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An elevator that would drop pedestrians from the middle of the Granville Street Bridge into the heart of Granville Island is one of the ideas contained in the Granville Island 2040: Bridging Past & Future report.

The plan, released Tuesday by CMHC-Granville Island, 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.

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“The elevator would become a destination in itself, attracting new visitors to Granville Island. As well, by lowering the ‘effective distance’ to the Island for approximately 250,000 local downtown Vancouver residents, the elevator greatly increases their likelihood of using Granville Island for food and convenience shopping as well as restaurants, theatres, and other amenities,” the report says.

The CMHC-Granville Island report says the elevator proposal — which would also include a staircase — aligns with the City of Vancouver’s Transportation 2040 proposal of an elevated cycle and pedestrian greenway in the central two lanes of the eight-lane Granville Street Bridge.