Anyone else think Vancouver is a car-heavy city?

[simonfiction]

I've only been in Vancouver a year and I love it. But one observation I've made is that for a city that claims to be not just another cookie-cutter, freeway loving, North American city, it does seems to distinctly lack any pedestrianised areas downtown. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm just not very good at noticing them, but I struggle to find parts of town to get away from the noise of motors.

Granville St is car-free right now, but that will change after this weekend. Most cities I've been to normally have some sort of pedestrian-only, city centre square or street that people gravitate towards, but it seems to be missed here.

Is this a well known, commonly held perception of Vancouver? Or just my own personal view? I like the lack of a freeway through the city but I still get the impression that cars rule downtown.

Also, parts of Vancouver - specifically Gastown - seems so pedestrian heavy but have ridiculous amounts of traffic coming down them. These areas seem to be crying out for some sort of traffic calming or semi-pedestrianisation. The amount of traffic down Water St, along with the poor state of the roads lets it down.

[Yume-sama]

Not compared to most other Canadian (and American) cities.

Having Granville St. closed to traffic has been nice, though, after the Olympics when the crowds dissipated it became kind of pointless to have it closed all day every day.

I could see on weekends, etc. it would be nice. When it does re-open I wonder how many people will forget and be run over

I'm fairly confident the city will find excuses to close roads periodically for extended periods of time, in the future.

[SpongeG]

its still north america

you just don't know where to go - its very quiet in many areas you can feel like the only person if you want quiet right n the middle of the city

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

its still north america

And Vancouver is still a functioning metropolitan city, with business activity. Not Disneyland. Yet.

[Calgarian]

Would a street like Stephen Ave in Calgary, work in Vancouver? For those who aren't in the know, Stephen Ave is closed to cars during the day, but is open after 6pm. It is only a 6 or 7 block stretch of 8th ave, but it is packed during the day and is fairly busy now on weekends.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Would a street like Stephen Ave in Calgary, work in Vancouver? For those who aren't in the know, Stephen Ave is closed to cars during the day, but is open after 6pm. It is only a 6 or 7 block stretch of 8th ave, but it is packed during the day and is fairly busy now on weekends.

I would actually think the opposite would work well on Granville Street.

Open (where it is now closed around the clock) until *after* 6PM, as it is the center or "entertainment" however limited we claim it to be.

Granville Street showed itself to be a nice, central, place to gather during the Olympics. Of course it was deader than a doorknob on March 1st, but it doesn't have to be.

[SpongeG]

we have miles and miles and miles of pedestrian only areas - the seawall you can get anywhere without seeing a car

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

I would actually think the opposite would work well on Granville Street.

Open (where it is now closed around the clock) until *after* 6PM, as it is the center or "entertainment" however limited we claim it to be.

lol, interesting. Stephen Ave caters to the suits who innundate DT every day from suburbia, but due to reduced pedestrian traffic is open to vehicular traffic in the evenings. I guess this is something Vancouver has to deal with to a much lesser extent. Either way, a pedestrian mall would be ideal for Van IMO.

[Metro-One]

I was going to mention that, most of Stanley Park as well, same with any where along the waterfront of Coal Harbour.

Most of the pedestrian only areas in Japan are also parks, or they are mall style walkways with proper canopies, or they are outside walkways that are simply far to thin for cars.

In fact, it is very common in Japan in a pedestrian area to still have taxis and service vehicles honk their way through.

In a way it makes for a more busy and fun atmosphere.

But there is a lot vancouver can learn from East Asia (night markets under the shelter of the viaducts is one...)

I still think the best streets in Vancouver to be Pedestrian only are Granville and Hamilton. I am always surprised that Hamilton is never listed as a potential street for pedestrians only. During the Olympics it was so much fun with venders, live music, etc... and with the Yaletown station right beside it, and all of the restaurants, it is perfect!

Robson on the other hand is more of a Cosmopolitan street, and actually works better with traffic, again giving it more of a strip vibe.

[simonfiction]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

And Vancouver is still a functioning metropolitan city, with business activity. Not Disneyland. Yet.

I don't think restricting cars and creating a more pedestrian friendly downtown in any way undermines it being a functioning city. I'd probably say the opposite is true. Wouldn't retail heavy areas of the city like Robson and Granville benefit more from foot traffic than highway traffic? The view that less cars is somehow detrimental to having a functioning city seems a bit backwards to me.

A comparison I often make (although is probably more the other extreme) is with Bath in the UK. They pretty much only have a trickle of traffic allowed through the city centre, but yet it's considered a really successful tourist, retail and even high-tech hub.

