St George Rainway

There will be phased street and laneway closures between 8th Ave and East Broadway as well as along north curb lane of the 400 to 600 Blocks of East Broadway. Primary access to residences and businesses will be maintained as much as possible.

Some access points may close temporarily during construction. Watch for temporary changes to parking and road restrictions.

Pedestrian access will remain throughout the project, except for short durations during specific work activities.

Please watch for signage for temporary changes to pedestrian access.

Efforts will be made to minimize noise, particularly during early hours, however, some noise is expected due to the nature of this work.

City crews will implement temporary street restoration measures as they advance from one city block to the next.

Permanent street restoration will occur once the weather becomes favourable to complete the work.

• Reallocated road space to green rainwater infrastructure, urban nature, and active transportation
• Reduce street flooding
• Treat rainwater pollutants from roadways and help protect water quality in False Creek where pipes terminate
• Reduce volume of rainwater entering pipes and help prevent combined sewer overflows in False Creek
• Create more habitat for different species along St George Street
• Cool the neighbourhood during summer heat
• Provide opportunities for artistic expression, educational activities and community gathering
• Infrastructure upgrades and reduced vehicle volumes to improve safety, comfort, and accessibility for people of all ages and abilities to walk, roll, and cycle down St George Street
• A new local street bikeway suitable for All Ages and Abilities (AAA) from 10th to 5th Ave

Some areas of Vancouver use a combined pipe system that conveys sewage and excess rainfall in the same pipe. During heavy rains these pipes can become overwhelmed resulting in combined volumes of rainwater and sewage (CSO’s) spilling into water bodies where the pipes empty. These overflows reduce water quality and contribute to beach closures along with polluted runoff from rainwater flowing over hard urban surfaces and picking up chemicals and other contaminants.

Vancouver has a regulatory requirement to eliminate combined sewer overflows by 2050. We also need to adapt our neighbourhood drainage systems for pressures from growth and heavier rain fall expected with climate change.

The St George Rainway was first envisioned by a group of community volunteers External website, opens in new tab who wanted to honour the historic creek buried below the street, while bringing back urban nature and creating opportunities for artistic expression, education, and community gathering.

In 2020, we began public consultation to develop a final design concept.