Pete Fry's Green Vancouver platform eyes Broadway bike lanes, City housing bonds | Daily Hive

Pete Fry's Green Vancouver platform proposes Broadway bike lanes and municipal housing bonds

Pete Fry. (Kenneth Chan)

Pete Fry’s Green Party of Vancouver released its 71-page election platform today, outlining commitments across Vancouver City Council, Vancouver Park Board, and Vancouver School Board ahead of the fast-approaching civic election on Saturday, Oct 17, 2026.

Fry, a city councillor first elected in 2018 and the son of longtime local federal Liberal MP Hedy Fry, is seeking to replace Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver majority in City Council.

His party’s platform would reverse several policies associated with ABC, while expanding public services, focusing on environmental requirements, and changing how City Hall measures affordability and its own performance.

Alongside Fry, the Greens are running four City Council candidates: 2025 byelection candidate Annette Reilly, Bridget Burns, former Park Board commissioner Camil Dumont, and Stephanie Smith. The party is also fielding three Park Board commissioner candidates — including incumbent commissioner Tom Digby — and two School Board candidates.

Under an agreement with COPE and OneCity Vancouver, the Greens have limited their number of candidates to reduce the competition among left-wing/progressive candidates. That same agreement also led to COPE’s Stephanie Allen and OneCity’s William Azaroff dropping out of the mayoral race earlier this month to improve the odds of Fry’s campaign.

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Changing affordability targets, creating a new municipal housing bond program, and setting up a fund to buy at-risk affordable rental buildings

Housing is central to their platform, with the Greens proposing to judge affordability against local household incomes. The party would set housing affordability targets at 30 per cent of median household income and use that benchmark in its reporting, moving away from measures tied to market rents.

A new separate Vancouver Affordability Index would compare household expenses with local incomes to help guide decisions on housing, transportation, taxation, and development.

“City policies should be judged by whether they improve affordability for residents, not by whether they meet outdated or market-based benchmarks,” reads the platform.

One of the most significant platform items is the creation of a new municipal housing bond program. Individual and institutional investors would help finance affordable, City-owned housing in exchange for a financial return, with the homes remaining publicly owned. The Greens would also prioritize affordable housing, co-operatives, and community land trusts on City-owned land.

To protect existing lower-cost secured purpose-built rental housing, the party proposes creating a fund that would allow the City to move quickly to acquire buildings at risk of being lost to redevelopment or speculation. Partnerships would form part of this rental preservation program.

Such a program would be similar to the B.C. Rental Protection Fund created by the provincial government, which has set aside $500 million since 2023 to fund the arms-length, non-profit entity’s mandate to purchase older secured purpose-built rental housing buildings deemed to be at risk of sale, redevelopment, and/or sharp rent increases.

The Greens would also bring back a dedicated Renters’ Office to help tenants navigate City processes, monitor the loss of rental homes and displacement, and track landlords and problem properties.

The City of Vancouver’s previous Renter’s Office — a program that was previously spearheaded by Fry during his first term in City Council — was closed by the ABC-majority City Council in January 2023 after its very low usage. This office handled roughly 370 inquiries per year or about one call per day. ABC also argued it duplicated the renter assistance services of the provincial government and non-profit organizations.

New rental protections and more supportive housing

As well, Fry’s party would strengthen rental tenant relocation protections affected by redevelopment — including those in unsecured rental housing (such as condominiums, basement suites, laneway houses, and detached houses that are rented out by individual owners) — and offer more assistance with moving and compensation. It also proposes reviewing the City’s Empty Homes Tax (EHT) compliance and working with the provincial government to address gaps that allow some condominium buildings to remain empty, ahead of a gradual EHT rate increase.

Large residential developments would be required to include affordable housing or contribute land, homes, or money toward affordable housing elsewhere. A new City housing role would focus on partnerships and policies for non-market and supportive housing, while qualifying affordable projects would receive faster approvals and reductions in City fees and levies.

The platform supports co-operative housing, social housing, and supportive housing across the city, alongside a wider range of conventional housing options. These could include four- to six-storey wood-frame apartments, townhouses, rowhouses, and infill homes, with greater use of modular and prefabricated construction.

However, the Greens would reverse the policy allowing homes as small as 250 sq. ft. They also propose pre-approved building designs and exploring a new generation of Vancouver Special-style kit homes — not dissimilar to the templates recently created by the provincial and federal governments — to reduce the time and expense involved in permitting and construction.

Existing co-operatives on City land, including those along the False Creek South waterfront, would receive faster attention to planning and lease renewals, with an emphasis on preserving affordability and the mix of residents.

Converting office space to homes, and attracting educational institutions downtown

For businesses, the Greens propose a dedicated service to guide owners through permits and licences, faster approvals for changing the use of existing storefronts, and an expanded role for the City’s Business and Economy Office.

