Is it just me – a carless West Ender – who finds the quiet streets of downtown downright eerie? I mean, great that traffic volumes have dropped in the way the city hoped for – maybe more – but when there’s abundant parking along the docks of Yaletown, maybe we’re overdoing the cautionary warnings. Presumably, everyone is waiting the Games to actually begin for coming on down, and then we’ll see.
Still, this is a city that moves a quarter-million people in and out of English Bay four nights a year at the height of the summer tourist season, while closing off the West End to traffic, and doesn’t think that’s such a big deal anymore. Why should something that has less athletes than the Gay Games and about the same number of visitors as our high season be all that big a deal?
Some lessons. First, it’s all about parking. If people think there might not be room to park, they don’t drive there to find out. Secondly, we can confidently reallocate and even remove road space without worrying too much about ‘chaos’ on the roads – so long as there are transporation choices. Thirdly, Vancouverites like choices, as the success of the Canada Line and the line-ups to the Olympic Line streetcar also demonstrate, and they’re getting very good at figuring them out.
