Downtown Public Spaces

The plan will help support a variety of new and expanded public spaces - here are some potential concepts.
Parklets are small, modular, sidewalk extensions with seating suitable for any active commercial street.

All opportunity sites and concepts shown are subject to further study and consultation. Opportunity: Yaletown Precedent: Edinburgh

P2

s ob R on
P P2

Frank Chan

n P so re P2 ob a R qu S et P re P2 St

Jeremy Shaw

Wat er S tree

P2P

P2

P2 P

Several potential P2P pilot sites are identified on this map.

NYC DOT

Pavement to Parks projects target underused asphalt (side streets, wide intersections, alleys, etc) to provide quick, low-cost, high-impact public space while supporting other transportation goals.

H M am ai il nl to an n d

Lynn Friedman

P2P

Opportunity: Bute/Robson

Precedent: New York City

Robson Square Concept (With Transit)

P2

NYC DOT

Robson Square Concept (Without Transit)

Cycling Route Priorities

Downtown Separated Lanes Potential 2013 AAA Route Potential 2014 AAA Route Potential 2015-17 AAA Route Potential 2014-17 Spot Changes
Cornwall Point Grey

Downtown Routes: Dunsmuir, Hornby, Burrard, and Carrall (Existing) Comox-Helmcken-Richards-Drake (2013) Cambie Bridge and Beatty (2014) Granville Bridge, Drake, and Richards (2015-17)

10th Avenue
The plan proposes expanding the all ages and abilities (AAA) network. Early candidates (subject to public consultation) are shown here. Priority will be given to critical gaps, areas with high existing or potential ridership, and opportunities as they arise through other projects.

Heather

Commercial

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Cambie

Kent

Ontario

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Alexander Powell Union Adanac

BC

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Rapid Transit Priorities

Broadway 41/49 Hastings Commercial/Victoria Main/Fraser

The City will work with TransLink to develop solutions for these high-demand corridors. Broadway is the most advanced of these studies and the Citys top priority.

Motor Vehicles

Existing Major Road Network Proposed MRN Additions

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McGill Powell

The streets shown here are particularly important regional connections and require additional consideration before making major changes. These routes serve as important truck and/or transit routes, or handle a particularly high volume of motor vehicle traffic on relatively limited space.

Main

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Clark

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Hastings

1 Avenue

Broadway
The Major Road Network (MRN) is co-managed by the City and the region. TransLink provides cost-sharing to maintain and improve MRN streets.

Grandview

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41 Avenue Granville
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70 Avenue

SE Marine

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Boundary

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Goods and Services

Rail Corridors Key Port Truck Routes Key Local Truck Routes Other Truck Routes

McGill

Elsewhere, an efficient network of designated truck routes provides reliability and efficiency while minimizing impacts on individual streets.

Main

Term i

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Clark

Rail corridors and port-serving truck routes are especially important for large-scale, longdistance goods movement.

Hastings

Hwy 1

Broadway
Grandview

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41 Avenue Granville
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70 Avenue

SE Marine

Knight

Oak

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Boundary

Cambie

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Granville Bridge Today

False Creek can be difficult and unpleasant to cross by walking or cycling, but motor vehicle volumes across all three bridges are declining. Underused space could be reallocated to improve conditions for relatively low cost.
12,000

Granville Bridge with two lanes reallocated*

Motor vehicles per lane per day

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

Burrard Bridge

Granville Bridge

Cambie Bridge
Source: Analysis by Urban Systems for City of Vancouver, 2011

1996

2004

2010
*Conceptual illustration only. Subject to further study and consultation.

What do AAA routes look like?

Routes for all ages and abilities dont always have to be separated! It depends mostly on motor vehicle volumes and speeds.
Painted bike lanes on busy streets appeal only to very confident cyclists. Neighbourhood routes can feel scary without good design at intersections.

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Separated routes on busy streets appeal to people of all ages and abilities Well-designed traffic calming can make neighbourhood routes feel safer

Routes on arterials or other streets with lots of cars require physical separation from motor vehicles.

Traffic calming to ensure low motor vehicle volumes and speeds may be enough on neighbourhood routes.