Vancouver, BC, July 8, 2024 — In another victory for English Bay, Stanley Park, and Vancouver as a whole, Green Party Park Board Commissioner Tom Digby voted with independent commissioners Scott Jensen, Brennan Bastyovanszky, and Laura Christensen to stop Mayor Sim and his ABC party’s planned road expansion into Stanley Park along Beach Ave.

The expansion, which is the only phase of the West End Waterfront Plan to be approved by the ABC-led City Council, would have seen the reintroduction of two-way motor vehicle traffic into Stanley Park on Beach Ave, west of Denman, including parking on either side. A major reconfiguration of Morton park, the home of Vancouver’s iconic A-maze-ing Laughter sculptures, would be needed to accommodate the extra vehicle traffic. The bike lane, the busiest in Canada with over 10,000 riders a day, would be moved 15 feet west, paving a large section of Stanley Park and threatening the Linden and Maple trees along Beach Ave.

On July 8th at the Park Board meeting, commissioners heard from members of the public about the $16 million dollar ABC plan. The loss of public green space, threats to pedestrian and cyclist safety, congestion, and pollution were among the top concerns. It is estimated the expansion would have generated a 5-10 fold increase in vehicles and tour buses to the area.

“This is a tremendous victory for residents, businesses, cyclists, and pedestrians of the West End and Vancouver” states Digby, “The ABC plan to pave over green space and bring more cars to Stanley Park is very unpopular with the locals and makes the city less livable and less sustainable. By preserving the walkability of the West End, we foresee an increase in tourism and consumer activity.”

The revised motion brought forward by Jensen and Digby, and approved by the Park Board, calls for the $10 million in capital earmarked for the road expansion to be reallocated to Phase 4A/4B of the West End Waterfront Plan. The West End Waterfront Plan was approved by the Park Board on April 22, and remains Park Board policy despite not yet being approved by Council.  

Phase 4A/4B is one of the more diverse parts of the WEWP and will deliver significant new program spaces and facilities to the Jervis street area, including a destination skate park, an all ages and abilities playground, and a washroom building.

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Green Party of Vancouver 

Related Motion:  Imagine West End Waterfront Vision Phase 1 (before amendment)