Cars on Commercial St. appear set to stay, if the collective opinion of Nanaimo Council candidates is anything to go by. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

NANAIMOVOTES SURVEY

Appetite for car-less Commercial St. minimal among Nanaimo Council candidates

Oct 7, 2022 | 3:42 PM

NANAIMO — With plans still ongoing about how best to revitalize downtown through upgrades to Commercial St. and Terminal Ave., the desire to remove cars from certain areas appears mixed.

Of the 29 respondents to NanaimoNewsNOW’s NanaimoVotes survey, 14 candidates disagreed to the idea of restricting or removing vehicles on Commercial St. Nine were neutral in their opinion while only six agreed.

Those opposing the idea of vehicle restrictions in the area cited business interest and past polling which didn’t support a change.

Several candidates indicated removing or limiting vehicles from a main artery through the downtown would only limit the number of people wanting to venture to the area to shop or do business.

Supporters for the removal of vehicles also mentioned environmental impacts to the area, but largely agreed on the basis of doing so during special events.

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Candidates mentioned short-term closures to accommodate events such as the Downtown Nanaimo Night Market were positive steps toward a better downtown, however more permanent changes would only hurt business.

Current plans with the City of Nanaimo do not include restricting vehicles on Commercial St., however additional seating and pedestrian spaces are planned among work on the roadway, along with upgrades to the Jean Burns building site and Diana Krall Plaza.

A raised crosswalk is among the projects planned for the Commercial St. at Bastion St. intersection.

Candidate support for more events in downtown Nanaimo was widespread in our NanaimoVotes survey. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Support for an increase in tourism initiatives and events in the downtown was much more noticeable.

Sixteen of the 29 candidates agreed an increase of these events would be a major factor in improving the area overall. Six were neutral while seven disagreed.

Those who supported the idea said events, such as the Night Market, bring vibrancy and much needed foot traffic to the area.

Candidates against the statement suggested the addition of more events and initiatives was moot until the issues of crime and social disorder were handled first.

The complete 34-question NanaimoVotes Survey is available here.

A second and final advance voting opportunity will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

General voting day is Saturday, Oct. 15.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

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