Maybe an elevator that would drop pedestrians from the middle of the Granville Street Bridge into the heart of Granville Island. The plan, which was released a couple of days ago by CMHC is the result of a 18 month project to explore ideas on improving accessibility, creating a market district, developing a more vibrant arts and innovation sector and enhancing the public spaces on Granville Island.

The elevator would become a destination in itself, attracting new visitors to Granville Island.  It would also lower the 'effective distance'  to the Island for approximately 250,000 local downtown residents.  The elevetor would greatly increase the residents chances of using Granville Island for food and convenience shopping as well as restaurants, theatres and other amenities.

The elevetor proposal would also include a staircase and an elevated cycle and pedestrian greenway in the central 2 lanes of the 8 lane Granville Street Bridge.

Other ideas include building a pedestrian and cycling bridge across Alder Bay on the eastern part of Granville Island, expanding the Public Market to create space for new food stalls and public amenities, establishing a new arts and innovation hub at the vacant Emily Carr University of Art & Design and creating a central plaza at the heart of the island.

CMHC who has managed Granville Island on behalf of the federal government since its redevelopment in 1973, would like to see a decrease in private automobile traffic and parking and restore the pedetrian friendly public spaces on Granville Island. The single largest use on the island is now vehicular circulation and parking, which occupies over a 25% of current land use. What would you like to see happen on Granville Island?