Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

The Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan

 

RECOMMENDATION

CONSIDERATION

The option to remove public parking on the streets adjacent to Children's and Women's Health Centre is submitted for Council's consideration.

E. THAT Council approve the removal of parking on the west side of Heather Street and the south wide of West 28th Avenue (adjacent to Children's and Women's Health Centre of BC).

(This option is recommended by the traffic committee representing Braemar Park Neighbourhood but is not supported by the General Manager of Engineering Services, the Braemar Park Neighbourhood and Children's and Women's Health Centre of BC.)

COUNCIL POLICY

In 1997, Council approved the City of Vancouver Transportation Plan which identified that traffic in neighbourhoods will be calmed, where practical, to reduce the speed of traffic and to discourage short-cutting by vehicles.

In 2000, Council approved the Traffic Calming Plan Toolkit which identifies a process for public consultation as well as measures for traffic calming neighbourhood streets.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council approval for the Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming plan as well as the traffic circle at West 26th Avenue and Osler Street. In addition, this report seeks Council's endorsement of commitments made to the neighbourhood as well as a decision on a neighbourhood parking issue.

BACKGROUND

In 1999 Council approved amendments to the Zoning and Development By-Law to allow for an increase in floor area at 4500 Oak Street (Children's and Women's Health Centre of B.C.). As a condition of approval, Children's and Women's Health Centre of B.C. (C&W) was required to complete a neighbourhood traffic and parking plan prior to occupancy of Phase 1. The parking plan was implemented in 2000, but the process to develop the traffic plan has been on-going since 1999.
DISCUSSION

For the purposes of developing this plan, the neighbourhood was divided into two areas.

West of Oak Street
This neighbourhood was concerned with, among other things, intersection safety, speeding, and traffic short-cutting through their neighbourhood to avoid congestion on Oak or West King Edward. Staff performed several traffic counts and speed checks to investigate the concerns.

The resident committee and staff agreed that the only location with significant traffic volume, warranting traffic calming, is the intersection at West 26th Street and Osler Avenue. It was determined that a traffic circle would improve intersection safety and reduce short-cutting.

East of Oak Street
The neighbourhood to the east of Oak Street was named "Braemar Park" and defined to be bounded by West King Edward Avenue, West 33rd Avenue, Cambie Street and Oak Street. The Braemar Park Neighbourhood is concerned with non-local vehicles using its streets to access C&W, rather than using Oak Street and the adjacent arterial streets. In particular, they are concerned about the number of trucks on the neighbourhood streets as well as the use of the streets for C&W staff parking.

A number of street segments in this neighbourhood have high vehicle volumes. In particular, Heather Street and West 28th Avenue, around the C&W site, had traffic volumes in excess of 3000 vehicles per day. The Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan combines traffic circles, curb bulges, centre medians, turning regulations and a partial diverter (see diagram on following page). The traffic circles, curb bulges and centre medians are non-diversionary and can be installed on a permanent basis. The turning restriction and partial diverter are diversionary and, therefore, should be installed on a temporary, trial basis for a
period of no less than 6 months. Staff will consult with the neighbourhood and report back as to whether the measures should be made permanent.

The partial diverter installed on 28th, at Gate #2 of the C&W site, will prohibit vehicles from using neighbourhood streets to access C&W from this gate. Upon installation of the diverter, vehicles will be limited to accessing the gate using 28th DIRECTLY to and from Oak Street. The diverter will not affect local traffic on 28th.

The plan is described in greater detail in the resident survey in Appendix B.
C&W "Ring Road" On-Site Improvements
Residents are concerned that difficulties on the C&W internal "ring road" are contributing to the traffic on neighbourhood streets. It was determined that an improved ring road would decrease circulating traffic as well as the number of commercial, service and fleet vehicles in the neighbourhood.

Through consultation with staff from C&W, it was agreed that improvements would be made to the ring road in order to enable larger vehicles to use Gates #1 and #2. It was also agreed that C&W would restrict the use of Gate #3 for commercial, service and fleet vehicles. The improvements will also result in vehicles larger than a minivan or pick-up truck being precluded from using Gate #3. They will also be closing Gate #4 to all traffic and adding more on-site parking. Improvements to the ring road and limitations on commercial, service and fleet vehicles are important components to this traffic calming plan which will influence the success of the proposed traffic calming measures. C&W has committed to completing these improvements prior to occupancy of it's Ambulatory Care building.

