City repurposes eastbound lanes of Beach Ave for people walking and cycling

Starting Thursday, April 9, we are temporarily closing the eastbound lanes of Beach Avenue to vehicles.

View a map of the closures

Closure to help local residents

We heard concerns about the inability for residents to practice physical distancing while exercising or getting fresh air, particularly in denser parts of the city like the West End. As a result, we are temporarily closing eastbound lanes of Beach Avenue to vehicles between Hornby Street and Stanley Park, so local residents can use the lanes for walking and biking while keeping two metres apart.

The goal of this partial closure is not to encourage large gatherings, but to give nearby residents more room to move while also being able to practice physical distancing. This is a responsive measure and not intended as an invitation to gather.

Using local streets in your own neighbourhood

The Stanley Park Seawall and English Bay areas are already very crowded. Residents are encouraged to get exercise and fresh air in their own neighbourhoods while maintaining two-metre spacing from others. Many of Vancouver’s local streets are excellent for walking, running, and biking.

What drivers can expect

While this temporary closure is in effect:

• All eastbound traffic, including the 23 bus, will be diverted to Davie Street 
• Motorists can still access their residences from the westbound lane 
• Drivers travelling westward who need to access Beach Avenue west of Denman Street will be diverted briefly onto Denman and then onto Morton Avenue before rejoining Beach Avenue 
• Residential parking will be maintained on the north side of Beach Ave where possible 

Staff will monitor the situation and adjust if needed.
More information can be found on vancouver.ca/covid19