Advocate calls for safer crosswalk near Granville Island

A safety advocate is calling on the City of Vancouver to make a crosswalk near the entrance to Granville Island safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Jordan Ross says some cars fail to stop for pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross — even though they have the right of way.

Ross says they don’t feel safe crossing here on bike or foot and wants the City to make it safer.

“Inevitably, I feel like one will get injured here- either from a truck or an average person’s car. I would say my biggest concern with this intersection is the overall experience of being someone not in a car trying to cross it.”

Earlier this month they posted a video on Twitter showing what it’s like for people trying to cross, gaining over 20,000 views.

“It can be very alarming. You feel very unsafe when these big trucks and cars are going by … there are two lanes in each direction, so you’re not sure if all the cars are going to stop for you, and — as I have seen many times here — that is not always the case.”

CityNews reached out to the City of Vancouver, which said staff plan to improve the crosswalk during the summer. Changes the city would like to make include replacing the current crosswalk signs with bigger ones, adding a yellow border around the speed limit signs, and repainting the crosswalk.

But Ross says the city should consider doing more, and tells CityNews they think vehicles should ideally be limited on Granville Island.

“I would love to see a car-free Granville Island … and having accessibility through shuttles, TransLink, and a bike valet,” they said. “They could build a parkade off the island.”