What Commercial Drive would look like if looked at in a different light.
Complete Streets treat all people equally, regardless of age, gender or physical ability. Complete Street design focuses on improving the public realm and not on moving vehicular traffic. It serves as an important design tool for making our cities great places to live, work and play.
Slow Streets’ research, The Case For a Complete Street argues that Vancouver’s Commercial Drive would benefit greatly from becoming a Complete Street. In its current form, Commercial Drive’s streetscape fails to acknowledge the Drive’s role as a regional destination for culture, shopping, dining and other activities. Instead, The Drive is treated primarily as a thoroughfare for automobiles whose size and speed create an uncomfortable walking, cycling and dwelling experience – particularly south of 1st Avenue.
Prioritizing slower modes would strengthen existing activities and allow for new uses which are only imaginable during the annual Car Free Day festival. Re-envisioning Commercial Drive as a Complete Street would enhance its sense of place and make the street more accessible to a greater number of people. In turn, more value – and a better overall experience – would be generated for all visitors, residents and businesses.
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