Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

City Council

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the Director of City Plans

SUBJECT:

2001 Pedestrian Study

 

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the 2001 Pedestrian Study described in this report be approved, with funding of up to $45,000 in the 2001 Operating Budget to come from Contingency Reserve.

COUNCIL POLICY

The City of Vancouver Transportation Plan, approved on May 27, 1997, includes the following policies:

3.10.2 The Engineering and Planning Departments will undertake a regular review of Transportation Plan implementation which will be a basis for recommendations for transportation components in the City's 3 year Capital Plan.

On June 22, 1999, Council approved an improved transportation monitoring program to assist with implementation of the Transportation Plan, including a report back from staff on details and funding of a commercial/retail pedestrian study.

PURPOSE

This report requests that Council approve a 2001 Pedestrian Study including funding of up to $45,000 in the 2001 Operating Budget, to come from Contingency Reserve.

BACKGROUND

Increasing the number of pedestrian trips is a key strategy for both the City's Transportation Plan and TransLink's Strategic Transportation Plan. Making communities more walkable not only encourages short trips made on foot, but also supports transit use since most transit trips begin and end on foot. Through its annual operating and capital budgets, the City invests millions of dollars each year towards maintaining and improving pedestrian facilities. To help ensure City transportation objectives are being met and that City expenditures are effective, it is important to assess changes in the usage of pedestrian facilities on a periodic basis.

Over the past three decades, the City has carried out periodic studies to quantify pedestrian volumes along sidewalks in the downtown. The data collected has been used for engineering and planning applications, such as the design of pedestrian, transit, traffic and parking facilities, as well as for review of building views and access points. Pedestrian counts represent an indicator of the vitality of the downtown, including the effect of new development. The data has also been useful for those involved in the real estate and retail areas of the private sector. The most recent study was in 1991 and examined selected streets in the downtown core.

On June 22nd,1999 Council approved recommendations in a report from the General Manager of Engineering Services for implementing a number of improvements for transportation system monitoring. The general areas identified for improvement included both enhancing regular monitoring programs carried out every year (automated and manual counts), as well as carrying out more frequent special studies (pedestrian volumes, travel times, downtown parking, etc.). The staff report recommended a report back on details and funding of a commercial/retail pedestrian volume study for consideration in the year 2000 budget.

Previous Pedestrian Studies

The last major pedestrian study carried out by the City was the 1991 "DowntownVancouver Pedestrian Survey". This study consisted of counting pedestrian volumes on sidewalks primarily along commercial streets within the downtown core. Streets in more residential areas such as Downtown South, or recreational routes such as the seawall, were not included. Although a much broader study area was originally planned, the study scope had to be reduced significantly due to funding constraints.

Study methodology consisted of sending out staff to undertake counts on week days in May and June 1991. Since the focus of the study was base level pedestrian volumes, the July to August period was intentionally avoided so as to miss the peak tourist season. Two-way counts were made on each side of the blocks (block face), generally between the hours of 10am and 6pm (excepting 2pm to 3pm). A limited number of evening counts were made on Robson St. and Water St. Data collected was compared to a similar study that was carried out in 1977.

Main findings of the 1991 study included:

· of the counts on block faces identical to 1977 locations, there was a 4.5% increase in pedestrian volumes over 1977 levels,
· for the 10 busiest blocks there was a 12% increase in pedestrian volumes over 1977 levels,
· changes on individual blocks varied widely between 1977 and 1991, ranging from an increase of 95% to a decrease of 45%; construction activity accounted for some of the variations,
· Robson Street from Jervis to Hornby was the busiest street section in the downtown,
· Both Gastown and Chinatown experienced strong growth in pedestrian volumes,
· Hastings St. east of Granville experienced decreasing pedestrian volumes,
· pedestrian counts generally show two hourly peaks - one around noon hour and another between 4 pm and 5pm,
· no firm conclusions regarding seasonal variations were reached, and
· in the absence of a strong attractor, pedestrians tend to walk on the north side of east-west streets, and east side of north-south streets, possibly due to the better sunshine exposure of these sides.

Summary tables for the 1991 counts are attached in Appendix B.

Other Pedestrian Data Collection

In addition to these periodic studies of pedestrian volumes along sidewalks, the City also collects pedestrian data for intersections every year as part of its annual Manual Counts and Traffic Signal programs. Under the Manual Counts program, counts are recorded at signalized intersections for pedestrians on each crosswalk, and vehicles and bicycles oneach travel lane. For the Traffic Signal program, manual pedestrian counts are taken when new signal locations are being reviewed.

DISCUSSION

In addition to the uses noted in the introduction of the Background section of this report, data collected will be used for a variety of transportation and planning work, including the Downtown Transportation Plan, the False Creek Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossings Study, the Greenways Program, Business Improvement initiatives, the Neighbourhood Centres program, transit planning, whole route arterial studies and pedestrian priority initiatives.

Process for 2001 Pedestrian Study

In order to track changes since 1991, it is proposed that the 2001 Pedestrian Study follow the same general methodology used in the 1991 Downtown Vancouver Pedestrian Study. However, it is being recommended that the scope be expanded for the 2001 study, to include more streets in the downtown, bridges across False Creek and a limited number of commercial blocks outside the downtown. The new data, besides being helpful for the planning and design of pedestrian facilities, would also serve as a benchmark for tracking future trends. It is also recommended that an attitudinal survey of pedestrians be developed as part of the study.

