CURRENT PROJECTS
Annual Skytrain Halloween Party - Every year, the VPSN hosts a Halloween party on Metro Vancouver’s Skytrain system. Participants don their most awesome costume and we transform a regular ol’ train ride into a bit of ghoulish magic. The night usually ends with an after-party at a popular public space.
Active Transportation Policy Council – Several VPSN members are dedicated participants with the City of Vancouver’s Active Transportation Policy Council. The VPSN members assist staff with the development and recommend direction on the improvement of City infrastructure to provide safe, convenient and accessible public spaces for pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders and transit patrons of all ages and abilities.
PAST PROJECTS
Transportation 2040 – From June 2011 to October 2012, the VPSN met regularly with the City of Vancouver’s Transportation 2040 plan as a stakeholder, providing feedback on the city’s proposed policies and ensuring public space considerations were balanced with the City’s current and future transportation needs. The VPSN continues to participate and provide feedback on projects pertaining to public space and its relationship to the walking, cycling and public transit experience in Vancouver. Projects of note from the City include major work on the False Creek crossings (Burrard, Granville and Cambie Bridges); improvements in pedestrian safety (including improved wayfinding); improvements in dedicated facilities for all ages and abilities in the City’s bicycle route network; and education campaigns and resources for all road users.
Point Grey Road – In July 2013, the VPSN wrote a letter to Vancouver City Council supporting cycling safety enhancements on Point Grey Road and Cornwall Street. This project includes the traffic calming of Point Grey Road, improvements to connections to and from the Burrard Street Bridge, and the creation of the York Bikeway.
Downtown Local Bus Review – Over the course of 2013, the City of Vancouver and TransLink initiated a study to examine local bus service on the downtown peninsula in Vancouver. One of the review’s objectives was to understand the options for providing transit service that accommodates a permanently pedestrianized Robson Square. The study is scheduled to wrap by the end of 2013, with two opportunities for public engagement.
Broadway as a Great Street – As part of the City of Vancouver’s Central Broadway Planning program, the Vancouver Public Space Network held two workshops and a ground-truthing session to explore visions of Broadway as a ‘Great Street’. The sessions looked at what people liked about Broadway, how they currently used spaces on the street, and what they would like to be able to do on Broadway in the future that they are prevented from doing at present. The workshops resulted in a report that is guiding the City of Vancouver’s policy for Central Broadway.
UBC Rapid Transit Line – In 2011, TransLink initiated a study to examine several potential routes and technologies to extend rapid transit to Central Broadway and the University of British Columbia. The VPSN sees reliable, frequent public transit service on this corridor as vital to maintaining and expanding transit ridership in the face of growing demand for access to key destinations, with potential gains for public space both in the local areas near proposed transit and throughout Metro Vancouver.
Bike parking report – In July 2009, the VPSN assessed the quality and quantity of bicycle parking infrastructure in Vancouver’s commercial and entertainment districts to determine the need for more, or different, cycling infrastructure. We conducted background research of municipal plans and current parking options, as well as conducted a case study of five sample areas.
Burrard Bridge Bike Lane Painting - To celebrate the installation of the separated bike lane on the Burrard Bridge crossing, in August 2009, the Vancouver Public Space Network encouraged the public to paint the concrete barriers as a guerrilla expression of appreciation for dedicating road space to cyclists’ safe travel.
The Path(s) Not Taken: the Vancouver Public Space Network participated in a walking tour and presentation as part of the Museum of Vancouver’s “This is not an architectural speaker’s series” exploring the evolution of Vancouver’s transit through the ages, particularly the planned but never built freeway for Vancouver’s waterfront.