Stanley Park tree removal to result in traffic delays, park board warns
Posted October 20, 2023 11:40 am.
Last Updated October 20, 2023 1:05 pm.
The Vancouver Park Board is warning drivers and cyclists who plan to move through Stanley Park over the coming two weeks to prepare for potential delays due to tree work.
The work is set to begin Friday along Pipeline Road. The board says there will be “stops of up to 15 minutes,” followed by 10-minute openings to allow traffic through on Oct. 20, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The same stoppages will be in place on Stanley Park Drive from Oct. 23 to 27, again from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to the city, the closures are necessary in order to allow large machinery to cross main thoroughfares safely while staff work on the overhead trees.
The Vancouver Park Board says workers will aim to “minimize disruptions as much as possible.” However, it notes some traffic impacts are likely, adding people “should expect delays and plan accordingly.”
“This essential work is a continuation of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation’s efforts to manage trees impacted by the ongoing hemlock looper moth infestation and subsequent years of drought,” the board explained.
It notes approximately 25 per cent of trees in Stanley Park have been affected by the looper moth. It says in an email to CityNews that these trees are being “managed and/or removed with the support of a forestry contractor.”
It is reminding people to obey traffic signs and directions from workers to ensure everyone’s safety.
In addition to traffic delays, the park board says access to the seawall adjacent to the portion of Stanley Park Drive affected by closures “may be restricted” during the aforementioned stoppages. The board says signs and staff will be on-site to direct those using the seawall.
Some trails are also set to see closures. Tunnel Trail is fully closed until Nov. 3, while Tisdall Walk Trail will see some impacts on Friday, Oct. 20, until 3 p.m.
The Stanley Park train parking lot, meanwhile, is running at half capacity until Nov. 27, with the Vancouver Park Board saying parking will also be restricted in areas where intermittent closures are taking place on Stanley Park Drive.
Related video: Vancouver Park Board to update Stanley Park Forest Management Plan
In July, the board voted to update its forest management strategy for the first time since 2009. It will include updated information on forest fire risks in Stanley Park, including the looper moth infestation. It will also include perspectives of the area’s Indigenous peoples to help manage fire risks in the park.
