Gastown businesses express mixed reactions to car-free pilot
Car-free and car-light zones will be implemented in the downtown Vancouver neighbourhood this July-August
Many visitors come to Gastown — the lively cobblestone neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver — to enjoy its restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and, of course, to see the iconic whistling steam clock.
This summer, they can expect another novelty: throughout July and August, parts of the neighbourhood will be turned into pedestrian-only zones.
While some businesses think that's a good idea, others are not so sure.
Vancouver city council unanimously approved plans to create temporary car-free and car-light spaces around the popular tourist destination this week.
Cars will be off-limits in the block between Richard and Cambie streets, as well as in Maple Tree Square.
Meanwhile, the two-block stretch of Water Street between the steam clock and Maple Tree Square will be a car-light area, meaning only local residents and necessary service vehicles will be allowed to pass through.
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said the move is part of a pilot program to make the popular tourist spot more pedestrian-friendly, in anticipation of the busy tourist season.
"We are taking a 'walk before you run' approach. This pilot will help inform the longer-term planning for the area," Kirby-Yung told CBC News.
"This will show what a revitalised pedestrianized neighbourhood can feel like."
She said the traffic-free zones will add a vital lifeline for struggling restaurants and bars who can now expand patios into sidewalks and increase dining options.
"Imagine expanded patios where restaurants can have all the seating capacity transferred outside, new furniture installations, planters," she said.
Mixed reactions
The neighbourhood has faced challenges over the last few years stemming from pandemic closures and safety concerns around the adjacent Downtown Eastside. Businesses in the area say it is important for the city to prioritize its revitalization.
Michelle Livingston, owner of Arcane Body Arts, a cosmetic tattooing and piercing shop on Water Street, said the project will help increase foot traffic in the area.
"In the summer we have a lot of tourists coming in from the [cruises] so the sidewalks are full and the parking is limited … so it will give that street festival vibe," she said. "I feel like the cars are destroying the cobblestones anyway."
But another business owner is concerned about accessibility, saying they worry making Gastown car-free will drive visitors away by limiting parking options.
"It is not going to be a good idea," said Ahmed Al-Ageli, owner of A1 Barber Shop.
"There should be more parking space in Gastown and free parking space so that more people [are encouraged] to come here from Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, Burnaby."
Decades in the making
Urban mobility expert Anthony Perl, director of urban studies at Simon Fraser University, says people should find ways to use cars less often.
"I would say that having a car in the middle of the urban centre is not a right. And it actually takes away from the real right of people who want to spend time in those places to enjoy them safely and sustainably," he said in a telephone interview with CBC News.
Perl says pedestrianizing streets has long been overdue for Vancouver, which has debated making Water Street car-free for decades.
The most recent push came in 2017 when the city created a "Complete Streets" plan for the area that explored making Gastown the city's "first car-light area."
"We are a laggard in taming the automobile in our cities," Perl said.
"Paris, London and Stockholm and others have figured out better ways to give space to people … but now we're going to catch up again."
With files from Michelle Gomez, Justin McElroy, Shaurya Kshatri