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Car Free YYJ in Victoria


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#21 Mike K.

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Posted 19 June 2016 - 08:59 PM

Right. And it's an arterial that's not Victorian. There's nothing along Douglas that has anything to do with the "narrative."

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#22 Bingo

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Posted 19 June 2016 - 09:39 PM

I think moving the event to Government would be to lose the entire point of things. I believe the message is meant to be that a major thoroughfare can be closed to vehicular traffic for a day and the world won't end.

 

I am not interested in tacky tents full of touristy trinkets, and I dislike crowds.

Didn't go last year or this, even if the mayor is in the tank.



#23 sebberry

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Posted 19 June 2016 - 09:52 PM

I think moving the event to Government would be to lose the entire point of things. I believe the message is meant to be that a major thoroughfare can be closed to vehicular traffic for a day and the world won't end.


It's a political statement. It could be the Government Street Festival, or Douglas Street Festival, or Victoria Street Festival. But no, it's Car Free Day.

 

So I spent part of the day waxing the car.


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#24 Mike K.

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Posted 19 June 2016 - 10:07 PM

I am not interested in tacky tents full of touristy trinkets, and I dislike crowds.
Didn't go last year or this, even if the mayor is in the tank.


I can assure you touristy trinkets were nowhere to be seen. The festival celebrates local artisans who create for their communities, not the tourism trade.

You should check it out next year :)
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#25 todd

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Posted 19 June 2016 - 10:18 PM

I am not interested in tacky tents full of touristy trinkets, and I dislike crowds.

Didn't go last year or this, even if the mayor is in the tank.

Not very satisfying when she actually wants you to dunk her.



#26 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 05:33 AM

It's a political statement. It could be the Government Street Festival, or Douglas Street Festival, or Victoria Street Festival. But no, it's Car Free Day.

 

So I spent part of the day waxing the car.

 

I bought $5,000 in gasoline in Gordon Head and just poured it down the storm drain, directly from the nozzle.  Just to counter-balance this thing.


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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#27 nagel

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 06:12 AM

If I recall the back history correctly, it was originally going to be a monthly car free day on Government, but there are some stone age businesses along that corridor who think pedestrianization, even for a day, is pure heresy.  Irish Linen Stores among them.  So that got canned, and I believe this Douglas festival sprung up from those ashes.  The big prize is still shutting down those half dozen blocks of Government during summer, but it will be a trench war making it happen.

 

Back to carfreeYYJ, the bike parking was a great touch, but none of the vendors knew where it was.  Luckily there was a map on Facebook.  Also I thought it was ridiculous keeping at least 3 cross streets open to vehicular traffic.  There were times when hundreds of people were standing there for 1 or 2 cars.  It defeats the purpose of the event IMO.  For 7 hours, I think it's ok if cars have to go to Discovery or to Belleville to get around.

 

Great way to spend Father's Day.  I got a massive lemonade, some oysters, and one of those lemon coconut donuts from Empire.  Also managed to not lose any of my 3 kids down there.


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#28 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 06:21 AM

Back to carfreeYYJ, the bike parking was a great touch, but none of the vendors knew where it was.  Luckily there was a map on Facebook.  Also I thought it was ridiculous keeping at least 3 cross streets open to vehicular traffic.  There were times when hundreds of people were standing there for 1 or 2 cars.  It defeats the purpose of the event IMO.  For 7 hours, I think it's ok if cars have to go to Discovery or to Belleville to get around.

 

 

 

Ya, it seemed to me they could have closed them for longer stretches and just opened them every 5 minutes or when a bus came along.

 

With Douglas St. closed to buses, I'm not even sure if there were many of them.  #15 maybe only?

 

They probably could have worked it with just Pandora and Fort open.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#29 nagel

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 06:23 AM

I never saw a bus cross Douglas.  There must have been some though.



#30 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 06:30 AM

I never saw a bus cross Douglas.  There must have been some though.

 

Well, if you think about it, only #15 and maybe #24 or whatever Cedar Hill is.  All the buses that come into town from the east, on Yates and Pandora would have been re-routed at Blanshard.  And all the ones that come in on Douglas from both north and south were re-routed.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#31 Mike K.

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 06:34 AM

Yup, buses went up Fort.

Yates was void of traffic. They could have closed it, I think.
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#32 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 06:37 AM

I went to Yates Taphouse after the car-free, the place was packed at 6pm.  Part of that was the NBA game #7, but still, I think many went after the day on Douglas.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#33 Greg

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 07:36 AM

The whole thing was a huge success, as it was last year, and a real boon for both the downtown community and the businesses on the street. And I'd be kind of embarrassed if I was too much of an ideologue to admit it. :)


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#34 Nparker

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 07:44 AM

I really liked the "sidewalk" cafes set up by The Mint and Veneto, although the latter would have benefited from some white tablecloths IMHO. Both seemed to be very popular with folks and a nice alternative to standing in line at one of the food trucks. I chose Hungry Rooster myself after developing quite the appetite watching the admittedly good sport, Lisa Helps, get dunked several times. 

 

The outdoor living room near Centennial Square (courtesy of Capital Iron) was also a nice place to rest up from the crowds and the sun.



#35 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 07:45 AM

Douglas St. really needs a hosing down today.  It's dirty.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#36 Nparker

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 07:47 AM

So in other words, Douglas Street looks pretty much like it does every day except Car Free YYJ.



#37 G-Man

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 07:48 AM

How full were the parkades for the event?

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#38 nagel

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 07:49 AM

Bike parking wasn't full so I bet the parkades were a zoo.



#39 aastra

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 08:31 AM

From that letter to the TC, I thought this was funny:

 

 

I lived in Ottawa in the 1970s and endured the protracted and agonizing discussions about whether Sparks Street should become a pedestrian precinct. Ask people now what they think of it — it would be hard to find a negative opinion.
- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.ukwjmyxK.dpuf

 

http://ottawacitizen...k-from-the-dead

 

http://www.ottawasun...-a-little-spark

 

etc.



#40 todd

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Posted 20 June 2016 - 08:52 AM

I bought $5,000 in gasoline in Gordon Head and just poured it down the storm drain, directly from the nozzle.  Just to counter-balance this thing.

Naming an event after an airport code (unless it's at the airport) is just poor marketing, half the people showed up at the Victoria airport*.

 

*statistic VHF foundation


Edited by todd, 20 June 2016 - 08:54 AM.

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