Granville Mall is a transit mall and pedestrian mall in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It comprises the section of Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver between Hastings and Smithe streets. TransLink's weekday trolleybus service on the mall will resume in September 2010[1]; in addition, the SkyTrain's Granville and Vancouver City Centre stations are also accessible from the mall.
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The idea of closing off a section of Granville Street to automobile traffic arose after the city withdrew its freeway plan in 1968 due to community opposition. The city concluded that automobile use within downtown should be restricted in order to avoid overloading the area's street network, and subsequently designated the section of Granville between Hastings and Nelson streets a pedestrian and transit mall in 1974.[2]
The Downtown Vancouver Association sought to re-open Granville between Nelson and Georgia streets to general traffic, and the city proceeded with that proposal in 1987 on a trial basis. The trial was declared unsuccessful and cancelled the following year[3], although the city did re-open one block between Nelson and Smithe streets to general traffic in 1989, widening the section to four lanes.[2]
Effective April 24, 2006, the mall between Robson Street and Hastings Street was closed to all traffic, including transit buses, to allow construction of the Canada Line subway and a new station. During this closure, buses are re-routed to Seymour Street (northbound), Howe Street (southbound, routes crossing Granville bridge), and Richards Street (southbound, routes within downtown). As part of this construction, the 800, 600, and 500 blocks of Granville (between Smithe and Robson, and then again between Georgia and Pender) are open to all traffic, northbound, including on-street metered parking.
Before its closure, on weekdays, the Granville Mall was used by over 1,900 buses (90% electric trolleybuses) and 47,500+ transit riders. In the spring of 2006, Vancouver City Council, after studies and consultations, decided on a redesign, to be constructed after completion of the Canada Line subway under the street. Weekday trolleybus service on the mall will resume in September 2010; the buses will continue to use Howe and Seymour streets on weekends and holidays.[1]
In addition to transit, Granville Mall is also a popular entertainment and retail district. Scores of bars, dance clubs, restaurants, hotels, and shops with neon lights and urban gritty vibe are open until late into the night. The area was created by city zoning policies, concentrating club operations which had previously been scattered through the downtown peninsula, especially Yaletown.
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