Summer Car-Free Pilot: Gastown Merchants’ Perspectives

Photo Credit: Naimul Alam/TripSavvy

On May 10, Vancouver City Council passed a motion promising to transform Gastown into “a more vibrant, people-friendly destination.” Put forward by Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung, the initiative called for “an external urban place-making lens and expertise” to support the pedestrianization of Water Street, Gastown’s central avenue.

The Summer 2024 Water Street Pedestrian Zone Pilot will run through July and August, during peak tourist season. The two ends of Water Street (from Richards to Cambie and Maple Tree Square) will be fully car-free, while the two centre blocks will be designated car-light, allowing service vehicles and locals to enter.

The Nest asked local business owners and employees about their views on the upcoming project. Ryan Oh, the co-owner of Sonder, a cafe on Water Street known for their specialty lattes, is “very much in support of” the project. He shared that the car-free initiative was “actually the main reason I bought this cafe back in December.”

Michelle Livingston, owner of Arcane Body Arts, also looks forward to the pilot. “The cars rip up the cobblestones, and there’s just big holes in the street. I’ve seen a lot of bicyclists just eat it,” she said. “As a wheelchair user, it’s not great for me either.” Oh also discussed the unique cobblestone streets. “Because of the cobblestone and just the heritage nature of this area, we didn’t think it was conducive to cars anyway,” he said.

Yumi Hayasaki also saw safety benefits in having fewer cars on the street. The sales advisor at Little Mountain explained that “there are so many big trucks [...] the street is very narrow and there are so many customers.” Noting that “Instagram is popular, and everyone takes a picture” in front of the steam clock, she wondered if posing tourists might have an easier time once cars are fewer.

Some business owners were more critical of the pilot. Menu Skate Shop owner Sid Clark told The Nest that he would have appreciated car-free weekends or events, but “to do it seven days a week doesn’t make it special.” 

In an interview with CBC News, Ahmed Al-Ageli, owner of A1 Barber Shop, expressed concerns for customers who drive. “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, [and] Burnaby,” he said. 

Joanna Eaton, sales associate at Silver Gallery, looks forward to the open patio spaces. “I think it will be a positive, especially if the street is all set up for it, with tables and foliage and that kind of thing.” She shared with The Nest that as a store owner, “you can rent out a block, a little square in front of your retail location” to cater to the “mainly pedestrian tourists” of the summer. 

Oh estimates that 95 per cent of his customers come from foot traffic rather than cars. He also sees patio tables on the road as an integral part of the initiative. He believes that “the unlimited foot traffic in Gastown and also the cruise traffic that comes from just around the corner” will be a major boon to local businesses during the pilot, especially post-pandemic.

Clark, meanwhile, cited “a lot of feedback from customers that they’re really frustrated trying to get to our business,” noting that “not every business here caters to cruise ship people.”

Nearly all interviewees mentioned the parking situation, which Eaton described as “cramped and hectic.” Clark said that a lot of his customers come by car, and road closures at Maple Tree Square during the past three months have already affected businesses negatively. “Parking in genera`l is really hard.”

Livingston also mentioned a lack of parking, but maintained that most visitors parked in other nearby spaces rather than on Water Street itself. “I don’t think it’ll really change access,” she said. 

A Jan. 17 report stated that Council observed “enthusiasm in the community about the potential for a pedestrian-first Water Street” based on surveys of local staff. Most of those interviewed said they had received communication from the City. 

“I think the City did consult all the businesses,” Clark said, though he believes that most would have preferred car-free events or weekends. Oh said that the City “followed up at least 15 times — that’s not an exaggeration.” Eaton said the City was “persistent,” engaging in “a lot of correspondence via email and phone call.”

The Council report looked ahead to a potential future summer pilot in 2025 and a “phased implementation” of the resulting permanent plan in 2026, as flocks of tourists arrive in Vancouver for the FIFA World Cup. 

The Transport 2040 Plan specifically mentions Water Street as one of a few “candidates for pedestrian-priority streets,” along with Mainland in Yaletown and Robson in Downtown, all popular shopping and dining locations. 

The Transportation Advisory Committee (TRAC), a civic agency composed of members of the public appointed by Council, supported the pilot project. In the Jan. 17 report, they recalled the relevant Transport 2040 objectives, including “a hierarchy of transportation modes that prioritizes walking, cycling and transit, with private auto as the lowest priority” and “an ultimate safety goal of eliminating all fatalities from the transportation system.” The TRAC urged the City to “collect robust data” during the program to inform future analysis.