The party would seek provincial changes to ease disproportionate property tax increases on small businesses and strengthen protections for commercial tenants. Major redevelopments would be required to replace affordable commercial space that would otherwise be lost.

The platform also supports converting office space to residential uses, attracting educational institutions downtown, and allowing a broader mix of uses in commercial buildings.

Large data centres with heavy demands on electricity, water, and local infrastructure would face new zoning rules and conditions requiring greater community benefits. The party also supports protecting industrial land and expanding opportunities in film, gaming, clean technology, and other employment sectors.

Changing the B.C. government’s legislated housing targets for Vancouver

On broader development policies, the party would use standardized rezoning rules applied to individual projects, with building heights, setbacks, and layouts adjusted to neighbourhood conditions. It would seek changes to the provincial government’s legislated housing targets for Vancouver, arguing that slower construction and lower immigration levels have made the targets established in 2023 unachievable.

Other proposals include setting a limit on the time between a rezoning taking effect and construction starting, restoring development agreements intended to support local employment and purchasing, and creating more opportunities for public input on major zoning changes within provincial rules.

The affordability strategy extends to childcare, recreation, and food.

Childcare providers would receive simpler approvals and lower permit costs, while suitable City-owned spaces could be offered at below-market rents. The party would also work to add childcare to community centres and support services operating outside conventional daytime hours.

Recreation assistance and low-cost programs would be expanded, along with lending libraries for tools, sports equipment, and other items residents might otherwise need to buy.
Food commitments include more community gardens and neighbourhood food hubs combining services such as meal programs, kitchens, and distribution. The City would also support the recovery of surplus food, provide more certainty for recurring farmers’ markets, and fill gaps in school-meal funding when provincial and federal contributions fall short.

Converting 11% of Vancouver roads for pedestrians, cyclists, and green space

The transportation platform would bring major changes to how streets are used.

The Greens propose converting at least 11 per cent of Vancouver roads from vehicle use to public/green and active transportation spaces, such as treed areas, small parks, dog parks, pedestrian routes, bike lanes, and food growing spaces.

The platform does not identify which streets would be selected for changes, but it targets Broadway for one specific change.

The Greens are promising to reboot the Broadway bike lanes debate — they are committing to installing bike lanes on Broadway.

“The new subway for Broadway will reduce road traffic and create an opportunity to add active transportation lanes to support shoppers, couriers, and commuters on a busy corridor while it is still under construction,” reads the platform.

“Planners have envisioned Broadway as a great street but without active transportation it will only be a mediocre street at best.”

In 2023, the ABC-led City Council rejected incorporating bike lanes into the new permanent street design for the seven blocks of Broadway that were ripped apart and excavated to build five subway stations for SkyTrain’s Millennium Line Broadway extension.

At the time, two alternative options of incorporating bike lanes onto the street would require the municipal government to enter renegotiations with both the provincial government and the subway project contractor on changing the design of the street, which is dictated by the placement of tunnel vents and other critical station infrastructure.

The two alternative options of achieving bike lanes on those station construction blocks would eliminate the expanded sidewalk space for pedestrians, patios, and trees, which would maintain four vehicle lanes (two vehicle lanes in each direction) or retain the widened sidewalk space by placing the bike lanes by narrowing Broadway to only two vehicle lanes (one vehicle lane in each direction).

The intent of the existing plan to widen sidewalks is to create a “Great Street” for pedestrians.

Narrowing Broadway requires seeking TransLink’s permission, as the roadway forms a key segment of the regional Major Road Network. The public transit authority previously only endorsed narrowing Broadway to four vehicle lanes (two vehicle lanes in each direction) — down from six vehicle lanes throughout. City staff warned that reducing this roadway to just one vehicle lane in each direction would result in extreme congestion.

All other segments of the Broadway roadway within the Central Broadway area generally feature up to six vehicle lanes (three vehicle lanes in each direction). It is unclear whether the party would seek to reduce some of these vehicle lanes outside of the station construction blocks to accommodate a new bike lane

Broadway is one of Vancouver’s few major east-west arterial roadways, and a major regional route for freight trucks, public transit buses, and emergency vehicles reaching the Vancouver General Hospital campus.

As a result of subway construction, there has been a notable increase in vehicle traffic congestion on the parallel roadways of 12th Avenue to the south, as well as along the 2nd/4th/6th avenue corridor to the north. Redevelopments catalyzed by the City’s Broadway Plan would add 50,000 additional residents and 40,000 additional jobs over the coming decades, with Broadway being one of its key transportation spines.

Another active transportation commitment is to address other perceived gaps in the cycling network, especially in East Vancouver and South Vancouver. Seasonal and permanent pedestrian areas would receive more dependable funding and infrastructure, including retractable barriers to manage vehicle access — potentially benefiting initiatives such as the return of the Granville Street Pedestrian Zone.

