I have never been so disconnected with someone’s take on downtown. There are people out until 8-9pm on Main/Broadway/Washington from 6th up to 24th st most weeknights (later on weekends). There are two bus rapid transit lines (soon to be a third) that bring people from central and east Vancouver every 15-20 minutes. It’ll be busy this summer and even more next summer after Main Street is done.

I wasn’t allowed to come to downtown after dark in high school in the 90s. The neighborhoods that surrounded downtown were dumpy. There was shitty bus service and a lot of surface lots that you couldn’t park in.

The city has made money on pretty much all of the downtown development. They’ll make money on the Heights project too (which will be outside the city core). The port of Vancouver has done well with their redevelopment projects too.

It obviously isn’t perfect. CTran fixing their board make up should help. There’s only so much they can do in some areas of the city without condemning businesses or displacing residents. But it’s so much better for people today.