Pedestrian death prompts call for more safety

Good morning,

As someone doing a newsletter three times a week on a part-time basis, sometimes scheduling can get a little crazy. Today was one of those days, so it’s a shorter, and later edition, than normal. We cover the hot-button issue of pedestrian safety and round up the bigger headlines around town.

There's no point in belabouring it, let’s dive into the newsletter!

Let’s get into it.

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity newsletter writer

PUBLIC SAFETY

Pedestrian death prompts call for more safety

What happened: The death of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle on Hastings Street in the Downtown Eastside last week has prompted more calls to improve pedestrian safety in the area, according to CTV.

• Two vehicles collided, causing one car to jump the curb and kill a pedestrian.

Zoom out: Hastings Street is the most dangerous intersection in Vancouver, according to CTV. It’s not just regular drivers hitting people — a police officer was charged with hitting a man in the area after speeding through the road and striking a pedestrian, according to CBC.

Competing arguments: Police say the intersection is dangerous because many of the pedestrians who are struck are walking on the road when cars have the right of way, while pedestrian safety advocates point out this was an incident where the car jumped the curb.

• Good news: The number of pedestrian-involved collisions was lower in 2022, according to CityNews, with 1,971 in Metro Vancouver, down from the usual yearly average of 2,400.

What can be done: One advocate called for more speed bumps and automated speed cameras to help reduce speeds along the street.

Lookout’s view: The article makes a great point that two lanes per direction create the perception of a faster road. Speaking personally, the abruptness of the change in speed limits on Hastings, with the goal of creating safety, has caught me off guard a few times. Certainly, more can be done to improve safety in that area.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

⛷️ $299: The cost of a single-day lift ticket to Whistler… Yes, that’s more than last year. If you’re into skiing, your best bet is an Edge Card which has significant savings. [Global]

🏇 8: The number of racehorse deaths this year at the Vancouver Hastings Racecourse. This is the same number of deaths as last year. [CityNews]

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THE AGENDA

🏠️ Excuse me for sounding glib, but this is a new one — residents opposed to a new rental housing development in Dunbar opposed the development because of public safety. The concern? The street is too narrow and has no sidewalks. That’s a new one! Council instead voted in favour, with all councillors supporting the development. [CTV]

❄️ Get out those parkas… If you plan on visiting the North Shore mountains. They’re expected to get 10 cm of new snow Monday night. It will likely be the first snowfall for the local mountains. [Vancouver Sun]

🪧 Metro Vancouver workers are back on strike after talks broke off. Picket lines are up today at water service yards in North Vancouver and New Westminster. The workers have been without a contract for 18 months and are asking for pay parity with workers from other municipalities. [Vancouver Sun]

📉 Sugar may soon be harder to come by. A month ago workers walked off the job at Rogers Sugar Refinery and businesses are being notified that there may be delays or shortages. Workers are asking for more manageable shift times rather than continuous shifts, as well as an increase to their pensions [CityNews]

🤑 A realtor named Thomas Park has been caught — which may not be the right word since he made the video himself — on TikTok bragging about rigging a vote at the Firenze strata elections to increase his Airbnb profits. This is the building we mentioned last week that was highlighted in a Vancouver Sun story that has been overrun by Airbnb users. [Vancouver Sun]

SPORTS

🏒 Another day, another Canucks win! The team scored the go-ahead goal with 4:57 left in the game on Saturday to win 5-3. The team is now second in the Pacific Division with a 3-2 record, behind the Golden Knights. They play the Nashville Predators tonight. [CTV]

🏒 The Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver’s farm team, lost 7-6 against the Calgary Wranglers. [Flames Nation]

⚽ While the Whitecaps have become a real success story after a bit of turnaround from four years ago, the team is seeing a drop in attendance, with an average of only 16,220 fans compared to 19,514 in 2019. Luckily things may be looking up, with season ticket renewals at 94 percent. [The Province]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Congrats to Vancouver breweries Powell Brewery, 33 Brewing Experiment, Container Brewing Ltd., R&B Brewing Co., Strange Fellows Brewing and more on taking home prizes at the BC Beer Awards. [CityNews]

• Unlock the World with ViaTravellers: This newsletter is a goldmine of travel wisdom, juicy news, and exclusive deals for thrill-seekers and luxury aficionado’s alike. Subscribe here.*

• An affordable one-bedroom awaits you. That is, if you like living on a balcony… [Reddit]

• If you’re a parent, be aware that it’s respiratory virus season. BC’s Children’s Hospital has released guidance on how to prepare, especially as more children visit the hospital. [CTV]

• It’s the 26th year of the Lights of Hope display at St. Paul’s Hospital. Go check it out! [CityNews]

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TOP PHOTO

How can you not love this? Reddit user Clean-Awareness-2482 captured this shot at the Sea to Sky Highway.

GAME TIME

This week’s quiz question — how many pedestrians were struck by vehicles last year in Vancouver? Reply with your answer and your name to be included in the newsletter.