Temporary changes in response to COVID-19

In April of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Vancouver Park Board temporarily closed Stanley Park’s roads to vehicles and diverted bicycles off of the seawall and onto Stanley Park Drive. This closure allowed more space along the seawall for pedestrians to practice physical distancing and enabled cyclists to more room to bike through the park unrestricted by non-authorized motorized vehicles.

Why was this temporary change made? The seawall has several existing “pinch points” where the 4m overall width and physical conditions make it difficult to accommodate the number of cyclists, pedestrians and people using mobility devices at certain times. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these “pinch points” making it too narrow to provide safe physical distancing.

In late June, Stanley Park’s roads were re-opened to vehicles with a temporary traffic management plan that dedicated one travel lane to vehicles and one lane for cyclists on Stanley Park Drive. The seawall remains closed to bicycles to facilitate and maintain safe physical distancing for pedestrians.