Gastown businesses express mixed reactions to car-free pilot

Many visitors come toGastown 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: throughoutJuly 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 councilunanimously 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 Cambiestreets, 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.

WATCH | Car-free zones approved in Vancouver's Gastown this summer:

Car-free zones approved in Vancouvers Gastown this summer

8 months ago

Duration 2:10

The City of Vancouver has approved a pilot project that will see parts of the Gastown neighbourhood as pedestrian-only zones this summer, in anticipation of the busy tourist season. As Michelle Gomez reports, many businesses say theyre excited to see the change.

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 willadd a vital lifeline for struggling restaurants and bars who can now expand patios into sidewalks and increasedining 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 aroundthe 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 onWater 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."

The Early Edition6:23A permanent car-free plan has been proposed for Gastown

Vancouver City Council is set to decide today whether to move forward on a car-free Gastown pilot project this summer. We talk with Vancouver city councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung for more.

But another business owner isconcerned 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, sayspeople 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 sayspedestrianizing 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."