Downtown Vancouver business owner favours bike lane
Posted September 7, 2010 10:41 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – At least one downtown business owner thinks a separated bike lane, involving the removal of a traffic lane and some metered parking on Hornby Street, is being blown out of proportion. Marc Lieberman is calling on area businesses to embrace change with creativity.
Lieberman owns Mink A Chocolate, a café in a pedestrian plaza near Hornby and Hastings Streets. He says he can’t speak for Hornby Street business owners, but feels if they ensure the quality of their product, service, and staff — success will come without the need for street parking. “As a retailer who has no parking in front of his store or even close to his store, I can tell that you can draw on the density of downtown Vancouver. You can do just fine if you concentrate on your business and not be worried about losing a few parking spots in front.”
He adds we live in a city with a small footprint and admits it’s a challenge to retrofit changes. “My message to all those owners on Hornby Street is don’t fear the change and find other things to do in your business to capture market share.”
Lieberman thinks years of congestion and road construction have led many to think reducing road capacity is a move in the wrong direction.
