OPINION | Granville Island Has Too Many Cars

Photo Credit: Austin Witter

I started working on Granville Island at the Tea Company this past summer. One time, as I was leaving the Public Market, I saw a large vehicle bump into a pedestrian, sending her sprawling onto the brick road. A crowd gathered, but she managed to get up, brush herself off, pick up her things, and leave the scene seemingly unscathed, save for a few bruises. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. But as I returned week after week, I couldn’t help wondering about the traffic running right through the centre of Granville Island’s most popular shopping area. Why was a space that supposedly serves pedestrians giving so much priority to cars?

Since its transformation in the 70s, the false island in False Creek has offered shopping, dining, parks, watersports, theatre, and more at a stellar location on the water. Inevitably, these activities draw huge crowds, especially on holidays and in the summer months. The 300 metre by 700 metre peninsula is constantly congested with pedestrian and vehicle traffic. In 2016, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), commissioned the Granville Island 2040 planning initiative. They developed the Transportation Strategy, which suggested ways to alter the current motor vehicle dominance of the space in order to improve the experience of all customers and visitors.

Their report rightly notes that “once on Granville Island, everyone is a pedestrian.” You may arrive in a car or a bike, but to enjoy most of the facilities offered by Granville Island, you’re going to have to leave your vehicle behind. Thus, it’s baffling that the island quite obviously prioritizes drivers. Each of the major shopping areas — the Public Market, the Net Loft, and Railspur Alley — are separated from each other by roads that are constantly thronged with cars. Each time I take out the trash for the Tea Company, I have to cross two roads for a walk of less than 100 metres.

The most obvious issue with this is safety. The accident I witnessed was luckily a minor one but could easily have been worse had the car been moving a few kilometres per hour quicker. Cars drive fairly slowly on Granville Island (the speed limit is 30 km/h), but not slow enough that a collision with a pedestrian couldn’t result in injury, especially if the vehicle was a truck or SUV, or the pedestrian was elderly or a child.

Not only does it present a safety risk, the prevalence of cars is a huge inconvenience for pedestrians (as mentioned, essentially all of the Island’s customers) who have to dodge them while in the middle of their shopping. Imagine if Metrotown or Pacific Centre was bisected by a constant stream of cars searching for parking. It would be absurd. To mention the pollution and noise (cars are so loud!) that could be avoided if non-essential vehicles were prohibited.

There are, of course, reasons to keep streets open for a few cars on the Island. Commercial vehicles need to supply shops, and emergency vehicles need an access route as well. Providing room for cars is also important from an accessibility standpoint. Some streets could be left open for access to parking designated solely for people with accessibility concerns. Moreover, reducing access for cars doesn’t necessarily make the Island less accessible. With fewer cars on the Island, it would be a lot easier and safer for customers of all abilities to explore the Island upon arrival.

Of course, a large portion of Granville Island shoppers arrive there by car. One issue is that the most desirable parking lot is right next to the Public Market, in the centre of shopping activity. Due to its ideal location, it’s usually full, forcing drivers to loop around the Island several times in search of a spot. I don’t drive, yet I can’t imagine that driving anywhere on the Island is an enjoyable experience behind the wheel. Most non-accessible parking should be concentrated near the entrance to the Island, or outside of the Island proper. People can walk in. 

As the Transportation Strategy notes, these improvements need to be made in concert with better transit connections to the island. Despite its central location, Granville Island is served by just one bus route, the 50, which runs every 15 minutes. The closest train stop is Olympic Village on the Canada Line, which is 2 km away. Once the Broadway Subway is operational, the South Granville stop will be closer but still not especially nearby. During the 2010 Olympics, there was a trolley running from the Olympic Village station to Granville Island. The tracks are still completely intact. Bringing this back would instantly improve transit prospects. If transit is improved, fewer cars will visit the Island, and fewer parking spots will be necessary. Also, transit will be much easier for the significant sector of the population that doesn’t own a car.

The CMHC needs to listen to its own advice and implement policies that reduce car traffic on the Island. These crucial steps will propel the peninsula into the future and ensure that Granville Island is serving Vancouverites the best that it possibly can.