Vision Vancouver moves closer to breaking a promise on car-free Sundays

by Charlie Smith on March 3rd, 2009 at 12:29 PM

Vision Vancouver moved one step closer today (March 3) to violating a pledge in the party’s 2008 campaign platform.

At council’s transporation and traffic committee, council voted to approve a staff recommendation to consult more with business-improvement associations, community groups, and other stakeholders before proceeding with three months of car-free Sundays in three locations.

Deputy city engineer Peter Judd’s report asked council to consider trials of less than three months. This was approved.

Judd also cited a cost of $5,000 per day to hold a car-free day last year in the West End, and noted that business-improvement associations indicated they didn’t have enough resources to recruit volunteers and plan and advertise these events.

Only one business-improvement association expressed a willingness to hold car-free Sundays for 12 consecutive weeks, according to Judd's report.

Vision Vancouver’s platform promised a summer trial of car-free days on selected streets in 2009. COPE's policy is to support and encourage neighbourhoods across the city to hold car-free festivals, and create citywide car-free zones and car-free days.

Staff will report back to council in June to outline the costs of specific initiatives relating to holding car-free days in the city.