Business Walks

The left image illustrates that 83% of businesses surveyed see a positive state being either ‘Steady’ or ‘Increasing’. The map on the right shows the approximate geographic breakdown of those results, with the colour representing the response, green for good, yellow for fair, and red for slow, and the height of the bar representing the number of businesses in that area that expressed that view.

This figure demonstrates that the most frequent responses were ‘location’ and ‘clientele’. Businesses could opt to select more than one, and several businesses opted to not provide an answer.

Respondents were asked to describe how they felt business could be improved. While some respondents suggested improvements to existing government support programs and municipal government initiatives, many described both valuable and challenging aspects impacting their businesses.

This and the similar image in question four represent general themes from the recorded anecdotes, with the size of the word increasing based on the frequency used. Amongst suggested initiatives for government, respondents identified parking improvements, vulnerable populations support, crime, safety, and traffic.

Concerns about the potential for increased crime, area traffic, safety, and an increased vulnerable population were identified by respondents. Separately, many respondents expressed interest in area walkability and accessibility through pedestrian-oriented infrastructure.

Overall, respondents expressed interest in the increased accessibility that SkyTrain will bring, the prospect of new customers, as well as improved transit options for employees. In general, respondents of businesses closer to the SkyTrain node viewed it as a benefit while those further from the SkyTrain node were largely indifferent about its value unless additional buses and community shuttles are included as well. Of those respondents that expressed concerns, the potential for increased crime and the vulnerable population was commonly shared.