For at least a little while longer, you'll be able to drive your car over Blackfriars Bridge.
On Tuesday, city councillors narrowly voted in favour of a committee recommendation to keep the bridge open to cars year round rather than close it to cars entirely or just in the summer months.
"Our best option is keeping the bridge open," said Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis. "I think to start closing an access point to the downtown, because the downtown is not accessible right now. I think there's room on this bridge right now to accommodate all modes of transportation."
Car traffic can only move east on the bridge in the current configuration.
The final vote to keep the bridge open was 8-7, with Hadleigh McAlister switching to support defeating the recommendation he tabled at committee.
He was joined by Mayor Josh Morgan, as well as councillors Sam Trosow, Anna Hopkins, Elizabeth Peloza, Skylar Franke, and David Ferreria.
"It's about people, it's about a neighbourhood. It's about a creative vision for the bridge," said Trosow. "We have the opportunity to create a car-free public space. Imagine a pedestrian and cycle bridge with planters for trees, benches, public art."
Lewis, and councillors Peter Cuddy, Jerry Pribil, Corrine Rahman, Steve Lehman, Paul Van Meerbergen and Steve Hillier voted to keep the bridge open.
Lewis noted he's open to revisiting the issue when downtown construction projects for bus rapid transit wrap up.
"My position is not never, my position is not now," Lewis said. "We are in a period where there's a lot of transportation challenges in the downtown core."
Blackfriars Bridge was built in 1875, and restored in 2017 at a cost of $8.6-million.
