In the DTES, pedestrian safety is a longstanding issue

Good morning,

The PNE announced that Freedom Mobile will be the sponsor of its new amphitheatre, and it’s polling the public on what the full name should be. The options are okay, I guess, but in the spirit of Canada’s telecoms industry, I’d like to offer my own suggestion: The Freedom Mobile Triumvirate. This would reflect the triangular shape of the structure and the oligopoly that rules our telecommunications market in Canada. It’s perfect!

Anyway, today we’re talking about pedestrian safety in the Downtown Eastside and what the failure of the BC United and BC Conservatives to merge means for the coming election.

— Dustin Godfrey, freelancer

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WEATHER

Monday: 14 🌡️ 10 | 🌧️

Tuesday: 12 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Wednesday: 13 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

What to do about cars hitting pedestrians in the DTES

What happened: After one police officer hit a pedestrian on Hastings Street, just weeks after another pled guilty and was fined $2,000 for doing the same, the family of the man hit in the latter case told CBC the fine is “nothing” compared to how the man’s life has been impacted.

• Const. Jack Zhao hit Dennis Hunter on East Hastings near Main Street in September 2022, as the man was standing on the road. Zhao was driving well over the 30 km/h speed limit for the area, according to CBC, which said Hunter is still experiencing mental and physical health consequences from the incident.

"When you get run down like that and then, just seeing no consequence … [the officer] got to go to work the next day while [Hunter] was struggling to survive," Hunter’s sister told CBC.

The latest: The Independent Investigations Office is looking into the latest incident, which happened on May 21, according to the IIO. Citing information from the VPD, the IIO said a man was walking on East Hastings near Dunlevy Avenue, when the police officer hit him at around 12:30 a.m.

Community enraged: Hunter’s sister isn’t the only one who sees the $2,000 fine, which also came with a $300 victim surcharge fee charged to the officer, as a slap on the wrist. And some in the community have said the lack of consequences and the latest incident aren’t unconnected.

• Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users organizer Vince Tao told CBC the May 21 crash is “a sign that the police are not accountable to the Downtown Eastside.” And Stanley Woodvine, a homeless writer, wrote on Twitter that the fine and the May 21 incident were a sign that the VPD feels it is above the law.

Vision Zero: VANDU board member Dave Hamm told CBC the city needs to lower the speed limit even below the current 30 km/h and to improve pedestrian infrastructure. And he’s not alone. Earlier this month, transit advocate Nathan Davidowicz cited the fine on Twitter and called for “proper Vision Zero,” referring to a campaign that seeks to eliminate pedestrian fatalities on BC’s roads.

And the Downtown Eastside could be a priority for this kind of initiative.

• According to Vision Zero Vancouver’s interactive map, there were five crashes that resulted in pedestrian injuries — including one death — in 2023 in just a few blocks along East Hastings. One passenger was killed at the Columbia Street intersection, three pedestrians were injured at different times at Main Street, and one was injured at Gore Avenue.

A pedestrian injury hotspot: A 2009 study by SFU and UBC found 2,358 pedestrian-vehicle crashes over six years in Vancouver, and highlighted 32 hotspots. Nine of those hotspots were in the DTES, and those hotspots accounted for 10 per cent of all pedestrian injuries in the city.

• The study cites high rates of severe mental illness, homelessness, drug use and a high concentration of bars in the area as being likely factors in this. But this assumes a difference in pedestrian behaviour that may not be borne out by later research.

We’re All Pedestrians: Building off of that research, the Downtown Eastside Pedestrian Safety Project was formed, and volunteers in the community collected data on all nine hotspot intersections, as well as along Broadway, Davie, Burrard and Commercial, including counting jaywalking rates and other pedestrian infractions, like crossing outside the lines or during the flashing red hand signal.

• Hastings was on the low end for jaywalking, at 18 per cent of crossings, compared to 22 per cent on Davie, 24 per cent along Burrard, and 34 to 35 per cent along Commercial, with only Broadway being lower, at 14 per cent, according to the project’s report.

