A Metro Vancouver motorcyclist is speaking out about the design of the parkade entrances underneath Pacific Centre. She shared a recent experience in which she became stuck with nowhere safe to turn.
Erika Lind was coming downtown on her motorbike on May 31 for an appointment at the Pacific Centre Apple Store. She planned her route and slipped underground using the Howe Street parkade ramp near Sephora.
But upon reaching the parkade gate, she found she couldn’t open it with her motorcycle.
“There were these two sensors in the pavement, kind of like at intersections… Usually there’s one in the centre, but this had two on either side of the lane where the car tires would be,” she said. “I even tried positioning the motorcycle over that space, and it didn’t register.”
There was also a touch screen to get a ticket, but since Lind’s motorcycle wouldn’t activate the sensors, the screen wouldn’t turn on.
“Nothing responded, there was no option to get a ticket or anything,” she said.
By that point, she was worried.
“I was starting to get anxious, like what am I going to do?” she said. “Am I going to have to turn around and go the wrong way out of the tunnel to get out of here?”
Luckily, another driver was also having trouble with the touch screen in the lane beside her and used another button to call a customer service representative. Lind used the same button and told the person on the other end about her predicament.
They said the parkade doesn’t accept motorcycles.
“I was like, ‘well, what do you want me to do?’” Lind replied. “And she was like I’ll open the gate for you but you have to leave right away.”
Lind did as she was told and rode several blocks away to find alternate parking.
“I thought it was strange. I’m willing to pay, I had every intention of using the garage and paying to park,” she said. “Other garages don’t have this problem.”
The ordeal made her late for her appointment and left her questioning why a parkade would be designed that way.
“Why would you even build something that is so car-centric that you won’t even allow a smaller, more economical vehicle to park here?”
When she looked at the entrance later on Google Street View, she saw a small sign saying motorcycles weren’t allowed. She didn’t see it on her way in and thinks it isn’t big enough or in an obvious enough place to get the message across.
“They should at least have a sign hanging down, right in front of you, facing the driver. You couldn’t possibly see the sign,” she said.
Cars only signage at the entrance to the Pacific Centre parkade near Sephora (Google Street View)
The lot beneath Pacific Centre is owned by the City of Vancouver and operated by EasyPark. Ravinder Bains, director of client services with EasyPark, told Daily Hive that motorcycles have never been permitted in that lot.
“Barrier gates are designed primarily for larger vehicles,” he said. “The gate arms and mechanisms may not detect or adequately accommodate motorcycles, leading to potential safety hazards. The risk of the barrier arm lowering onto a motorcycle or not lifting properly is higher, which can cause accidents or damage.”
Motorcyclists are able to park in the north Pacific Centre lot underneath Holt Renfrew, he added.
He also said the company would consider adding more signage after hearing Lind’s concerns.
For Lind, she still doesn’t understand why a parkade would be designed to exclude motorcycles in the first place.
“For decades, we’ve had this thing figured out. You push a button, you get a ticket. To me, this wasn’t a problem that needed to be re-engineered with new technology.”