Angled stays, parallel out in Yaletown parking pilot program
Posted March 27, 2018 5:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Yaletown won’t be losing its angled parking after all, but that doesn’t mean it’s not about to become harder to find a spot as the city tries to improve safety and fire truck access in the area.
A revised street design in the posh neighbourhood will keep the angel parking on the north sides of Hamilton and Mainland Streets and remove the parallel spots on the south side. The original design to remove all angle parking would have kept 120 spots while the new design will leave 117 with the possibility for more spots if garbage bins are moved.
“The reason [the city] is preferring [the new plan] is because it has more opportunity to increase parking in the longer term, because for every couple of dumpsters that they’re able to remove off the street, we can create additional parking,” Vancouver director of transportation Lon LaClaire said.
The remaining angle parking spots will be shorter as the city makes more space for emergency vehicles such as fire trucks. Lines will be painted on the street that parked cars must be behind. Many of the spots will be for small cars only.
The plan also allows the opportunity to expand sidewalk seating or pedestrian areas on the south side of the street, LaClaire said.
The new parking will be tested out on this summer with final recommendations made in the fall.
“I can’t say we’re happy, but I can say we’re optimistic,” Business Improvement Association (BIA) director Annette O’Shea said.
The BIA is concerned the loss of any parking will impact businesses in the area.
“To lose nearly 50 per cent of your parking is a huge hit. So we are cautious about what the next year means for small businesses in Yaletown,” O’Shea said. “Each parking spot is worth seven visitors a day. So you lose 100 spots, that’s 700 people a day not coming into your district anymore.”
Members of the BIA will be out on the streets during the pilot program to answer questions and help people find parking. O’Shea said the organization is working with the city to find additional parking in the area, including 40 spots which could be turned into metered parking.
Removing dumpsters could create 40 to 60 new parking spots, according to O’Shea and businesses have been proactive in reducing waste. She said more recycling and more frequent garbage pickups would help reduce trash buildup and the need for more dumpsters.
