spring 2026 there is a new separated bike and walking path with a robust fence to shield you from cars for at least 3.5km of that. Specifically, you can ride from MacDonald Rd. to the Iona Beach Regional Park Operations Centre.
If you are a pedestrian or dog walker,... 100%. Much nicer should you choose to walk along the road instead of near the Fraser River,.. and for safety, I could see some feeling more comfortable with that.
As a cyclist I'm almost reluctant to say what I'm going to say next: the old paint on the road,.. was pretty decent. I'm not complaining. The drivers I've seen out here rank amongst the planet's worst (often literally racing), but the visibility is also good,.. and where it failed was where it arches north once you
reach the beach, that got dicey with cars. As a weekday warrior when it comes to cycling, perhaps I haven't see full weekend mayhem. I'm also not a little kid or a weak cyclist but it really feels to me that if I could take 2.5km of that path and put it elsewhere in Richmond in attempt to save lives,.. I'd have a plethora of choices that are in my opinion more worthy of the cost. It seems a bit,.. redundant and given this isn't an urban commuter route, minor upgrades play out less favourably mathematically. That said,.. this ride is now somewhat complete end to end without hot spots which is a far cry from an amazing road with 1 major deterrent for novice cyclists.
Seeing as Richmond didn't make that choice I want people to be aware that this is now a top ride. I rode from Kits Beach up to the Arbutus Greenway and only ever felt a wee bit overly alert crossing the Arthur Laing Bridge. The rest was almost all decent sharrows or separated paths and smooooth.
The cement on that whole journey was on average so good that I had to do a double take an my distance afterwards: 44km round trip. Sure the worst part of this hill-wise is the bridge but after that: flat or train gradient only! I was home by lunch. It is also just so scenic: dozens of planes overhead, eagles, herons by the boatload and great views in all directions. Add this to your bucket list.
Alternate start points:
- Kerrisdale
- Fraser River Park
- McArthurGlen Outlet Mall
- Templeton Station or Sea Island Stations on the Canada Line (bikes allowed!)
