Bollards installed to keep vehicles off Sparks Street
Pedestrians at town hall meetings on the future of Sparks Street wanted vehicles off the mall
Sparks Street will be getting some new enforcers to help ensure cars and trucks don't crowd patios and pedestrians.
The mall authority on Wednesday began installing 40 stainless steel bollards. They'll be put up at the end of every block along the street.
Court Curry — the city's manager of right of way, heritage and urban design services, and also chair of the Sparks Street Mall Authority — said traffic on the street is a major concern.
"We have heard from the public that one car is too many cars on the street, that they feel from time to time they have to compete for walkable space," he said.
The bollards are part of a series of changes coming to the mall, with more announcements expected in the next few weeks. Curry said they all align with what they heard in town hall consultation sessions earlier this year about improvements people want to see on the mall.
To help businesses get deliveries in and out, the mall will get new parking spaces on O'Connor, Metcalfe and Kent streets, and will still allow them onto the street between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Curry said they hope to shrink that delivery window over time and cut back on vehicles on the street.
"Eventually the goal is that the street will be completely car-free from a delivery perspective."
The bollards will cost $50,000 to install, paid for by the mall authority. They'll remain in place for two years as a pilot project, at which point the program will be reassessed.
