Vancouver agrees to transform Commercial Drive into a ‘pedestrian first’ street

Good news for Vancouver’s pedestrians! Yesterday, the Vancouver City Council approved a motion to figure out how to transform Commercial Drive into a more walkable, stop-and-shop part of the city. The motion comes off the heels of Commercial Drive’s own proposal for the revitalization. So, we’re here to give you the rundown!

The plan is literally called the ‘Pedestrian First Vision‘, so the changes are pretty easy to guess. Moving forward, Commercial Drive wants to expand sidewalks, create more public art, and decrease the use of the street as a ‘connector’ road for travel in the city.

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To help with this, the city is looking at turning Commercial Drive into a ‘slow street’, like it has with other high-traffic routes around Vancouver. Plus, it will be including more bike storage spaces, and increasing the amount of bike routes around the Drive. It’s a pretty hefty plan, if we do say so ourselves.

Which is probably why this motion is more of an exploratory thing. Now, city staff will take some time to look at budgets, consult with stakeholders, and figure out the best plan to make the changes. So, we doubt you’ll be seeing any construction this summer, but it’s coming!

And, we can’t wait to see it happen. A nice leisurely stroll down Commercial Drive, maybe with a patio coffee from a local cafe? That’s the kind of summer day we want to see.