Making Streets for People Program

Temporary changes we made during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we made temporary changes to how we use our city streets and public spaces. These changes were made as part of the ‘Making Streets for People’ program, which aimed to help residents:

Physically distance
Mitigate the risk of COVID-19 to our communities
Support economic recovery

What the program included

Approving temporary patios so people could dine out and businesses could continue to serve customers
Creating pop-up plazas so people could gather outside
Calming traffic to make ‘slow streets’ more comfortable for people walking, rolling, and cycling
Making more room to line up and board buses at some key stops
Repurposing street space for more walking, rolling, and cycling along Beach Ave and supporting connections into and throughout Stanley Park
Making more room for walking and queuing along busy streets

These measures also support our ongoing effort to create safer streets, limit the effects of climate change, and increase social connection between residents.

We have monitored these initiatives since their deployment and received feedback from the community. Many of these changes remain in place pending their transition to other planning processes over the longer term.

Arbutus Street temporary bike path

We temporarily upgraded a portion of an existing route for cycling on Arbutus Street.
In late August 2021, a temporary protected bike path was installed on Arbutus St, between McNicoll Ave and Kitsilano Beach Park’s southern parking lot (adjacent to Cornwall Avenue). This bikeway became part of the Kitsilano Beach Park Seaside Greenway project.

Kitsilano Beach Park Seaside Greenway

On April 11 2022, following a three-phase public engagement process, The Parks Board approved the location of a proposed separated bike path at Kitsilano Beach Park.

The route:
- Retains a protected bike path on Arbutus St between McNicoll Avenue and Kitsilano Beach Park’s southern parking lot (adjacent to Cornwall Ave)
- Re-introduces two-way vehicle access on Arbutus St between Creelman and McNicoll Ave
Learn more about the Kitsilano Beach Park Seaside Greenway project
Beach Avenue interim design

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we made an interim safety and design waterfront planning process.
New features introduced along Beach Ave in 2020

The features:
- Help residents physically distance
- Provide opportunities to exercise and travel more comfortably
The initial changes include repurposing eastbound travel lanes to provide a temporary wider cycling path along Beach Ave from Park Lane to Hornby St.

Further upgrades completed in April 2021
- Simple concrete curbing to reduce maintenance costs
- Restoration of eastbound motor vehicles and transit from Denman St to Jervis St
- New painted crosswalks
- Added medians to shorten crossing distances
- The introduction of accessible design features, such as tactile surfaces
Public feedback

These interim changes were based on public feedback from more than 2,500 residents. Review survey results

Staff to monitor interim design

In summer 2020, Beach Ave became the busiest cycling route in Vancouver and regularly exceeds 10,000 cycling trips per day.

Staff will continue to monitor and adjust the interim design. Additional opportunities to share feedback about the longer-term vision for these spaces and whether to make these changes permanent will be available through the West End Waterfront Master Plan engagement and design process.
Room to Load

During the pandemic, we provided short-term loading zones near businesses.
Granville Street patio and transit priority pilot

Temporary changes were introduced on Granville St to create more room for people to move and support local businesses.
Changes we made
- Removed parking from the sidewalk between Drake St and Nelson St
- Worked with local businesses to expand patios
- Modified traffic operations by:
  - Lowering speed limit to 30km/hr
  - Changing the curb lane from a travel lane to a loading zone, with space for bus stops
  - Relocating the northbound vehicle restriction ( Do No Enter Except for Authorized Vehicles) from Smithe St to Nelson St
  - Restricting left turns for northbound vehicles at Davie St
- Improved transit reliability by testing Davie St as the first/last bus stops north of the bridge
Robson St sidewalk and plaza pilot

Temporary changes on Robson St between Jervis St and Burrard St to create more room for people to move, wait for transit, and access local businesses.
What the pilot project included
- Re-purposing street space beside the curb for walking or queuing
- Extending parklets to provide additional space for walking and sitting
- Working with local businesses to support temporary patios
- Partnering with the Robson Street Business Association to activate the spaces with art
- Improving transit reliability by restricting some turning movements at Burrard St and Thurlow St
- Providing more space at bus stops and prioritizing transit by adding bus bulges
Feedback for future project

This pilot project had positive feedback from the community in a 2020 survey, and City staff are considering design options for introducing permanent changes. These designs will be presented as part of the Bute Greenway project, which intersects Robson St.
Connecting current actions with other City initiatives

How the reallocation of road space aligns with our long-term goals and changes.
The temporary changes made to address our communities’ needs during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to test how street space could be reallocated.

Transportation and climate response goals

Further reallocation of street space aligns with our longer term transportation and climate responses; including changes to support cleaner air, make our streets safer for walking, biking, and rolling and increase social connection and healthier living.
- Climate emergency has a target of shifting 2/3 of trips to active transportation and transit by 2030
- In May 2020, Council directed staff to reallocate 11% of road space to people-focused public space throughout the city and consider changes that could become longer term or possibly permanent
We continue to monitor and learn from the temporary changes made through the Making Streets for People Program.