East Vancouver group calls for removal of vehicle barriers in neighbourhood streets | Daily Hive

Vehicle barriers in an East Vancouver residential neighbourhood. (Remove The Barriers)

An advocacy group comprised of East Vancouver residents is pushing the City of Vancouver to remove neighbourhood vehicle traffic barriers, asserting that restrictions intended to make streets safer are creating lengthy detours and shifting vehicles onto other routes and even laneways.

Remove The Barriers shared that as of yesterday, it has collected over 3,100 signatures across its two petitions, including an online petition with over 2,600 signatures at the time of writing.

The volunteer-driven group wants an immediate pause on any additional barrier installations, as well as a review of existing road closures and restrictions on these side streets within residential neighbourhoods. After the removal of the barriers, including barriers that restrict drivers from making turns, two-way vehicle traffic would be restored on the affected streets.

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They ramped up their advocacy efforts this past summer, just ahead of the start of the civic election campaign period, but they are hoping to see changes sooner, as opposed to waiting for a future review.

However, it should be noted that any potential action anytime soon — especially during the election period and without the explicit direction of Vancouver City Council — is highly unlikely, given that City staff is currently in a “caretaker” mode amid the campaign cycle.

In particular, the group is taking issue with the barriers in place within the residential neighbourhood framed by East Hastings Street to the north, Nanaimo Street to the west, East 1st Avenue to the south, and Boundary Road to the east.

“Residents have made their concerns unmistakably clear. We have more than 3,000 signatures from people that do not want to be trapped in their own neighbourhoods. We are asking the Engineering Department to be accountable to residents,” said Tom Siracusa, a representative of Remove The Barriers.

“We expect our elected representatives and City administration to be accountable to the people who live and pay taxes here.”

According to the campaign’s website, some of the most commonly expressed concerns include vehicle traffic being pushed into laneways and other streets, traffic being redirected into school zones, drivers speeding and taking risky behaviour due to their frustration with going through narrow barriers and making detours, longer trips/trouble reaching their own home, and a “confusing layout, described as a maze.”

There are also concerns relating to emergency vehicle access, with some residents sharing that they witnessed emergency vehicles struggling and unable to get around barriers and blocked roads.

Vehicle barriers in an East Vancouver residential neighbourhood. (Remove The Barriers)

For its part, the municipal government previously described its Slow Streets road designs as measures to provide safer routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and other active transportation, while retaining access for local vehicles and emergency services.

The Slow Streets initiative 2020 during the pandemic to give residents more space for outdoor recreation and active transportation while maintaining physical distancing. The initial pandemic-time temporary signs and barriers that were easily movable were later replaced in 2023 with semi-permanent barriers, including concrete “banana barriers” — a name that took on for the shape and yellow colour of the barriers.

The City noted that these narrow banana barrier gateways at intersections are intended to slow drivers entering residential side streets from arterial/major streets. The result also leads to the so-called “traffic calming” of such side streets.

Some of these measures were implemented by the City to address so-called “rat running” — when drivers using residential side streets to bypass heavy congestion on arterial/major roads, especially due to construction or peak period congestion.

In addition to removing these barriers and restrictions, the group also wants residents to have a clearer way to challenge installations and contribute their input before decisions are made.

Its demands include holding a public discussion about the City’s 2020-approved citywide Transportation 2040 Plan, including the possibility of a plebiscite or referendum.

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