NPA: Now Park Anywhere?

City Council is once again hearing about opening Granville Mall to car traffic.

For those of you from out of town, Granville Mall is a transit-only section of Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. It's the major hub for bus traffic, has a Skytrain Station, and allows easy, car-free access to downtown shopping and attractions.

One would think that the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association would appreciate those facts, but they don't. Rather than keep a good thing going, the DVBIA wants to have private vehicles grind public transit to a halt and endanger pedestrians who are used to crossing anywhere on the mall. Of course, this is the same braintrust who brought us the 'Downtown Ambassadors', an elite unit whose apparent mission is to look important in their red uniforms while they harass homeless people.

If I was a member retailer of the DVBIA, I would asking for my membership dues back. Granville Mall has seen a renaissance over the past few years because of its ability to generate serious foot traffic. Why else would Sears eagerly grab the Eatons store at Granville and Robson? Why else would Future Shop and Winners open locations across the street? Why else would Holt Renfrew be expanding its downtown store? Why do the car-crazy idiots on the DVBIA want to strangle their golden asphalt goose?

Of course, the forces of 'progress' believe with an NPA council now running things at 12th & Cambie, they can get their way this time. It already appears they've had their way with councilor Kim Capri, who's reversed her position to now having an "open mind" on Granville Mall car traffic. Obviously, it was good for her. For the record, City of Vancouver staff recommend keeping the Mall car-free. However, this page remembers City staff recommending One Third social housing at False Creek, and we know what happened there.