As you are most likely aware, a portion of Gastown will be under construction to renew aging streets and infrastructure, which will have a large impact on vehicle circulation beginning on March 2, 2024. The GBIS is committed to ensuring its members are aware of the construction and have the necessary information to navigate their daily operations and business during this period.
On this page, businesses will find the most up-to-date information on the upcoming traffic changes and infrastructure projects taking place.
Table of Contents
Construction and Traffic Details:
- Construction Hours: March 4 – June 15 2024. Monday to Saturday, 7am-8pm, with possible Sunday work. (Dates are weather permitting and subject to change).
- Signage: Beginning March 2nd street signs will be placed in various areas of Gastown to redirect traffic.
- Restaurant Patios: Summer patio permits surrounding the construction will be delayed, and existing sidewalk patios will remain unaffected.
- Area impacted: Construction will take place on Water St, from Carrall St east to Hotel Europe (surrounding Maple Tree Square).
- Noise & Dust: Some expected during construction.
Traffic Changes:
- Vehicles cannot travel through Maple Tree Square, but pedestrian and cycling access will be retained.
- Traffic detours for traffic will be in place at Powell Street and Main Street.
- Westbound through-traffic cannot continue past Main Street to Powell Street. All traffic will need to turn right or left at Main Street.
- Powell Street between Columbia Street and Harbour Light Alley will be local access only.
- Alexander Street, east of Maple Tree Square, will be made two-way and is the only eastern access point into the neighbourhood.
- Columbia Street will be converted to a two-way street between Powell Street and Hastings Street.
- Cordova, Cambie, and Abbott Streets will not be impacted during the construction period.
Local Vehicle Access:
Local vehicle access for residents and businesses will be maintained at all times. This includes access for deliveries, visitors, and customers, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations.
- Blood Alley will have a select loading zone and vendors will be able to access Water Street by entering Gastown on Abbott, using the laneway north of Water Street heading east.
Parking:
- Limited parking will be available on Cordova, Abbott, Cambie and Carrall during the construction.
- While some street parking will be impacted on the eastern side of Gastown, access to all parkades, including EasyPark Lots #31, #126, #8, #4, and Impark Lot #143 will remain fully accessible.
- Select parking lots in Gastown will offer three hours of free parking to all visitors (limited to one per vehicle, per week).
- Additional signage will be installed to help direct people to these lots.
Transit Routes:
- Westbound #50 buses will be detoured off Water Street and onto Hastings Street.
- A new temporary bus stop is located at Waterfront Station @ Bay 2 (Stop #50040).
- Eastbound #50 buses will remain on Cordova St and Cambie St and continue to stop on Cordova at Homer St (Stop #50036).
- All other bus routes in the area will continue to operate on their regular routes.
Street Maps:
To ensure clarity and ease of navigation during construction, the City of Vancouver has provided three maps outlining traffic flow, parking options, and accessible routes. Street signage will be begin to be displayed starting February 26th to guide residents and visitors, with construction commencing on March 4th.
Traffic Detours
Where You Can Park
How To Take Transit
Map for Sharing
GBIS Community Support & Engagement
We are committed to keeping residents and businesses informed throughout the process, and remain focused on the long-term vision for Gastown. For any questions or concerns, please contact the City of Vancouver at gastownpublicspaces@vancouver.ca and copy in our team at info@gastown.org.
Digital Resources:
- Website: GBIS has launched this dedicated landing page for construction updates. Please check back for ongoing updates.
- Newsletters: GBIS will distribute regular newsletters to keep the community informed. Please ensure that all necessary staff are subscribed to the e-newsletter here.
- Social Media: Join the LinkedIn Business Member group to receive real-time updates on the construction.
Additional Support:
GBIS is working to collaborate with various partners to provide additional access and education, and to attract visitors to Gastown. Efforts will include:
- Free parking
- Two taxi and rideshare drop-off areas (Water St between Abbott St and Cambie St, and Columbia between Alexander St and Powell St)
- Bike valet service
- Transit ads
- Weekly/Monthly giveaways
- Special events
- Signage and maps for easy navigation
FAQ
We are working with some of the Gastown parkades to offer three free hours of parking to all visitors of Gastown (one per person per week during construction, which starts on March 4, we might extend this during the Summer Pilots as well.).
There is a loading zone in Blood Alley that can be used now and during construction and Summer Pilots, but vendors will also be able to access Water Street by entering Gastown on Abbott and using the laneway just north of Water Street to go east and access Water Street.
All public parkades in Gastown will remain accessible during construction and Summer Pilots. Additionally, there will still be some parking allowed on Cordova, Abbott, Cambie and Carrall St during this time.
Blood Alley will have a select loading zone and vendors will be able to access Water Street by entering Gastown on Abbott, using the laneway north of Water Street heading east. Harbour Light Alley will also remain accessible behind Carrall St. If you are a business that is not on the 0 block of Water St, Abbott, Cambie, Homer, and Cordova will all remain open to traffic (these streets remain as access points to the laneways as well).
Direct access to most businesses will remain throughout construction. There will also be two taxi and rideshare drop-off areas in the neighbourhood. One at Water St between Abbott St and Cambie St, and one Columbia between Alexander St and Powell St.
There will be no impact to cyclists.
The construction notice states that the repairs will only go from March – June. Why am I reading that the closure will remain until September?