Data collection on pedestrian volumes would begin in May 2001 and carry on until the first week in July 2001. Where possible, staff will count pedestrian volumes on both sides of the block at once - however, where pedestrian volumes are heavy, each block face will need to be counted separately. Over the summer, the volume data will be analysed. In the first week of September, an attitudinal survey of pedestrians will be carried out to assess their opinions on pedestrian infrastructure and the pedestrian environment in Vancouver, and to obtain data on their origins and destinations. The results of the 2001 Pedestrian Study will reported to Council in October 2001. Further details of the study methodology are contained in Appendix A.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The estimated cost to complete the 2001 Pedestrian Study is $45,000. A breakdown of this estimate is shown below:

Staffing

Equipment*

Miscellaneous Supplies (batteries, waterproof equipment bags, etc.) $ 400
Contingency** $ 4000
Report Printing $ 1000

*Note 1: Existing manual counting boards will be in full use for the Manual Counts program. Equipment purchased would be retained for counting use in annual pedestrian and cycling programs in Engineering Services (e.g. Greenways, Traffic Signals, Bikeways, etc.)
** Note 2: Contingency would allow extra counts to be carried out in additional locations or at different times, and for re-counts of blocks that were found to be too busy to count from only one side of the street

Staff will pursue outside funding from senior governments and the private sector. Applications will be made to student employment programs in the provincial and federal governments. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver and business associations will also be approached. It should be noted that this potential supplementary funding is limited (e.g. the provincial Student Summer Works program only funds $4/hour for a maximum of 3 students) and is uncertain in terms of both funding amounts and timing. Any outside funds received could be used to produce a more complete study, including more counts in BIA or business areas, as well as reducing the City share. Staff will be report back on outside funding received in the final study report.

It is anticipated that the study would be repeated again in 5 or 10 years. Funding assistance from the private sector will be one of the key factors that Council can consider in the frequency of future studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing the number of pedestrian trips is a key strategy in the City's Transportation Plan. The last time a detailed pedestrian study was carried out was almost 10 years ago. The data that will be collected in the proposed 2001 Pedestrian Study will assist staff in assessing progress made on increasing pedestrian activity relative to the 1991 volumes, and provide valuable data for planning future pedestrian improvements. Data should also be of interest to the private sector, and it is hoped that they will be able to provide some funding contributions. Although the City has recently carried out attitudinal surveys for cyclists, similar surveys have not being carried out to obtain opinions from pedestrians. Accordingly, it is also recommended that the 2001 Pedestrian Study provide for a modest opinion survey focussed on pedestrians.

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ag010410.htm

APPENDIX A. - PROPOSED STUDY METHODOLOGY

PHASE 1 - PEDESTRIAN VOLUME COUNTS

Data collection on pedestrian volumes will be carried out in the Spring (May to June), so as to coincide with the timing of the last pedestrian study, taking advantage of improving weather, regular office and school attendance and the absence of peak tourism. Counts will be carried out on block faces, approximately mid-block, and record two-way pedestrian volume counts generally between the hours of 10am and 6pm, excluding 2-3pm (lunch break for counters).

Approximately 340 block faces could be surveyed in the downtown core, with an additional 60 counts made on False Creek bridges and in commercial centres outside the downtown core. Although the 1991 Study originally envisioned counting 340 block faces, the funding that was available required this to be reduced down to 216 block faces. The full study area, originally proposed in 1991 would generally be followed for the 2001 study, and is shown in Figure 1. (attached).

Additional counts will include:

Bridges
· Cambie, Granville and Burrard

Commercial Centres (Preliminary)
· Business Improvement Areas Approved or in Process (e.g. South Granville, Fraser Street, Kerrisdale, Marpole, Mount Pleasant, Commercial Dr., Collingwood, Fourth, Hastings North, Victoria Drive, Punjabi Market, West 10th)
· Major employment/commercial centres (e.g. Central Broadway)
· Neighbourhood Centres approved through Community Visions (e.g. Dunbar near 28th Ave., Kingsway and Knight, Broadway and Commercial, Victoria and 41st Ave.)

Actual count locations for Commercial Centres will be reviewed in more detail, in consultation with staff in Engineering and Planning as well as the business associations and CityPlan Visioning representatives in each area.

Contingency Locations
An allowance has been included in the study estimate to allow for re-counting locations where data collection problems were encountered. It would also allow for a limited number of additional counts for locations identified by members of the public, and for counts during alternative time periods (e.g. weekends or evenings).

Control Location
As well, a control location will be determined so that hourly, daily and environmental variation can be studied.

PHASE 2 - ATTITUDINAL SURVEY

In the first week of September, an attitudinal survey of pedestrians will be carried out to help assess their opinions on pedestrian infrastructure and the pedestrian environment in Vancouver, and to obtain data on their origins and destinations. A staff Traffic Assistant would collect opinions from pedestrians in the field, on selected streets that were included in the pedestrian counts, as well as at some strategic locations such as bus stops and rapid transit stations. This timing will allow pedestrian conditions to return to a level similar to when the pedestrian counts were made (i.e. outside the peak tourist and vacation times), and allow staff to select streets that would provide further insight into any trends observed in the count data. Additional opinions will also be collected through posting the survey on the City's website. To better meet the schedule for the False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study, an attitudinal survey for the False Creek bridges will be considered during May rather than September.

REPORT BACK

In October 2001, staff will report back to Council on the results of the study, including a study summary.

Figure 1 - 1991 Study Map

On file in the City Clerk's Office.

APPENDIX B - 1991 STUDY COUNT SUMMARIES

On file in the City Clerk's Office.

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ag010410.htm

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