Goodbye 800 block Robson Closure
Posted November 28, 2012 9:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS130) – Say goodbye to the Robson street closure — for now.
Council voted unanimously tonight to re-open the 800 block of Robson Street.
The stretch between Hornby Street and Howe Street has been open to pedestrians since last Summer. The temporary project has angered many people especially commuters.
Charles Gauthier with Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association is glad things will be back to normal. “It’s just going to be a much better connectivity for transit riders. Transit riders that are currently using the number five bus are going to be able to go from the West End to all points east along Robson Street,” says Gauthier.
He says it will be good for the shops, restaurants and hotels in the area that felt the financial pain during the disruption.
“For our members that rely on that customer base going there, they’re going to benefit from just going back to being open to traffic,” adds Gauthier.
The idea of a potential permanent closure isn’t dead.
Council has asked staff to study that possibility and report back in July.
The Vancouver Public Space Network is disappointed by the decision.
Heather Forbes with the group says city needs a public square for festivals and community gatherings. “People playing chess, or people dancing, or people reading books, or talking to their friends, or neighbours, that’s what the public space is for, for that whole range.”
However, she is glad to see the city will re-visit the idea of a long term closure and hoping it will work with partners.
“Will TransLink come to the table and be willing to look at creative solutions to making this work? Because we think that this is good for the downtown, and we think this is really good for Vancouver, and really good for the area,” explains Forbes.
The block will re-open on Saturday, but the closure will return in the Summer.
