Vancouver looks to reduce traffic through Gastown

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Plans to give one of the oldest parts of Vancouver a face lift may not go over well with commuters making their way to, from and through Gastown.

The wheels may be in motion to heavily restrict traffic through that heritage district, making it “car-light”.

“We have an opportunity to build on the strengths of Gastown and design the streets in a way that better serves the area. We want to work with the community to achieve the best outcome,” says Lon LaClaire, Director of Transportation for the City of Vancouver.

A car-light design would reduce the number of cars allowed on that roadway, and increase more walking and cycling space.

City staff are gathering public input on plans that could lead to restrictions along Water Street. “As part of our community engagement, we will be exploring whether Water Street could become car-light, but it is important to us to work closely with businesses in the area to see how the streets can continue to support loading and movement needs.”

You can take a survey or have your say online. A workshop and walking tour are also planned for Saturday, October 21st where the city plans to gather even more feedback.

The city is working closely with groups and businesses in the area who would mostly be affected to ensure all opinions are taken into consideration.

“The Gastown BIA sees this as an opportunity to look at different options of how we can add some flexibility to how we use our streets while responding to the varying needs of our businesses,” says Leanore Sali, president of the Gastown BIA.

City staff say people living and working in the area took part in a series of small ‘pop-ups’ last month and the first of two surveys has been done to ‘better understand’ how people access businesses in Gastown.

Water Street –which is the main route through the district–has been identified as a potential car-light street through the city’s 2040 Downtown Eastside Plan.