I have a question for the City of North Vancouver Council, civic planners and management. What exactly is the end goal of your `Open Streets Action Plan’?
CNV literature suggests that the barricading of streets is to promote safe walking, cycling and business operations.
Not just Lonsdale, but 24 blocks of St. Andrews and 17th street as well have been barricaded. Really, council?
Safe walking would never train or promote people to walk on the streets. Poorly executed curb-side restaurant patios will benefit maybe 1-2% of Lonsdale area businesses.
The bollards and barricades that have created traffic chaos whilst reducing parking, coupled with endless construction, will only hurt the vast majority of business operations.
If you really want to help businesses, just lower their property taxes. But let’s be honest. It’s about cycling isn’t it?
It’s all about cycling and the war against the automobile. The powers that be in a move that reeks of blatant opportunism are using social distance `COVID-19 excuses’ as reason to apply this closed street social engineering experiment.
The Greater Good be damned and the fact that most people and businesses require vehicles with four wheels and a roof do not seem to matter.
This so called `Action Plan’ along with the overall direction of the City `favours the few’ and is far too biased and exclusive, rather than inclusive.
Respectfully Council, you need to re-think this extremist vision of a way forward and apply sound common sense that plans for a balanced community that welcomes one and all.
Well stated. Changing the mobility in CNV to meet the needs of 1-2% of the population, when the majority are over age 55, highlights the myopia of City council. If you cannot meet the needs of the Majority, then give us our money back. The majority of the population of north van Do Not work up here as there is no industry. The majority who work in the support services do not live up here because it’s too expensive, so blocking streets so no one can get anywhere in a timely fashion further highlights the lack of vision of the parasites who live off the backs of taxpayers.
And yet the hypocrites’ staff parking lots are both full and free.
It’s not restricted to the North Shore, similar zealots have worked their way into policy making levels in other municipal governments . They might not see it coming, but they won’t be young and fit forever, then it’s Tesla time. I correct myself, maybe they do see it coming, because they always seem to have primo parking spaces reserved for electric cars, don’t they.
I am a non-cycling senior.
Not being able to access a business area by car just prompts me to take my business somewhere more convenient.
Since Chesterfield is closed 15th to 18th closing 17th is asinine. We have nights already getting shorter and decent weather some days but only a handful of restaurants have actually taken advantage of the extra space offered to them. Cars have been around for about 120 years and will no doubt still be come 2120. Please come to grips with this, plan accordingly and accept this rather than making motoring as difficult and frustrating as possible!
I totally agree with the article
. The person/s coming up with these ideas need to change or change their thinking. As a consumer I now try and stay away from Lonsdale. How is that helping small business? The so called planners are failing us big time. The side street barricades are beyond bizarre. Who thinks of this stuff?
We live on the side of a mountain,, It rains a lot. We are aging. We should respect the safety of those on bicycles but WE ARE NOT AMSTERDAM !! Enough is enough. We need to get around and to park. I am 70 and bought an electric vehicle. I often walk or cycle but do NOT expect the city to be turned over to those activities alone. Deer and bear no longer ramble through my property because of mountain biking a few blocks away. They were never a problem. Lets think this out with some logic.
I witnessed a fire truck and an ambulance responding to an emergency call. Lights and sirens blaring with no where for them to go as the gridlock created by the “safe streets” on Lonsdale left cars with no where to pull out of the way. How is that safe for the person waiting for the ambulance? Somebody could die as they wait for first responders stuck on Lonsdale. Tony Caldwell for Mayor!!!!
OMGosh!!! I totally agree with all of the previous comments! I and my husband too are seniors and take our car for various reasons. Since my husband is a heart transplant recipient, I am the one that shops, pays bills and runs necessary errands and drive my husband to the doctors when required. It is very, very irritating at the best of times driving in the city and district with heavy traffic patterns occurring, having to dodge construction routes and share the road with cyclists who DO NOT obey rules of the road! It’s bad enough that bike lanes were created for a minority group of people but to remove more roadway for pedestrians is ludicrous! It’s those who use vehicles to get around (work, play, get provisions for living, health appointments, etc.) are the ones who keep the economy going! A lot commute to work from distances away, pay for insurance and use local services. Vehicles NEED parking spaces, so by decreasing road space would cause added stress for all drivers. I strongly suggest for Council to rescind the Open Street Plan as it only serves to frustrate the majority.
Public streets are for the public. We all pay for these streets. They should be open to everyone. Walk, run, scooters, bikes, motorcycles, cars, trucks, whatever. We each choose one or more methods of mobility for many reasons. The student that rides a skateboard to school, the daughter who takes her aged mom in her car to doctors appointments. The family taking kids to activities in a minivan. The motorcyclist that commutes to work. The van that brings your amazon package. This is the vibrancy of living in a city. Why exclude people? Why go to “war” against bikes or cars or skateboards. And don’t tell me about air pollution, EVs are the future. Public roads should serve the public that pays for them, not some elitist group bent on pushing their personal choices on others
I’m going to take all my groceries uphill on my bicycle —NOT!
Well stated. Our Municipalities seem to bend over backwards for cyclists who pay nothing to ride the especially created bike lanes. They ignore the problems of the 98% using cars. Time to vote some of the existing ideologues out of office!!