Amsterdam tests banning cars in part of downtown core; should Vancouver do the same?

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Amsterdam is working on a pilot project to ban cars in a part of the downtown core on Saturdays to cut down traffic and encourage walking and cycling.

UBC Professor of Sustainable Transportation and Health Lawrence Frank realizes Vancouver doesn’t have quite the bike community as the Dutch city, but has the density and a good transit system which could make it work here.

He believes high traffic shopping and restaurant areas such as Granville and Robson Streets are examples which could be explored.

“We have a tremendous inundation of tourists in the summer and the core area and they’re walking up and down Robson Street but Robson Street is not that appealing in terms of the shops is great but the sidewalks. There are so many pedestrians walking around there in the summer, you can’t really drive effectively on Robson anyways. It’s just packed, and so just test it out and see how it works.”

When asked if getting rid of cars would hurt businesses, he says there’s actually potential to attract more people by putting in vendors or things like farmer’s markets on the closed streets.

He adds its road closures are something the city already does for festivals and special events, and so this wouldn’t be any different.

Some Vancouverites think the ban of cars on a part of the downtown core would be a good idea.

“I think it could be fun, I think it could build community but again keeping in mind how it would affect surrounding businesses,” says one woman.

“Downtown gets shut down in different places so much of the time anyway that there are probably areas there that would make sense,” says one man.

“You know, for me it’s only if it would benefit for the community, I’m not really interested in closing the street to draw more shopping,” says another.

Some in favour of the idea suggest Granville Street or a road in Gastown or Yaletown.