Neighbourhood Greenway:Garden Drive

Garden Drive, constructed in 1991, was one of the first efforts in the city to "traffic-calm" a residential street that was being used heavily by motorists as a shortcut route to bypass busy arterials. The residents worked in conjunction with the City to calm this street using traffic circles and corner bulges at intersections to slow traffic and increase pedestrian safety. With this initiative, the residents chose not only to pursue traffic calming, but to collectively beautify their street.

This effort created one of the first successfully quieted streets in Vancouver, and as such, the Garden Drive initiative gave the street back to the residents, community, and pedestrian users alike.

The improvements were planned jointly by interested Garden Drive property owners, local residents, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House members, and City staff. A local street fair was held to promote the project and to demonstrate the impacts of the design ideas being considered.

It is estimated that 150 area residents participated in these events. This project not only tested new design philosophies, but new public involvement ideas as well.