Current Status

Well folks, we wish we could post better news for you, but sadly that is not the case. As of June 4th, the parking ban for buses will be put into effect. This will have zero net effect on the road congestion on the island, yet will be impacting the businesses with reduced revenue and fewer pedestrians. This will not be evident until they do their year ends, but it is what will happen. There will be no change in the congestion on the island until the actual cause is addressed. While we understand every vehicle has an impact of one sort or another, it is the large multi-person vehicles which have the least impact, yet are the most visible. Sadly, it seems that the decision to remove buses from the island is more about fewer phone calls to the head office (fewer buses and companies to complain that the general public which transports fewer people, but have more individual voices). Buses are an easier target due to their size. No driver is going to want to leave the island knowing the delays during the peak hours of summer, so they will be increasingly be circling the island waiting for the return of their guests. This isn't a threat, it is simply a fact. There are no other places to go anywhere near the island, and those buses that choose to go to GI will have already paid their permit to access the island, so why leave? The decision to ban bus parking is only going to move the buses from the side of the road (out of traffic flow parking) onto the road and continuing the loops. Congestion, as understood unanimously by the industry, is only going to worsen this summer if the status quo is maintained on the personal vehicle front. If so, the excuse to entirely ban buses from the island seems like the logical next step from the island as once again, we are the most visible. Enforcement is to be light, as we understand. Pictures, reminder cards to be handed out, and the occasional verbal warning from the newly hired parking ambassadors (hired with money earned from the access fee) are to be the new norm for those coming to the island. We know they are working on a plan for signage for those guests getting off the buses, indicating the direction to the market to/from the drop-off/pick up spaces, however, we have yet to see what it is to communicate with our guests. Also, remember there are now two different areas for guests to have to travel to for pick up and drop offs. We have an industry liked idea, that requires a 3-hour removal of 50 Car parking spaces along the initial approach. Remove those spaces, from 11AM-2PM daily (during peak season only) and most of your congestion issues will disappear. Those are 50 of over 1200 spaces to park personal vehicles on the island, for a 3-hour window. That's a very short amount of time, but it coincides with the on-island arrival of most tour companies. By removing those spaces that personal vehicles double park on awaiting someone's car coming out, you force traffic to flow to the larger parts of the island. As well, with buses being able to park and stay, clients spend more time enjoying and spending on the island, without the need for costly extra signage, or departure delays as people get confused about trying to find their bus. The refusal to even discuss this during our meetings was disheartening and helped to reinforce the notion held by the industry that this was more of a cash grab than a solution to congestion. Fortunately for the industry, the pricing was lowered, from $100 per bus visit to $10-$20. This will help companies this year, but without the notice that is required by the tourism industry to establish budgets and marketing campaigns (1-2 years for most), it is the local companies who will be eating this increased cost. It is unfortunate that we discovered CMHC GI had been meeting with the city for months previous to industry finding out that this change was impending. Myself and others had attempted to contact that management to help work on potential solutions, going back at least last summer (I have the screenshots attempting to reach out), but to no avail. This policy being introduced at such a late notice for this tourism season has meant we will be absorbing costs unexpectedly. The meetings we have had this past few weeks, should have been for policies to be implemented for Summer 2019, not Summer 2018. Many of the companies that I have heard from, will do their best to entirely avoid GI this year, and in future. Some of the companies, having promoted GI MUST visit the island, though as it stands, a number are simply going to drive onto, circle, and then leave the island to fulfill their contractual obligation to the clients. Interestingly, this would, according to management, also require the bus to pay the access fee, even if no drops are happening. For future years, they will be removing GI from their literature entirely. It is unfortunate, but why go where we are not wanted, either as an experience or for our $$$. Many companies are looking to frequent the Lower Lonsdale area, as well as reincorporating Queen Elizabeth Park into their itineraries. LL is great but requires a significant change in how companies market, and operate their tours, and QE Park does not currently have the vendors on hand to provide food and services to the increased traffic. If anyone has any contacts with the Street Cart Food Vendors in Vancouver, please contact me so we can discuss this with them. It may be too late for them to get a permit for QE Park for the summer, who knows. Also if anyone has any recent experience/knowledge/photos of Granville Island at any tourism events promoting itself, please, contact me here. It seems quite disingenuous to have them promoting and banning access for tourism at the same time. I know this was a longwinded update, and thank you for your patience, but it has been a while. We are working on a few other avenues to apply pressure to the management, and will keep the updates coming. Thanks Matt