Since this report was released, Hastings was dropped down to 30 km/h, which was the first short-term recommendation of the DTES Pedestrian Safety Project’s report. According to the City of Vancouver, it has also since implemented pedestrian walk countdowns, added speed reader boards, increased walk times, and “increased road safety awareness.”

Other recommendations: The report made a number of mid- and long-term recommendations as well, including pedestrian-only areas, curb bulges at intersections, a DTES-centred bike network and a red light camera under medium-term recommendations. Long-term, the project sought a redesign of Hastings Street, traffic calming infrastructure and a pedestrian corridor plan.

None of those recommendations has been undertaken, and today we continue to see headlines like “Advocates want pedestrian safety prioritized following fatal crash in DTES” [CTV], “Despite changes, Main and Hastings remains BC’s most dangerous pedestrian intersection” [Straight] and “Why is Vancouver's Downtown Eastside so dangerous for pedestrians?” [CBC].

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🚨 188: The number of inmates who have died in BC’s jails and prisons since 2013, a figure that has been on the rise, with 2023 (25 deaths) seeing more than double the number in 2013 (11 deaths). [Vancouver Sun]

🏘️ 670: The number of below-market units planned for Metro Vancouver in the second phase of a partnership between the regional district and the province, including one location in Vancouver, one in North Vancouver and two in Coquitlam. The province and Metro Vancouver are contributing $226 million and $367 million respectively. [Global]

⛴️ 250,000: The fast ferry company Hullo Ferries says it has transported that many passengers in its first nine months of operations, with expectations traffic will only pick up as people begin to travel more in the summer. [Vancouver Is Awesome]

NEW JOBS

Discover your new dream job in Vancouver:

1. Vice president, business development, Western Canada at Ipsos

2. Senior strategic alliance manager at Hootsuite

3. Director of strategy, planning and implementation at BC Cancer

4. Senior manager, corporate purpose at BCAA

5. Executive director of facilities at Vancouver School Board

Local jobs are selected by the Lookout team and are not paid ads, unless specifically noted.

THE AGENDA

🏗️ Two residential towers, at 20 and 23 storeys, have been proposed for Kitsilano, including one at Burrard and West 2nd Avenue, and another at Yew and West Eighth Avenue. The projects would add up to nearly 400 units between the two of them. [Vancouver Is Awesome] 

🚇 Just when we thought the Broadway Subway was getting somewhere near finished, the province announced yet another delay. Originally expected in 2025, a concrete workers’ strike pushed that date back to 2026. Now, 2027 is the date to look forward to. The Pattullo Bridge was also delayed from this year to 2025. [CTV]

🛒 Canada’s Competition Bureau is investigating Loblaws and Sobeys for allegedly using property lease agreements to restrict other potential tenants — namely, their competition. Canadian grocers? Accused of anti-competitive behaviour? Quelle surprise! [CBC]

👮 Two VPD officers “performed their duties appropriately” in a wellness check when finding a person could not be apprehended under the Mental Health Act half an hour before the person jumped off the Granville Street bridge, according to an IIO investigation. [CTV]

🧑‍⚕️ UBC failed to provide a doctor receiving obstetrical surgical training with feedback on “material incompetencies threatening his success in the program,” leaving him unable to pass the program on time and delaying his ability to perform procedures like C-sections and other obstetrical support in his small community, according to a lawsuit. [Vancouver Is Awesome]

🐶 The BC SPCA is looking for more donations of unopened food, money or time, as inflation is putting a strain on the charity’s pet food banks, at the same time as donations have been slowing. [CTV]

🧊 The “doomsday glacier” in Antarctica seems to be melting faster than previously thought, and that’s bad news for Vancouver, which is “probably going to suffer the worst in Canada from sea level rise,” according to one scientist. The Thwaites Glacier is the size of Florida, and its collapse could add 60 cm of sea level rise. [Vancouver Sun]

