‘Hilariously bad’ Granville Connector bench design only temporary, city says

A picture of one of the combination bench and accessibility ramps on the Granville Connector. (Credit: Reddit user LOOSEPILLS)

An eyebrow-raising design on Vancouver’s new Granville Connector walking and cycling path is only temporary, according to the city.

Combined benches and accessibility ramps on the path have drawn snarky comments online, with some calling the execution everything from “hilariously bad” to “depressing.”

“The design proposals were so impressive, with planters, beautiful pedestrianized areas, and public seating,” one Reddit user wrote, referencing previous concepts for the path. “What they built was trash.”

Asked about the feedback, the City of Vancouver noted that only Phase 1 of the Granville Connector project has been completed, and said the “interim design” of the benches and ramps would be replaced during a later phase.

“With financial constraints, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to advance this first phase of the project to provide the needed transportation connectivity and accessibility using temporary materials and treatments, where possible, to reduce costs,” the city told CTV News, in a statement.

Officials confirmed the final product will not resemble an artistic rendering included in the city’s Transportation 2040 plan, which imagined the path in the centre of the bridge, lined with trees.

An image of the recommended long-term design shows a completed path along the west side of the bridge, without greenery.

The Granville Connector was opened to the public last Friday, providing a new separated route in and out of the downtown core.

Mayor Ken Sim, who attended a ribbon-cutting for the path, called it a “pretty huge step forward” in terms of making the city more inclusive, sustainable and livable.

Installing the path meant removing two lanes of traffic on the bridge. The city also removed the north loops that were initially designed to accommodate a high-volume freeway into downtown that was never built.

In total, the project cost approximately $54 million, $8 million of which was contributed by TransLink.