Following three months of Granville Street being a pedestrian zone, cars are set to make a comeback as crews start dismantling the barriers.
As local businesses gear up for the return to normalcy post-FIFA, many express mixed emotions about bidding farewell to the pedestrian-friendly zone.
Mark Clancy, the bar manager at the Shamrock Storehouse on Granville, notes a decline in foot traffic after the FIFA frenzy but expected this temporary slowdown.
Reflecting on the past few months, Clancy remarked, “The pedestrian zone truly elevated the street’s atmosphere, making it more welcoming for all.”
Jane Talbot, CEO of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (BIA), shares that the feedback from businesses has been predominantly positive.
While acknowledging that the pedestrian zone wasn’t flawless and its impact varied across blocks, Talbot emphasized the overall strong approval it received.
The city revealed to CityNews that a detailed assessment of the pedestrian zone during and post-FIFA periods is in progress, encompassing pedestrian tallies, surveys, and economic evaluations, with a report slated for early 2027. This data will guide the future vision for Granville Street and potential pedestrian zones in Vancouver.
Talbot reiterated the desire among businesses for a continued pedestrian zone, stating, “There is a clear consensus that the pedestrian zone should be maintained in some form moving forward.”
Clancy echoed this sentiment, expressing, “Both customers and businesses would greatly benefit from reintroducing the pedestrian zone.”
Talbot highlighted key considerations moving forward, including the duration, size, and layout of potential future pedestrian zones.
The Downtown Vancouver BIA aims to engage with businesses in the coming months to gather insights on what worked well, what didn’t, and how a future pedestrian zone could be structured, with hopes of reinstating a car-free Granville Street.
