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Vancouver considers permanent Robson pedestrian plaza
VANCOUVER/CKNW(980)
Martin MacMahon | Email news tips to martin.macmahon@corusent.com
8/29/2012

A popular public plaza will remain open, continuing the closure of a section of a major street.
After some positive feedback, the City of Vancouver has announced that the 800 block of Robson between Hornby and Howe will remain a car-free zone for the rest of 2012.
City counciller Andrea Reimer says it could even become a permanent pedestrian plaza.

"That's what we'll be doing over the next four months. Staff will take feedback from the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and the public, and bring a report back to council so we can decide whether to move forward with a permanent closure."
 
That stretch of Robson has seen closures over the past two summers as well as during the 2010 Winter Olympics, and Reimer says it has acted as a much-needed community hub.

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  • 16
  1. CosmicS posted on 08/29/2012 08:12 PM
    That's great...should be a good fit with the bike lanes. What an expensive and unlivable city this has become but it does have the backing of DVBIA and the public?
  2. FredericS posted on 08/29/2012 08:48 PM
    It is great!, you're right CosmicS. ;-p
    I just spent 5 months in Europe, Northern Africa and Israel, and I must say that what is missing in this great city of ours is a central, car-free, costless destination-type open area for us to enjoy each others' company!

    Now what should happen is that we should take a cue from other great rainy cities of the world like Vienna and Cardiff... Please give us some cover to enjoy this area the other 9 months of the year!

    Maybe it's a retractable glass roof, I don't know, but this will be a major factor in how many people actually go out there and enjoy the premisses.
    1. RonF_9 [deleted] posted on 08/30/2012 07:03 AM
      @FredericS I agree with this, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico they have 5th Ave closed for about 30 blocks to pedestrians and small delivery trucks only!! Is it a bust, no it is always packed with people!!! I think Robson St should be a shopping mall from Burrard St west a few blocks!! It would make the downtown experience so much more fun!!! I have been to many cities in Europe where they have pedestrian only areas and they are popular, the car people that are usually here are dinosaurs and on their last legs!!
  3. ChrisM_18 posted on 08/30/2012 07:46 AM
    Must be my wonky memory polaying tricks on me ....didn't Granville street get turned into a pedestrian mall a few years ago ? Wasn't it a bust as all the drug dealers and lowlife types made it home ?
    I'm one of the dinasaur car types that have started staying away from the city core because its just too much of a hassle to move around and find parking.
    1. FredericS posted on 08/30/2012 09:21 PM
      @ChrisM_18 Either it was over 15 years ago (before I came here) or your memory is in deed wonky...

      There was a while when buses ran up Seymour and Howe instead of Granville because Granville was being torn apart to make the new Skytrain. But there was no rampant drug problem to speak of.

      And if you think that a proper viable downtown core is supposed to be for drivers, then it's probably a good thing you are staying away! (it means that us people's people are probably making ground...)
    show more replies
  4. KenL_6250 posted on 08/30/2012 11:35 AM
    Just another in a series of stupid ideas coming out this wing nut Vision Vancouver Mayor and Council, we should have another election, time to cut back on time to serve in office it should be only 1 year for Municipal government. First priority of a new provincial government is to review salaries of elected municipal officials and non union management bring them in line with the private sector
    1. FredericS posted on 08/30/2012 09:23 PM
      @KenL_6250 What exactly makes this a bad idea?
      Have you traveled a little bit?
      These pedestrian gathering areas are the best part of every great city in the world!
      We're not talking about closing down Robson to make it pedestrian here, just the block in front of the Arts Museum. No parking spots are even lost!
      Have you been downtown this year?
    2. SalV posted on 08/31/2012 09:55 AM
      @KenL_6250 Let us all kneel before the all mighty car!
    show more replies
  5. WilliamS_3961 posted on 08/30/2012 04:27 PM
    I'm another of the dinosaur car types. It would be interesting to do a poll and see how many other people in outlying Municipalities avoid downtown Vancouver like the plague.
    1. FredericS posted on 08/30/2012 09:24 PM
      @WilliamS_3961 Don't worry about it. I was just downtown 20 minutes ago. There are enough people there that they dont need you car types! (even though I was there by car and I had no problem either driving or parking)
  6. BOBF_5970 posted on 08/30/2012 04:56 PM
    william s ....put my name at the top of the list and start passing it around...
  7. Victor posted on 08/30/2012 05:50 PM
    I wonder when the reality of the poor economy is going to hit these wastrel Vision Vancouver Cllrs?
    - The viaducts to cost $100 mill? - no budget in a capital plan. Whose money?
    - Close off Robson so the traffic can back up even further along Hornby, Georgia, Howe, Robson on either side. These people are such fools and not interested in cutting down pollution.
    - Bike lanes with only a few people in them.
    - All this while the Burrard Bridge is falling down.
    We have become a "silly" City - silly ideas, silly leaders, silly "Think whatever" they can dream up. School kids at play.
    1. FredericS posted on 08/30/2012 09:35 PM
      @Victor It sounds like you just have an anti-livable city agenda.
      This article is about making a central pedestrian gathering place like every great city in the world has, and you go off swinging right and right against every beef you have with this administration!

      The bikes lanes are awesome, first of all. You obviously don't bike so you will never understand.

      Hornby is crap. I'm with you. 4 cars can turn left at Georgia on 1 green light. This needs to be fixed.

      Viaducts? What does this have to do with a pedestrian square?
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