Yew Street pedestrian pilot project in Kitsilano leaving drivers and cyclists confused

Vancouver biologist Mihai Cirstea was excited when he first heard the City of Vancouver was making a two-block stretch of Yew Street across from Kits Beach more friendly for pedestrians by restricting vehicle access.

“I thought it would be really good. It’s right by the beach. There are really good restaurants there,” said Cirstea.

But then he went to check it out this week.

“And it looked really silly, really bad.”

A few weeks into the pilot project and it’s clear the setup is causing confusion. Not everyone is happy and one business is reporting a sharp, negative impact on sales.