Vancouver bike routes - No lack of parking on Hornby Street

Recently the Vancouver Sun published yet another inflammatory article on Vancouver bike routes (“Jury is still out on impact of downtown Vancouver bike lanes – Ridership is up, but businesses still complain about loss of parking and lack of consultation”).

Regardless of cynical complaints, separate bike lanes BOOST business!

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Writer Jeff Lee quoted angry business-owners on Hornby. Mike Brascia of Brascia’s Tailors (at 580 Hornby St) was most vocal of all, complaining that his business was negatively impacted by loss of parking spaces – “Of course I have seen my business decline. Customers can’t park out front.”

Vancouver bike routes — Hornby Street is just PACKED with empty parking spots

That seems like a pretty strange thing to say. Above is Brascia’s Tailors (shop with blue sign on the right). As you can see, it is right next door to a major parking garage (note the empty spots). I kept an eye on it for a few days. There is parking available there all day, every day. And you can park for a mere $5 per hour – exactly the same price as it would be to park on the street and feed the meter.

I went into Brascia’s to take a look at their prices. Trust me, if you can afford to shop at Brascia’s, you can afford to park your car for $5 per hour.

Read about Great Bike Rides in and Around Vancouver Here – Vancouver Cycling

It was interesting to me that the photo published by the Vancouver Sun (below) was taken at such an angle as to NOT show the parking garage right next door to his shop.

The photo of the photo of Mike Brascia published by the Vancouver Sun (below) was taken at such an angle as to NOT show the parking garage right next door to his shop. And across from his shop. And underneath his shop ... — The photo of Mike Brascia published by the Vancouver Sun was taken at such an angle as to NOT show the parking garage right next door to his shop. And across from his shop. And underneath his shop …

I may just be expecting too much, in my optimistic way, but surely the journalist should have noticed the giant parking garage and asked Brascia how he could possibly be complaining about lack of parking? After all, the photographer could have reached out his left arm and almost touched the parking garage!

Bottom line: There is NO shortage of parking for Brascia’s Tailors’ customers.

There is however a major childcare facility at the YWCA right across the road – and people need to get their kids there, safely. With that in mind, it is great to see sights such as the one below on the separated Vancouver bike routes. This never used to happen when cyclists had to duke it out with cars to get around downtown Vancouver.

Women with babies cycling in downtown Vancouver on working days ... this has ONLY happened since Vision Vancouver installed physically separated bike lanes to keep these little ones safe - Vancouver bike routes — Women with babies cycling in downtown Vancouver on working days … this has ONLY happened since Vision Vancouver installed physically separated bike lanes to keep these little ones safe

Here is a child cycling in the middle of a major city, in the middle of a working day. This is the separated bike lane on Hornby, which some business people vehemently opposed – to protect parking spaces. This little girl looks a lot like one of my kids. And I STRONGLY believe that her life is worth a whole lot more than a few parking spots!

And here's another photo of a mom with two little kids on a separate bike lane on Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver. To me it is just painfully obvious that these little children need to be kept separate from cars that could kill them. And the research supports me - separate bike lanes are a WHOLE lot safer than mixing up bikes and cars — And here’s another photo of a mom with two little kids on a separate bike lane on Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver. To me it is just painfully obvious that these little children need to be kept separate from cars that could kill them. And the research supports me – separate bike lanes are a WHOLE lot safer than mixing up bikes and cars.

Here is a family cyFamilies can now cycle in downtown Vancouver, thanks to the relative safety provided by separated bike lanes. But shoot - some poor businesses lost a handful of parking spots to make this family of tourists safe - tragic!cling on rendet bikes on Hornby St Separated bike lane. — Families can now cycle in downtown Vancouver, thanks to the relative safety provided by separated bike lanes. But shoot! – some poor businesses lost a handful of parking spots to make this family of tourists safe – tragic!

Update: The next day I found even more car parking on Hornby!

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