Traffic route changes this year for Gastown road fix and car-free pilot project

Traffic route changes this year for Gastown road repairs and car-free pilot project

Water Street in Gastown. (Dgu/Shutterstock)

Roads within and near the Gastown district of downtown Vancouver will see traffic changes over a six-month period this year to accommodate roadway paver repairs and the summer-time Water Street car-free pilot project.

Starting next week, work on repairing the dilapidated roadway pavers of Gastown’s Maple Tree Square — the intersection of Water Street, Carrall Street, Powell Street, and Alexander Street — will begin. This will necessitate the full closure of the intersection to vehicles until June 2024.

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Until the pilot project ends in late August, westbound vehicles on Powell Street approaching Maple Tree Square will have to turn around through the laneway to the south. Similarly, westbound vehicles on Alexander Street will also be required to turn around.

Moreover, westbound vehicles on Powell Street will no longer be able to continue westbound at the intersection with Main Street.

To improve traffic flow due to the traffic changes, Columbia Street will be turned into a two-way street between Powell Street and West Hastings Street.

TransLink’s No. 50 Waterfront Station/False Creek South (Granville) bus typically runs on Water Street between Columbia Street and West Cordova Street, but it will be rerouted along Hastings Street for the duration of the roadwork and pilot project.

Spring 2024 traffic changes:

Traffic changes within and near Gastown for road repairs, March to June 2024. (City of Vancouver)

Summer 2024 traffic changes:

Traffic changes within and near Gastown for the Water Street car-free pilot project, July to August 2024. (City of Vancouver)

According to the municipal government, the traffic changes are intended to retain access, with a focus on diverting vehicles towards arterial roads. The City anticipates some vehicle traffic will go onto Hastings Street and the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.

The pilot project spanning two months will begin in early July and end in late August. This involves the full closure of vehicles for the one-block stretch of Water Street between West Cordova Street and Cambie Street (which includes the Gastown Steam Clock intersection), the continued closure of the Maple Tree Square intersection, and a “car-light” area over the two-block stretch of Water Street between Cambie Street and Maple Tree Square. During this pilot project period, westbound Water Street vehicles will be able to turn left onto Cambie Street.

Water Street’s car-free segments will be activated with opportunities for events and festivals, as well as space for restaurant patios and merchandise displays. The City will also install additional street furniture such as seating and planters to create a more inviting public space.

There will be enhanced cleaning, including litter pick up and graffiti removal, and the City will work with the Gastown Business Improvement Association (BIA) and the Vancouver Police Department. The strategy is to be nimble, responsive to issues, and adjust as they learn.

The entire capital plan budget to provide Gastown with an uplift is $10 million, including $4.5 million for paver repairs on both the roadway and sidewalks and $5.5 million for the master planning process, with about $1.2 million going towards the Summer 2024 pilot project.

Water Street closure to vehicles for Meet Me In Gastown. (City of Vancouver)

Water Street closure to vehicles for Meet Me In Gastown. (City of Vancouver)

Learnings from this pilot project experience will be used to help create the policies and strategies for the permanent design to improve the area’s public spaces under the future Gastown Public Spaces Plan, which is expected to be finalized by late 2025.

Vancouver City Council approved City staff’s road repair and pilot project strategy early this month. The BIA expressed its opposition to the strategy during the deliberations.

“We are committed to revitalizing Gastown and taking bold steps to make this iconic neighbourhood a vibrant, people-friendly, safe, and clean destination,” said Mayor Ken Sim in a statement today.

“As we begin to repair aging infrastructure and test improvements to public spaces, there will be a lot happening in Gastown over the coming months. We want to remind everyone that businesses are open during construction, and we appreciate the understanding and patience of residents and businesses as they adjust to the changes this spring and summer.”

The forthcoming repairs to Maple Tree Square will reach the sub-base of the pavers, not just the surface level of the pavers. The City notes that these repairs will be durable, but are intended to be interim.

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