Limousine driver Gerry McGuire creates new party to challenge Vision Vancouver, NPA, and COPE

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      The owner of a limousine company says he's forming a new political party to offer greater neighbourhood representation at Vancouver City Hall.

      In an interview outside the mayor's office during a recent public hearing, Gerry McGuire told the Georgia Straight that the party's name is "Vancouver Citizen's Voice". He's willing to put his name forward as a mayoral candidate.

      "Neighbourhood representation is the main principle," he stated. "I would advocate for a ward system. In fact, you can institute a ward system simply by bylaw, as a matter of fact, according to the [Vancouver] Charter."

      McGuire, owner of A-Ace Limousine Service, wouldn't reveal other potential candidates, but acknowledged that there have been "several expressions of interest". He hopes to run a full slate in the November election, with nominations being completed by the middle of September.

      "The NPA was never really a party of the people," McGuire claimed. "And Vision Vancouver seemed like they were, but they're not. And COPE has basically allowed themselves to be folded into that particular wrong direction—I would call it that."


      Gerry McGuire favours getting rid of concrete barriers on Hornby and Dunsmuir streets.

      As a result, he maintained: "So there is room up the middle, and there is need for somebody in a group to take care of the actual electorate of Vancouver, as opposed to just special-interest groups, which is what we have going on now."

      McGuire questioned whether there were any serious differences between Vision Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and his chief rival, NPA councillor Suzanne Anton.

      He claimed that Anton likes tall buildings, whereas Robertson likes to "rezone, rezone, rezone, rezone—all tall buildings".

      McGuire pointed out that the grade-separated Hornby bike lane won unanimous support from council, whereas he favours a different approach.

      "I have no problem with sharing the road with cyclists, but bike lanes aren't sharing the road," he insisted. "Bike lanes balkanize the space. They're complex, confusing, and actually dangerous to bikers and automobilists—and pedestrians as well."

      McGuire said he favours a concept called "shared space", which has been advanced by a Dutch road engineer named Hans Monderman.

      "Basically, it involves slowing the traffic down and opening up the streets—taking away all the barriers to interaction between cyclists, pedestrians, and automobiles," McGuire explained. "Because of the necessity to interact on a human level, for some reason they work."

      He favours getting rid of the heavy concrete barriers on the Burrard Bridge, replacing them with steel railings.

      "The merge on Pacific is still a disaster area," he stated. "And those barriers, I do believe, are structurally damaging that old bridge."

      He also argued in favour of sharing the space on Dunsmuir Street and eliminating the concrete barrier, though he said it's not so bad on the Dunsmuir Viaduct. He prefers retaining the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts, claiming that a "real-estate play" is what's driving the discussion to get rid of them.

      In addition, McGuire questioned why the stop lights are so close to one another at the new Citadel Parade street just east of Beatty Street.

      As far as city budgets go, he would prefer increasing spending on libraries and reducing expenditures on the police. "I also have a problem wtih the logistics of the night-time club closings on Granville Street," he added.

      McGuire said he is a Simon Fraser University graduate with two grown-up daughters. He served two terms on the SFU senate.

      Comments

      24 Comments

      Huh?

      Aug 2, 2011 at 10:20am

      Seriously?

      Justavoter

      Aug 2, 2011 at 11:13am

      I applaud this initiative. Vancouverites deserve choices beyond two parties who are in competition to bulldoze the city to build glass high rises. Vision Vancouver have proven themselves even more pro-development than the NPA, something I a few years back I wouldn't have thought possible. One vote for Gerry McGuire. Let's take this city back.

      Arthur Vandelay

      Aug 2, 2011 at 11:26am

      So the first order of business for the owner of a limo company is to remove the dedicated bike lanes and other traffic related items? You know, like a direct conflict of interest. Grab a brain first, limo-man.

      Second Nation

      Aug 2, 2011 at 11:49am

      Dear Art Vandelay - thanks for my first good laugh of the day ("limo-man").

      kidrawk

      Aug 2, 2011 at 12:00pm

      Don't care. They are politicians. When was the last time they did something good for the city? Jobs? Homeless? They aren't going to be an answer. Vancouver's track record is pathetic, and so will this be. Mark my words.

      Madison Norton

      Aug 2, 2011 at 12:07pm

      I agree that the bike lanes are a farce, but I need to know EXACTLY what his issue is with night-time club closings on Granville before I support anything here.

      ?

      Aug 2, 2011 at 12:14pm

      I'm so tired of this anti-development populist crap that people are buying into. What is wrong with more housing and greater densification of Vancouver? I for one want Vancouver to continue to thrive and be a vibrant city and that will only happen if we provide more homes for people.

      kidrawk

      Aug 2, 2011 at 12:18pm

      ..."slowing the traffic down and opening up the streets—taking away all the barriers to interaction between cyclists, pedestrians, and automobiles," -- um. I think that is counter to what cyclists need; to get the flow of cyclists and traffic away from each other... am I wrong? ANY time you mix cyclists with motorists, I believe it's a bad idea. Neither one wants to coexist with each other. Especially in this city.

      Sven Crawson

      Aug 2, 2011 at 12:56pm

      It will take a new political organization a few election cycles to gain any traction with the public, so, this won't h have legs until 2014 at best, or most likely 2017. They've got a LOT of work ahead of them if they want to become more than a novelty like the Work Less Party. Even a longtime established party like the Greens have a hard time getting candidates elected in this city.

      They key is to find a good-looking wealthy white man with access to lots of money to lead your party, that's how VIsion did it.

      Thomas Diaz

      Aug 2, 2011 at 1:30pm

      "And those barriers, I do believe, are structurally damaging that old bridge."

      What?! You "believe"?? Do you also "believe" you have a degree in structural engineering?