Vancouver city council has approved a motion that could see the bustling Commercial Drive transformed into a “pedestrian first commercial high street.”
The plan would see the city prioritize a vision of “The Drive” as a stop-and-shop street, rather than a main vehicle route, and could see the speed limit eventually reduced to 30 kph.
Other possibilities include the reduction of the street to two lanes, the widening of sidewalks and crosswalks, and the creation of curbside patios.
The motion also calls for on-street parking to be maintained and improved.
“Reduce the street, widen the sidewalks, make it a more comfortable pedestrian experience for folks,” Green Coun. Pete Fry said.
“At the same time, supporting businesses, while retaining access for transit, shared street operations for cyclists and scooters and micro-mobility, cars, busses and just slowing it right down.”
The concept emerged from the area’s business improvement association, but reaction from business owners Global News spoke with was mixed.
Murat Guracs of Vancouver Mediterranean Specialty Foods said 80 per cent of his customers arrive by car, and that he worried about the impacts on parking.
“If they don’t have a car, they can’t come. Sometimes still they don’t come because they can’t find the parking,” he said.
Across the street, Fancesco Murdocco of Cafe Calabria said he was initially skeptical of the concept, but has since come around.
Commercial drive is already busy, but do we want to make it busier? Sure, why not. Add more people on the street. It’s slowly changing, more restaurants, more pubs, a lot of different things are coming. So the more room the better.”
While council has voted to approve the vision in concept, there’s no timeline and no budget set aside for the transformation.
Thursday’s vote will instead direct city staff to study design concepts and look at ways to ensure any changes don’t impact transit.
“The priority here is to set that vision,” Fry said.
“Get folks excited about what that kind of idea could look like, how do we incorporate placemaking, and enhance pedestrian experience to really make The Drive come alive.”