One thing I love about not owning a car and living downtown is that I can get pretty much anywhere I need to go either by walking or on transit. Buses, SkyTrains, West Coast Express, and my own two legs can be relied upon whenever inter-urban travel is necessary. There is much room for improvement (although not when it comes to my legs, I don’t think) so bearing this in mind you can now view the transportation concepts for the 2010 Olympic Games online.
the City of Vancouver has released a map of temporary changes to the city’s road network leading up to and during the two week event.
The temporary changes will include pedestrian-only areas, security zones, on-street parking limitations, and priority lanes for Olympic traffic.
The city plans to make pedestrian malls out of parts of Granville, Robson, Mainland, and Hamilton streets in the downtown core, and create priority lanes for Olympic traffic on Broadway, Hastings, West Georgia, Seymour and Howe streets.
Over the next month, the city staff members intend to meet with business, transportation and community groups to discuss the effects of the changes. [CBC]
With the Canada Line nearing completion, a need for more (frequent) sustainable travel options in the Eastern cities and the call for More Buses Now, how do you think Vancouver’s transportation plan will fare when we host the world in February of 2010?
Update March 11, 2009: Official Road Plan for 2010
“Organizers of the 2010 Oympics unveiled on Wednesday an ambitious transportation plan that involves major road and bridge closures, expanded transit capacity and a plea to the public to ditch their cars and use alternative methods to get around.” [Source: CBC] You can view the entire plan here (pdf).
Update October 14th, 2009: The transportation and road plans for the 2010 Games were finalized today. Check out TravelSmart2010 for more information.
Update January 7th, 2010: Olympic Lanes soon go into effect:
Designated Olympic Lanes for TransLink buses and Olympic accredited vehicles will be in place from February 4 to March 1, 2010 for 24 hours, 7 days a week. Olympic Lanes in Vancouver will be in the curb, or right-hand lane during this period at the following locations:
Burrard St, Burrard Bridge to Pender St
Seymour St, Granville Bridge to Hastings St
Howe St, Hastings St to Granville Bridge
Pender St, Cambie St to Howe St
Cambie St, Cambie Bridge to 59th Ave
Broadway, Arbutus St to Commercial Dr
Georgia St, Richards St to the Stanley Park Causeway
Hastings St, Seymour St to Boundary Rd
All cars stopped/parked in Olympic Lanes or parking restricted areas between February 4 to March 1, 2010 will be fined $100 plus an automatic tow.
Club closing times, patio seating, and smoking are some of the hottest topics lately when it comes to Vancouver restaurants and bars. However tomorrow if you’re interested in having your say, there is a public event at the YWCA Hotel tonight with presentations starting at 6:00pm.
Licensing staff are developing an hours of service policy for licensed restaurants, also known as “Food Primary†establishments. Currently, liquor service must end at midnight in restaurants that were licensed after December 2002, when the Province’s new liquor licensing policy took effect. Under the new Provincial policy, restaurants may apply for extended hours past midnight, but must first obtain a resolution from the City.
If you’d like to voice your opinion on the subject, you can also email your comments to liquor.review [at] vancouver [dot] ca.
On a somewhat related note, the BC Hospitality Expo is currently happening at BC Place until 6:00 tonight as well.
Back in March I received a review copy of The Submarine‘s album Honeysuckle Weeks. I really enjoyed it and became a big fan although I was unable to attend their concert (though I was given some tickets to give away on my blog).
The Submarines, which remind me of another man/woman band pairing, Mates of State (whom John and I got to see at The Plaza Club in 2006), are John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard.
They recently hit it big (with Apple fanboys and girls at least) with their song You Me and the Bourgeoisie being featured and sampled in some of the latest iPhone commercials. They’ve also got a few of their tunes on prime time television shows such as Gossip Girl.
The Subs, who are on the Vancouver-based label Nettwerk, are also giving back, having recently launched a partnership with Toms Shoes (the online shoe company I wrote about in my Hanson interview that donates pairs of shoes to children in need across the globe).
They are also taking part in Just Like Heaven, a Cure tribute album that will be released in January 2009, by covering Boys Don’t Cry.
You can purchase The Submarines‘ music online and on iTunes. I don’t see any current tour plans to return to these parts although you can keep up to date on their globetrotting through their blog.
