ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 11, 2000,
Author/Local: P. Ryan/7424

RTS No. 01627

CC File No. 113

Council: July 25, 2000

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services in Consultation with Director of Legal Services
SUBJECT:	Revisions to Street and Traffic By-law No. 2849

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT the Street and Traffic By-law No. 2849 be revised to prohibit stopping alongside or on a traffic circle or traffic island, unless specifically designated, as generally shown in Appendix A.

B. THAT the Director of Legal Services be requested to prepare the necessary amendments to the Street and Traffic By-law.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council approves amendments and additions to the Street and Traffic By-Law.

PURPOSE

To address a legal weakness in the existing Street and Traffic By-Law.

BACKGROUND

An update of the Street and Traffic By-Law is required to address parking next to medians, traffic islands and traffic circles. Stopping against a median is prohibited; however, Parking Enforcement staff have had difficulty in enforcing this by-law as a median is not defined in the Street and Traffic By-Law. A similar situation occurs with traffic circles and traffic islands.

DISCUSSION

As demand for parking, and particularly free parking, increases, motorists become more creative in finding parking places. However, traffic management and safety considerations require that parking be controlled to ensure safe flows of pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles.
Occasional parking against medians, traffic circles and traffic islands narrows creates a safety hazard and reduces the visibility of pedestrians. Parking Enforcement staff have attempted to control this by issuing by-law tickets. However, challenges of these by-law tickets have been successful because median, traffic island and traffic circles are not defined in the by-law. This has resulted in the need for "No Stopping" signs on traffic circles and traffic islands where parking has occasionally occurred.

Appendix A contains the proposed By-Law amendments and definitions. The definitions are based on the Transportation Association of Canada Manual of Geometric Design Standards for Canadian Roads and the Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

These by-law changes will result in more efficient control of parking and avoid the need to install and maintain signage on medians, traffic circles and traffic islands.

CONCLUSION

In order to more effectively and safely manage parking in the City of Vancouver, it is recommended that the Street and Traffic By-Law be amended to ban stopping on or alongside a traffic island or traffic circle. It is also recommended that definitions be added for median, traffic island and traffic circle.

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APPENDIX A

Street and Traffic By-Law No. 2849, A By-law to Regulate Traffic and the use of Streets in the City of Vancouver

Section 17, Stopping and Parking - Streets

Section 17.2 No Person shall stop a vehicle:

(h) alongside a median, traffic island or traffic circle

Section 17.4 No person shall stop a vehicle:

(e) on a boulevard, traffic island or traffic circle except where specifically designated for the parking of motor vehicles

Section 3, Definitions - Add in the following definitions

"Median" means an area that is painted, curbed, or raised and is located between traffic lanes to separate vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.

"Traffic Circle" means a traffic island located in the centre of an intersection.

"Traffic Island" means an area that is painted, curbed or raised between traffic lanes for the control of vehicle movements or for pedestrian refuge.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver