As a 13-year resident of Hawthorn Place, I have experienced the effect of increased traffic and mobility on the enjoyment of some parts of our road system. And as campus continues to transform into a larger community where tens of thousands of people live, study, and work, these issues will only amplify.
The following commentary focuses on the area surrounding Wesbrook Place, central campus, and other places that I frequently visit.
Wesbrook Place and West 16th Avenue
I remain concerned about the increase in traffic, particularly the main shopping zone and the number of vehicles using the roundabout at West 16th Ave. and Wesbrook Mall.
People of all ages use the central Wesbrook Village area, sometimes causing crowding which spills onto the roads. What is interesting and obvious, is that the number of pedestrians varies according to hours of the day, holidays and school days.
The Village is a meeting place for students, runners, parents, and children, and those who use Wesbrook Community Centre. The congestion results in a need for more care by motorists.
In the mornings, large delivery and garbage trucks take up road space, only adding to the frustration shown by motorists towards pedestrians. I would like to see a survey undertaken by UBC Properties Trust and the UNA to determine how the area operates to identify possible changes to pedestrian and vehicular movement. This needs to happen before someone gets hurt, because there have been recorded incidences where pedestrians have been injured by errant drivers.
Those who need to drive due to immobility issues need to be able to conduct their visit with dignity as they manoeuvre through the parking area to access Save-On Foods and Shoppers Drug Mart for example, both of which require crossing a road for access.
I believe my idea for a pedestrian-centred “Wesbrook Plaza” (A More Pedestrian- Friendly Wesbrook Village – The Campus Resident, January 2025) would address some of these concerns.
Wesbrook Plaza could be expanded to stretch right across from the drugstore to Save-on-Foods, forcing traffic to use alternative routes or to have people reroute their vehicles away from the plaza area. Delivery vehicles could use Ross Drive to access Saveon- Foods and other buildings adjacent to Wesbrook Community Centre. However, that could potentially cause friction if and when the proposed Wesbrook elementary school is built.
Main Mall and central campus
Main Mall is a wonderful walking experience. It is used by many who take the short cut from East Mall to West 16th to cross at the pedestrian walk towards Wesbrook Village.
While popular, I have witnessed a few instances where electric scooters have been a nuisance. And that leads to the broader issue of how pedestrians, motorists, cyclists and other modes of transportation share our roads.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that urban planning is too far advanced for the university neighbourhoods to be considered a model for universal design. It seems vehicles have taken control.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that urban planning is too far advanced for the university neighbourhoods to be considered a model for universal design. It seems vehicles have taken control”
I met with a previous director of planning and design several times, and he talked about his visits to various parts of Europe where pedestrians, cyclists co-exist with a clarity as to ownership of movement. Denmark, Sweden and parts of Germany and France were offered as good examples of inclusion.
I have visited all of these countries and can attest to this clarity.
In Wesbrook Place, while there are more and more vehicles, there are also more scooters, pedestrians and other modes of transport used by those who choose not to drive, thus contributing to increased congestion.
This is making our roadways more hazardous for all and presents a major challenge for campus planners.
Other areas I consider to be dangerous include the intersection of Wesbrook Mall and University Boulevard. This area is unsafe, particularly since students tend to cross against the traffic lights, and many wait to cross on the road despite warnings to stay on the sidewalks. Buses departing the University Blvd. loop and turning onto Wesbrook Mall also tend to ignore left turning traffic, which in turn upsets traffic movement.
Regarding our roundabouts, I have witnessed several incidences when vehicles are driven without care and attention to the rules. Too often I have seen near accidents caused by drivers not understanding or perhaps ignoring the rules of conduct, where a vehicle on the roundabout has precedence over those about to enter. Some drivers use the roundabout at West 16th and East Mall as a chicane, behaving as race car drivers.
As Wesbrook South continues to build up, we are seeing increased congestion not only at the Wesbrook Mall and West 16th roundabout but, also farther south on Wesbrook Mall towards SW Marine Drive.
What remains to be demonstrated is how planners will respond to more traffic across all modes of transport and more hazardous roadways, as the population of the university neighbourhoods is set to double by 2050.
IAN CARTER IS A RETIRED ARCHITECT, ARTIST, AND HAS BEEN A RESIDENT OF HAWTHORN PLACE FOR 13 YEARS.