Vancouver Main Street
Safe. Accessible. Connected.
THE HISTORY
Vancouver, situated in the southwestern part of Washington state, rests along the North Bank of the Columbia River, near its confluence with Oregon's Willamette River. The city is named after George Vancouver, a British explorer renowned for mapping the Northwest coast in 1792. Vancouver holds the distinction of being the oldest non-Indian settlement in the Pacific Northwest.
Within walking distance of Vancouver's Main Street, you'll find a wealth of historic sites. These include Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver, the 1849 United States Army Barracks, which includes Officer's Row, the shipways from the World War II Kaiser shipyards, and Pearson
Field, recognized as the oldest continually operating airfield in the West. Additionally, Esther Short Park, the region's oldest public park, and the historic St. James Cathedral add to the city's rich heritage.
The arrival of Interstate 5 in Vancouver in March 1955 had a significant impact. The highway closed Vancouver's 5th Street, a major arterial and the only road across the military reservation, and it provided no exit to downtown. The core of the city began to die.
THE MAIN STREET PROMISE
The City of Vancouver is investing in the future of downtown’s Main Street—making it safer, more accessible and connected for businesses, residents, and visitors. That is the Main Street Promise. A community-led effort nearly 30 years in the making, this project will reconstruct Main Street from 5th Street to 15th Street. The roadway, sidewalks, and adjacent outdoor spaces will be reconfigured to improve safety, foster a sense of community, and drive economic prosperity. This project builds on planning work that began in 1993 with the goal of improving and invigorating the heart of Vancouver.
We figured out how to incorporate the bus routes, stops, and holding spaces into the plan. We noticed this created an interesting pattern, so we mapped it, literally!
Since the new community is centered around bus transit, we made sure to make it enjoyable to wait for the bus by giving people things to do. Including a beautiful park with an outdoor movie screen to make waiting for the bus fun!
We're happy to help C-TRAN work towards its 50 year vision!