I just wanted to throw in an observation whilst I'm still new and seeing things from a foreigners point-of-view

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

lol, interesting. Stephen Ave caters to the suits who innundate DT every day from suburbia, but due to reduced pedestrian traffic is open to vehicular traffic in the evenings. I guess this is something Vancouver has to deal with to a much lesser extent. Either way, a pedestrian mall would be ideal for Van IMO.

Granville gets very busy with cars and people at night, and on weekends. During the day... not really. It's a bit "out of the way" from the central business district.

As an entertainment district it could be beneficial to be closed to vehicle traffic, at least, on Friday nights and weekends.

It really comes alive on the weekends, and the people who like to show off their Ferrari's and Lamborghini's cruise down it on Friday nights to show off en masse.

They've probably been going crazy knowing they can't cruise by the Roxy in their Lambo for the past couple of years.

[Calgarian]

Based on counting park space as pedestrian, then you could say Calgary is more pedestrian friendly than Vancouver because we have so much park space and so many pathways (not sure of the numbers, but I'd be willing to bet we have Vancouver beat). I think the question should be limited to urban areas, not parks.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Granville gets very busy with cars and people at night, and on weekends. During the day... not really. It's a bit "out of the way" from the central business district.

As an entertainment district it could be beneficial to be closed to vehicle traffic, at least, on Friday nights and weekends.

It really comes alive on the weekends, and the people who like to show off their Ferrari's and Lamborghini's cruise down it on Friday nights to show off en masse.

They've probably been going crazy knowing they can't cruise by the Roxy in their Lambo for the past couple of years.

So a better comparison in Calgary would be 17th Ave then.

I need to go to Vancouver again, it's been too long.

[simonfiction]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

we have miles and miles and miles of pedestrian only areas - the seawall you can get anywhere without seeing a car

Yea, good point. And this is one of the things I love about Vancouver. But I was thinking more of bustling city centre square/street. A place to meet or stop for a few minutes that's really central but not have to shout over the noise of traffic. Not somewhere to escape and relax, which is what I normally do on the sea wall.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by simonfiction

Wouldn't retail heavy areas of the city like Robson and Granville benefit more from foot traffic than highway traffic? The view that less cars is somehow detrimental to having a functioning city seems a bit backwards to me.

Vancouver just isn't that busy to the point where it could become necessary, even during the height of Summer in our big tourists days. There are many places to shop other than Robson St., and I'd say the majority of locals don't shop there, anyways. During the Olympics it was necessary because it literally was shoulder to shoulder all the way down the street, on the sidewalks, and road.

Granville St. is another story, and in fact, prior to the construction of the Canada Line traffic was periodically closed on Friday or Saturday (and BC Lions games, perhaps) nights for the protection and safety of the thousands of people who were down there. This is something that should continue, and, I think more special events should be planned for the now closed parts of Granville to get more people down there. It is a good already existing place to gather, but, usually nothing is actually happening down there. The city has been experimenting with outdoor movies, etc. this Summer and it has been good, and should continue. It is a good and pretty logical place to setup special events in the heart of the city.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

So a better comparison in Calgary would be 17th Ave then.

I need to go to Vancouver again, it's been too long.

I'll buy you a JapaDog if I'm in town.

[Zassk]

Due to the rain, I think Metro Vancouverites will always be more inclined to stay inside our cars (or other transportation) than to go for a walk, compared to most other cities.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by Zassk

Due to the rain, I think Metro Vancouverites will always be more inclined to stay inside our cars (or other transportation) than to go for a walk, compared to most other cities.

Well, for 9 months of the year, anyways

[simonfiction]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Vancouver just isn't that busy to the point where it could become necessary, even during the height of Summer in our big tourists days. There are many places to shop other than Robson St., and I'd say the majority of locals don't shop there, anyways. During the Olympics it was necessary because it literally was shoulder to shoulder all the way down the street, on the sidewalks, and road.

I see what you mean. Although I'm still thinking more of a square rather than an entire street. I know there's Robson square but it seems almost hidden away and feels really enclosed. I didn't even know it was there for months.

I really loved Federation Square in Melbourne. Really central, visually nice and just a natural place to gravitate towards when you're going around the city - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_Square

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by simonfiction

I see what you mean. Although I'm still thinking more of a square rather than an entire street. I know there's Robson square but it seems almost hidden away and feels really enclosed. I didn't even know it was there for months.

Yeah... that's troublesome The skating rink is a nice addition... but surely Robson Square could be more. I wish they would have built the clamshell over it like was proposed.

Maybe then people would notice *something* must exist there.