🚔 Following an attack in prison on Robert Pickton that has left him in “dire condition,” the families of his victims are continuing their attempts in court to intervene in the RCMP’s application to toss out DNA and other items seized from his farm. The police say the evidence no longer has investigative value. [Vancouver Sun]

💥 Who’s winning out in our no-fault insurance system? Victims in car crashes have long complained they have lost the ability to sue for pain and suffering in catastrophic injuries, but Premier David Eby says it was lawyers who really gained from the old system. He said a five-year review will address any gaps in the system. [Vancouver Is Awesome]

FOOD PREVIEW

Discover the best of the Richmond Night Market

One of the best summer events can also be the most confusing... There are so many food options it’s hard to know where to start.

Luckily our team spent a Saturday trying a few different places, to help you spend your money on good food and skip the forgettable options.

To read Geoff’s recommendations, instantly subscribe to our free Vancouver food, restaurant and drink newsletter and get this edition sent to you tomorrow.

EVENTS GUIDE

Flavor Camp: Cocktail Class | Taste of Legacy | May 28 | Come learn more about making and garnishing cocktails | Tickets $75

Rookie Moves: Latte Art Competition for Beginners | Soon Coffee, Burnaby | May 31, 7 pm | Come try your skills at latte art | Tickets $10

California Wines: Vintage Room Event | Everything Wine - North Vancouver | May 31 | Discover the world of California wines | Tickets $44

Queers & Beers | The Birdhouse | Saturday, 3 pm | Kick off pride month with music, beers (or other beverages) and queers! | Tickets $11

Planted Expo Vancouver 2024 | Vancouver Convention Centre West Building | Saturday and Sunday | North America’s largest plant-based event | Free admission

Johnnydrille | Enso Event Centre | Sunday, 6 pm | The alternative rock, R&B and Afrobeat singer-songwriter’s tour comes to Vancouver | Tickets $44

Afro World Expo 2024 | 999 Canada Place | Saturday and Sunday | A showcase of amazing African and Caribbean products | Free admission

Cam Blake 'Satisfaction Of Sameness' Album Release Show | Rickshaw Theatre | Saturday, 7:30 pm | Also featuring FKA Rayne, Tiger Really and Passion Mango | Tickets $37

FlirT | The Birdhouse | June 7, 11 pm | Bringing trans joy to the dancefloor | Tickets $19

BC Cider Fest 2024 | 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver | June 16 | Try delicious ciders from around the world | Tickets $64

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Wednesday marks 63 years since Jim Pattison opened his first car dealership at Cambie and W. 18th Avenue, the transition from star salesperson at one dealership to his own business that would put his net worth in the billions. [Vancouver Sun]

• Subscribe to The Starglow Weekly to get the TLDR on all things purposeful parenting, help lessen screentime, and find that balance we're all seeking. [Sponsored]

• Here are three bubble tea places worth a visit in Richmond.

• Photographer Roger Larry was driven by the pandemic to capture the “gothic sublime” of Stanley Park — and looking through his photos published in this Tyee piece, I’d say he was successful. [The Tyee]

• SNL actor Bowen Yang was in Vancouver this weekend, and he gave a shout-out to a Vancouver staple: the T&T market in Chinatown, calling it the “best store [he’s] ever been to.” [Daily Hive]

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

It’s the time of year when some geese are, in fact, cute!

GOOD NEWS MONDAY

Start your day off with some good news:

This is great news for anyone who is passionate about both hula hooping and self-defence: A storefront in North Vancouver is now advertising the coming arrival of the Hula Hoop Combat Training studio! On the sign is a Hula Hoop Combat Training Anthem, including the lyrics “In the  world of combat, we straight bring the heat / As we gyrate our hips and arms to a mesmerizing beat,” and “Spinning in circles like a cyclone’s wrath / Our hula hoops cut through the whole air’s path.” Consider me sold! [Daily Hive]

GAME TIME

Today’s quiz question that you can find in the newsletter — what percentage of pedestrian injuries took place in the Downtown Eastside? Reply with the correct answer and your name to be featured in the newsletter.