BURST
Vancouver’s Cordova Street is will get a major change to traffic flow this summer.
Starting May 25, Cordova Street between Richards Street and Gore Avenue will switch from its current one-way eastbound traffic configuration to two-way traffic.
The City of Vancouver said the change is aimed to support a car-free pedestrian zone on Sundays in Gastown and other “public space enhancements” on Water Street.
The switch to two-way traffic will improve “vehicle circulation” during pedestrian-zone days in Gastown and events on Water Street and improve access for residents and visitors.
The change will also give the city insight into a potential future expansion of the Powell Street overpass, it said.
Last year, a pilot project that turned three blocks Water Street into a pedestrian-only zone in July and August drew the ire of area businesses, which said the closure affected foot traffic and reduced the number of people coming into their stores.
This summer, the city is trying out another car-free pedestrian zone pilot, but restricting it to Sundays from Richards to Columbia streets starting June 15 to the Labour Day weekend in September.
Currently, Cordova Street becomes one-way at Richards Street heading eastbound until it merges onto Powell Street, which is two-way.
Westbound traffic heading downtown is funnelled down Powell Street, one block north. During this period, the city said it’ll modify traffic lanes on Powell between Gore Avenue and Columbia Street to encourage traffic to divert to Cordova.
Cordova Street is expected to revert to a one-way eastbound street by late September.
Work is underway to prepare the seven-block stretch of Cordova for two-way traffic. During this time, vehicles can still travel eastbound.