Establishing a timeline to build UBC SkyTrain, and expanding 30 km/h speed limits on some arterial roads

For public transit, the party would work with TransLink on expanding dedicated bus lanes, intersection improvements, and other changes intended to make buses faster and more reliable. It would also seek expanded late-night public transit service and lower fares for people with lower incomes.

The Greens would pursue a “binding timeline” with TransLink and the provincial and federal governments to further extend SkyTrain’s Millennium Line to the University of British Columbia (UBC). The platform does not propose any specific dates.

Road safety measures include continuing and expanding 30 km/h speed limits on residential streets and select arterial roads. The party also wants school-zone restrictions to apply beyond their current days and hours, more car-free areas beside schools during arrival and dismissal, and safer crossings for pedestrians.

Vehicle parking would be reviewed according to neighbourhood demand, with lower requirements near frequent public transit services and some spaces repurposed for plazas, bike lanes, and greenery.

The platform outlines exploring having high-volume, online shopping delivery and logistics operations contribute toward the public infrastructure they use.

“Local businesses contribute to the vitality of our commercial districts and main streets. As delivery volumes grow, we will explore fair contributions from high-volume, e-commerce delivery and logistics operations to help maintain the public infrastructure that supports them,” reads the platform, describing this as an approach to pursue “fair curbside contributions.”

Enabling more supportive housing

On public safety, the centrepiece is the previously announced Community Response Outreach Workers (CROW) team.

Available 24/7, the proposed CROW service would send workers who are neither police officers nor medical responders to non-emergency situations involving homelessness, addiction, and/or mental health issues. Residents and businesses could call a dedicated number, with the aim of freeing police and paramedics to handle emergencies. In its specific announcement last week for CROW, the party said workers would respond in pairs without uniforms, sirens, or emergency lights.

A new Office of Community Safety would coordinate work across police, fire, licensing, property use enforcement, and planning, rather than leaving departments to address neighbourhood problems separately.

On street disorder, the platform states: “People need somewhere to go, not just somewhere to leave.” The Greens would expand daytime spaces where people experiencing homelessness could rest, access services, store belongings, and receive housing assistance. They also propose small shelter villages with private, lockable cabins, washrooms, storage, and on-site support, intended as a step toward permanent housing.

The party would reverse the City’s restriction on enabling a net gain of supportive housing, and use occupancy requirements to help ensure such buildings have adequate staffing and supportive services. It also proposes conditions on health and shelter facilities covering cleanliness, public safety, service delivery, and impacts on neighbours, with the stated goal of reducing public drug use and overdose risks.

Going “3-30-300” for trees, and a new municipal arborist office

When it comes to the environment, the Greens would adopt a “3-30-300” approach: every household should have a view of three trees, every neighbourhood should have 30 per cent tree-canopy coverage, and every resident should live within 300 metres of green space. The numerical shorthand is reminiscent of ABC’s “3-3-3-1” permit approval framework, but applied here to trees and access to green space.

To reach 3-30-300, the party proposes stronger protection for mature trees, incentives for developers to retain significant trees, and more replacement planting when trees are removed. A new “municipal arborist office” would independently assess tree-related decisions, while occupancy approvals would be tied to checks on the health of protected trees affected by construction.

The platform also calls for green roofs on larger new and existing buildings, additional parkland purchases funded through development levies, and the return of the City’s standalone Sustainability and Climate Office.

Arts and events would receive a dedicated new municipal “Festival Fund” intended to provide dependable annual support. The Greens would restore and expand City arts staffing and grants, protect affordable creative spaces, and support non-profit ownership of studios and cultural venues. They would also simplify approvals for eligible venues.

The Park Board section of the platform seeks to preserve the independently elected board and reduce its reliance on user fees. It calls for $6 million to be returned to the Park Board’s budget and for the City-funded share to reach 50 per cent.

Priorities include renewing Hastings, Kensington, and Renfrew community centres while continuing work toward the renewal of the aging community and recreational facilities at the Britannia civic hub. The Greens also support renewing Vancouver Aquatic Centre, Kitsilano Outdoor Pool, Kerrisdale Pool, and Britannia Pool, plus building a new 50-metre pool at either Hastings or Kensington.

Ranked mayoral ballots for future civic elections

For future civic elections, the Greens would pursue ranked ballots for choosing a mayor, allowing voters to list candidates in order of preference. They also support a voluntary lobbyist registry, independent ethics oversight, more disclosure of decisions made behind closed doors once confidentiality is no longer needed, and greater public access to City Council proceedings.

Residents would have a direct say over a portion of neighbourhood spending through participatory budgeting. Public reporting tools would track services and major projects, while more detailed budgets would make spending easier to follow.

Despite the breadth of the proposals, the Green party’s platform does not provide an overall cost estimate, a year-by-year financial plan, or the resulting impact on property taxes. Numerous initiatives and measures would also require cooperation or funding from TransLink and/or senior governments.

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