Long-term plans to revitalize Granville Island over the next few years are well underway and a Lower Mainland man’s calls for more pedestrian access throughout the area appear to be in lockstep with what officials are planning for.
With the sun finally out and tourists back, Granville Island is a natural destination for a walkabout with plenty to lift spirits.
However, cars and pedestrians seldom mingle well and the crowded roads are strained more than ever.
Vancouver resident Mark Melnichuk has created an online movement calling for much of Granville Island to go car-free on weekends.
He created a reddit post, which has garnered hundreds of comments.
In his vision, exceptions would be for made workers, deliveries and people who live there, but he said it would put the island on a sure path to favour people over cars.
“It’s standstill traffic, no one is getting any enjoyment of getting down to Granville Island,” Melnichuk said.
“Granville Island is essentially a dead-end street.”
Tom Lancaster, the general manager of Granville Island, said Melnichuk’s vision is actually in line with the long-term plans the city already has.
“It’s really exciting that people are out there talking about this in the news, and that there’s broad felt interest for having fewer vehicles on Granville Island,” Lancaster said.
To make it work, there would have to be more transit options, according to the island manager.
Lancaster is already working to integrate the little ferry boats into the TransLink system and restore the streetcar service that briefly ran during the Olympics.
“The moment we get that streetcar going, we’ll be able to connect to the regional transportation system pretty well,” Lancaster said.
Lancaster said he expects the streetcar to be operational “in the next couple of years.”