Part of Waterfront Way to be closed to vehicles on weekends through Labor Day
May 18-The city of Vancouver will close part of Waterfront Way to vehicles on weekends, returning to pedestrian-only access, for the rest of the spring and summer.
"After hearing positive feedback from businesses, visitors, and the community ... the city is piloting weekend pedestrian-only access on part of Waterfront Way through Labor Day weekend," according to a city social media post Wednesday.
Waterfront Way will be closed from 4 p.m. Fridays to 5 a.m. Mondays between Parkway Place and Esther Street.
"This is a new addition to the downtown emphasis/waterfront plans that the city and (Vancouver Police Department) have implemented to increase safety for the seasonal crowds this time of year," said Kim Kapp, a police spokesperson. "The pedestrian-only access will hopefully also address some of the noise and speeding issues in that area as well."
The temporary closure creates more space to walk, dine, connect and enjoy the waterfront experience during busy summer weekends, according to the city.
There are more than 2,000 nearby parking spaces available at The Waterfront Vancouver Parking Center and Terminal 1 for visitors during the weekend, according to the city.
Parking rates run $1.75 per hour downtown and $3.25 per hour at the Waterfront District, according to the city's website.
The city encourages anyone who wants to get parking ahead of time to use apps and sites such as ParkWhiz or SpotHero.
The city also offers an interactive parking map on its website.
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