1
CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

APRIL 18, 2000

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on April 18, 2000, at 12:10 p.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.

PRESENT:	Deputy Mayor Sandy McCormick Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Mayor Phillip Owen (Civic Business)
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Hazel Hoyle, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Deputy Mayor McCormick in the chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in the following clauses of the attached report:

Cl.1: Pedestrian Safety
Cl.2: Sidewalk Impediments - Sandwich Boards

Clause 1
MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1 of this report, be approved.

-CARRIED

(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed)

Clause 2
MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 2 of this report, be approved.

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report,

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED BY Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Puil,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Leave of Absence - Councillor Sullivan File No. 1254

MOVED BY Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Puil

THAT Councillor Sullivan’s previously granted Leave of Absence be changed to May 30 and June 12 to 15, 2000.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Leave of Absence - Councillor Clarke File No. 1254

MOVED BY Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. Kennedy,
THAT Councillor Clarke be granted Leave of Absence for the afternoon of April 20, 2000.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 12:15 p.m.

* * * * *

REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

APRIL 18, 2000

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on April 18, 2000, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor Jennifer Clarke, Chair *Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan * Councillor Lynne Kennedy
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Hazel Hoyle, Meeting Coordinator

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting of March 14, 2000, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Pedestrian Safety File: 5701

Vancouver City Council at its meeting on March 28, 2000, deferred consideration of a Motion proposing that Council strike a Pedestrian Safety Task Force and an ongoing Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee. Council agreed to postpone consideration of the Motion to the April 18, 2000 meeting of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic to allow delegations to be heard.

Accordingly, the Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April 7, 2000, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services provided information outlining the current programs underway, similar to those proposed by the Motion.

Ian Adam, Assistant City Engineer - Transportation, reviewed the report and responded to questions from City Council.

The following delegations spoke in support of the Motion:

· Bev Ballantyne
· Ann Roberts
· Nora Hanuse, Putting Pedestrians First (brief filed)
· Jean Gordon
· Tom Holmes
· Beverly Hargrove
· Evan Haines
· Anita Romaniuk
· David Cadman, SPEC
· Wally Robinson
· Phil LeGood

Delegations addressed the following points of concern:
- examples were given of numerous Vancouver streets that are unsafe for pedestrians, due to lack of signage and visibility of crosswalks.
- pedestrian safety concerning children near schools and parks is lacking. Motorists
ignore crosswalks and reduced speed playground zone signs; enforcement is minimal.
- funds have not been sufficiently allocated to increase pedestrian crossing signal lights.
- increased investigation is required to identify causes of the problems and to find solutions.
- implementation of laws that prohibit cellular telephone use while operating motor vehicles should be considered.
- speed limit enforcement of motor vehicles is required.
- pedestrian injuries due to lack of safety also need to be addressed.

Staff responded to questions from Council regarding the delegations’ concerns.

The following motion by Cllr. McCormick was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT City Council request the Provincial Government to implement legislation to control the use of hand-held cell phones by operators of moving motor vehicles.

- CARRIED

(Mayor Owen absent for the vote)

The Committee agreed to postpone discussion and decision on this report to later in the meeting following consideration of Agenda Item No. 2.

2. Sidewalk Impediments - Sandwich Boards

The Committee had before it a Memorandum dated April 7, 2000, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services advised Council of the current by-law regulations and enforcement actions related to sandwich board encroachments onto sidewalks.

Rowan Birch, Streets Administration Engineer, with the aid of a power-point presentation, presented the Department’s analysis of the sandwich board issues. Rowan Birch and Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, responded to questions regarding the hazardous effects of sandwich boards and enforcement actions underway to alleviate the problems.

The following motion by Cllr. Louis was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT the Memorandum dated April 18, 2000 be received for information.

1. Pedestrian Safety (cont’d) File:5701

The following motion by Cllr. McCormick was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT consideration of the following motions be deferred pending a report back on the scope and structure of a Task Force on pedestrian-related issues:

THAT Council strike a Pedestrian Safety Task Force comprised of representatives from Police, Traffic and Engineering, the VancouverRichmond Health Board, ICBC and interested members of the community, to consult with the public and report back to Council on measures that can be taken to improve pedestrian safety

THAT Council appoint an ongoing Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee made up of members of the general public, interested community groups, Police, ICBC, Traffic and Engineering, and the Vancouver Richmond Health Board, to advise on issues of pedestrian safety.

-CARRIED

(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed)

B. THAT the identified pedestrian-related issues be referred to Councillor McCormick and Councillor Louis for consultation with the Special Advisory Committee on Seniors, to be included in a staff report back to the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic outlining specific terms of the proposed Pedestrian Safety Task Force.

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The following motion by Cllr. Kennedy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT the Administrative Report, dated April 07, 2000, be received for information.

-CARRIED

The following motion by Cllr. Kennedy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT City staff forward the pedestrian safety concerns to the BC Traffic Services Study, and report back to the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic with a specific definition of what a motorized vehicle is.

-CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Committee adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver