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For two months, no cars have driven through Stanley Park after the Vancouver Parks Board implemented a vehicle ban in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, to maintain distance between cyclists and pedestrians, the seawall is open for walking, while the cyclists take to the empty roads.
Stanley Park remains open for walking and bikes using the trails. The Vancouver Aquarium, miniature train and other attractions are closed.
Based on the success of the closure, the parks board is looking at dividing the two lane Stanley Park Drive, which winds through much of the park, into one lane for vehicles and the other for bicycles. It’s believed that a cement barricade, similar to that in use on the Burrard Street Bridge, is planned for this.
However, this isn’t certain yet, as the parks board needs to bring this to vote, before any further consideration can proceed. The topic is to be voted on at a meeting this evening, which is being held virtually.
There are concerns that limiting traffic to one lane would impact visitors who have mobility issues, as well as tourist attractions, such as the horse-drawn carriage rides that provide stunning views of this forested gem. A single lane would leave no room for cars and buses to pass the slower carriages, or to allow emergency vehicles safely pass by.
The Stanley Park Causeway, which connects the Lions Gate Bridge and downtown Vancouver, remains open to traffic, though the exits into the park are closed.
Only TransLink’s 19 bus, select park tenant, city and emergency vehicles can enter the park.
Source: CTV News
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