Main Street Car-Free Day. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Vision Event Photography
With fun neighbourhoods close to downtown, Vancouver is a great city to have a car-free adventure. From pedestrian zones to bike paths to public transit to street festivals, you’ll want to try these car-free experiences in Vancouver.
Get a Great View from Public Transit
The SkyTrain crossing a bridge with views of the North Shore Mountains. Photo: Destination BC/Albert Normandin
Vancouver’s public transit system is one of the best places to get great views of the city. Since the Skytrain (our light rail system) is partially aboveground on elevated tracks, riders can watch the city go by out the window. It also has amazing views of the North Shore Mountains.
Our transit system also includes a passenger ferry called the Seabus that plies the waters of Burrard Inlet between downtown Vancouver and North Vancouver. The 15-minute crossing provides an incredible water-level perspective on the city skyline and the North Shore Mountains.
Car-Free Pedestrian Zones
The Water Street pedestrian zone in Gastown. Photo: City of Vancouver
This summer the Water Street section of the historic Gastown neighbourhood is a designated pedestrian zone. The narrow, brick-paved street is home to boutiques and restaurants popular with both locals and tourists as well as the iconic steam clock. With the street closed to cars, restaurants have expanded their patios and the city has installed public seating, giving the area a festive atmosphere.
The Granville Mall pedestrian zone has been putting people before cars since 1974. During the day, the stretch of Granville Street between Hastings and Smithe Streets is open to pedestrians and buses but closed to cars to allow people on foot to shop and head to restaurants. In the evenings the buses divert to the side streets and a portion of the Granville Mall becomes the Granville Entertainment District, home to the city’s bars, nightclubs and live music venues.
Car-Free Pathways
Biking along the Spirit Trail past the floating homes. Photo: Destination BC/@vancitywild
As an environmentally-friendly city, Vancouver also has lots of car-free pathways for bikes and pedestrians. The Stanley Park Seawall is the most famous example with a 10-kilometre-long oceanfront pathway encircling Stanley Park.
But the Seawall network also extends across the city. The Coal Harbour Seawall on the north side of downtown is a great place to go for a stroll or stop at a restaurant to enjoy the incredible view of the North Shore Mountains from the patio. In Olympic Village, the False Creek Seawall connects with Olympic Village Square to create a pedestrian-friendly plaza with shops, restaurants, and seating areas.
Opened in 2018, the Arbutus Greenway transformed a disused section of railway into a 9-kilometre-long bike and pedestrian path slicing across the city. The path is a great place to get some exercise and it also provides a jumping-off point for visiting the cafes and boutiques in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood.
In North Vancouver, the car-free Spirit Trail stretches across the North Shore, connecting neighbourhoods. To get a taste of it, ride the Seabus from downtown Vancouver to the Lonsdale Quay, then explore along the trail. To the east, you can visit the new pedestrian-friendly Shipyards District. To the west ,you can walk past unique floating homes at the marina and enjoy incredible views from Kings Mill Walk Park. Stop for a snack at the Lonsdale Quay on your way back to the Seabus. It has dozens of food vendors from all over the world.
Car Free Vancouver Days
Car Free Vancouver Day on Commercial Drive
Each year the Car Free Vancouver Society organizes several car-free street festivals called Car Free Vancouver Days. These all-day parties turn some of Vancouver’s busiest streets into festive pedestrian spaces that showcase artists, music, local businesses and community organizations.
On Saturday, September 7th, 2004, take part in the Commercial Drive Car Free Day. Known to locals as “The Drive”, Commercial Drive is an eclectic and multicultural neighbourhood with a somewhat bohemian vibe. Look for lots of restaurants, boutiques, and specialty food stores, especially ones specializing in Italian cuisine. On Car Free Day, the street will be closed to cars between Grandview Highway and 1st Avenue.
There is another Car Free event the following weekend: On Sunday, September 15th, 2024 it is Main Street’s turn to have a pedestrian street party. This neighbourhood is located just south of downtown and is also called Mount Pleasant. Thanks to the numerous hipster coffee shops, microbreweries and art galleries, some say it is the Brooklyn of Vancouver. Main Street will be closed between 10th Avenue and 30th Avenue on Car Free Day.