After hours of debate Thursday night, Victoria council voted to reopen one section of road in Beacon Hill Park to traffic.
Bridge Way, running from Arbutus Way to Heywood Way — around the playground and down to the parking lot near Cricket Field — will be reopened to vehicles.
Councillors Stephen Andrew and Charlayne Thornton-Joe wanted to see all of the roads return to the way they were before the pandemic, but weren’t able to convince the rest of council.
Council also decided that any future closure must adhere to B.C.’s human rights legislation.
Staff will spend the week working up a reopening plan for Bridge Way and will present it to council next week.
A decision to keep cars out of the park on two roads and give pedestrians more room for physical distancing was made by council in May 2020.
READ MORE: Victoria council votes to keep Beacon Hill Park partially closed to vehicles
Some accessibility advocates argued the decision limited their ability to get into the park.
Arbutus Way at Southgate, as well as Heywood Way from Heywood Avenue to Bridge Way, remain closed to vehicles.
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