VANCOUVER -- Concerns from drivers and businesses appear to have been heard, as full vehicle access will soon be restored in Vancouver's Stanley Park.
The city's park board said Friday the lanes that have been blocked off for months will be open again as of Sept. 26.
At the same time, cyclists will again be permitted to bike on the seawall.
The park will be closed starting at 8 p.m. next Friday to allow for removal of pylons and signs set up to keep vehicles to one lane, and cyclists to the other.
Once removed, it will reopen. Two lanes of traffic are expected to be accessible in the morning, with the exception of 700 metres of Park Drive, the Vancouver Park Board said in a statement Friday.
The section between Beach Avenue and Lagoon Drive will remain partially closed to vehicles as part of a City of Vancouver program freeing up part of Beach for cyclists.
All parking lots closed earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize risk of crowding at the park will be restored, the board said, other than the lot near Ceperley Meadows.
Pedestrians who've had the seawall around the park to themselves for months are advised to be aware of cyclists' return, and are asked to follow physical distancing guidelines as much as possible.
Earlier this month, the park board posted an online survey asking for public input on the future of traffic in the park. More than 10,500 entries have been made so far, the board said.
But this week staff admitted multiple entries to the survey that closes Sunday had been submitted by the same individuals.
While the pandemic closures were always meant to be temporary, the board says, the results of the survey may lead to permanent changes.
