Early morning construction noise from crews building the Hornby Street bike lane will be a part of life for the time being after the city granted a variance allowing crews to start work earlier.
Notices sent to condominium buildings on October 8 warned residents that “in order to ensure we can expedite the construction process, street crews have been granted a noise variance to allow street work to start earlier on Sundays and holidays (from 7 a.m.).”
City staff estimate the lane will take 10 weeks to build.
Some of the early work included putting signs over parking meters to eliminate 157 parking spots on the east side of Hornby Street.
Paul Archer, who lives in the 1300 block of Hornby Street, watched work crews across from his building on October 9 and told Business in Vancouver he already finds it difficult to get a parking spot. After a long workday, he does not want to have a long walk back to his building.
The complaint highlights a lack of public parking spots in the rapidly growing Downtown South neighbourhood.
Residents living one block east, on the west side of Burrard Street, are considered to be in the West End and are therefore eligible to buy parking permits. Residents of Downtown South have no such option.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business released a survey earlier this month showing 92% of Hornby Street business owners fear the separated bike lane will hurt their businesses largely because the lack of parking will prompt shoppers to go elsewhere.