Parking on City Streets Adjacent to C&W
Another of the issues identified by the residents' committee is the presence of public parking on Heather and 28th adjacent to C&W. The residents' committee feels that the public parking should be removed on these streets for the following reasons:

· free on-street parking causes vehicles to circulate through the neighbourhood looking for empty parking spots causing, among other things, increased noise and air pollution;
· Heather is a designated bike route and on street safety is a concern as vehicles are regularly double-parked on Heather and 28th during C&W shift changes;
· C&W users will always look first to the free on-street parking instead of using the pay facilities on site which will undermine the Travel and Demand Management Program outlined in the April 1999 C&W Hospital Traffic and Parking Study; and
· 28th Avenue has benefited from time restricted parking during evening and night time hours, removing the parking entirely from Heather and 28th will further contribute to the residents' peaceful enjoyment of their neighbourhood.

In addition, the residents' committee feels that the number of parking spaces required on site, according to the By-Law, is not sufficient to meet increasing parking needs as C&W develops its master plan. They feel that this will necessitate the use of available on-street parking and perpetuate the parking and traffic conflicts with the neighbourhood.

The alternative point of view is that C&W should have reasonable access to its own street frontage, just as the residents have control over their frontage through the resident-only parking program. On-street parking acts as a traffic calming measure, similar to curb bulges, by effectively reducing the width of the street. C&W supports its users should be able to park on Heather and on 28th.

The Braemar Park Neighbourhood was surveyed for their opinions regarding public parking on W 28th and Heather and the results are shown below.

 

public parking should be removed

public parking should not be removed

Neutral

% of responses

29%

42%

24%

# of responses

33

47

37

These results above are totals for the entire Braemar Park Neighbourhood. Results from residences directly adjacent to W 28th and Heather varied slightly. Of the 7 responses from W 28th, 3 supported the removal of public parking. Of the 5 responses from residences adjacent to Heather, 3 supported the removal of public parking. In summary, it is the view of the residents, staff, and C&W that parking should continue to be permitted on the streets adjacent to C&W.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

In 1999, a letter was sent out to the neighbourhood around C&W asking for participation in developing a traffic calming plan. As a result of the letter, and several meetings, two committees were developed to provide input for the neighbourhood. One committee provided input for the neighbourhood to the west of Oak Street and the other for east of Oak Street. Engineering staff worked with both committees, as well as staff from C&W, to identify traffic problems and develop a plan to calm their neighbourhood.

When developing a traffic calming plan or adding individual measures, it is important to survey the surrounding residents for their support. In order to ensure support of the traffic circle west of Oak, a letter and survey was delivered to all of the residences within one block of the intersection (see Appendix A). For the larger traffic calming plan east of Oak, a survey and letter was delivered to all of the addresses in the Braemar Park Neighbourhood (see Appendix B). The results of both surveys, shown below, indicate support for both the individual traffic circle as well as the larger, neighbourhood plan.

Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan

 

Support the Plan

Do Not Support the Plan

Neutral

% of responses

70%

23%

7%

# of responses

79

26

8

Total number of surveys delivered = 430

Traffic Circle at W 26th and Osler

 

Support the Traffic Circle

Do Not Support the Traffic Circle

Neutral

% of responses

68%

16%

16%

# of responses

13

3

3

Total number of surveys delivered = 32

Comments collected from the surveys are listed in Appendix C.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

As a part of their rezoning obligations, C&W contributed $275,000 towards a parking and traffic plan. A portion of the funds has been used to install signs for the new parking regulations as well as for improved directional signage on the arterials surrounding C&W. In addition, funds were used to perform traffic counts and pay for a consultant's analysis of the C&W ring road. $225,000 is available to fund the individual traffic circle as well as the neighbourhood traffic calming plan.

All of the traffic calming measures are estimated to cost $280,000. It is proposed that the remainder of the funding, $55,000 be supplied from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated account #30003091 - Local Area and Other Improvements.

In addition to the cost of the capital improvements, there will be on-going maintenance costs of the new measures. It is proposed that the Streets Operating Budget for Horticultural Maintenance be increased, without offset, by $7500 in order to maintain the new landscaping for the 8 traffic circles, 5 sets of bulges and 2 medians. It is also proposed that the Traffic Operating Budget be increased by $1000 in order to allow for future maintenance of the new signage required for the traffic calming measures.

CONCLUSIONS

It is recommended that Council approve the traffic circle at West 26th Avenue and Osler Street as well as the Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan. The residents affected by both of these plans are in favour of their approval. As a part of these plans, Council is also asked to endorse the commitment to restrict commercial, service and fleet vehicle access to C&W as described in this report.

In addition, Council is asked to consider the issue of whether or not public parking should be removed on streets adjacent to C&W.

* * * * *

cs010628.htm

APPENDIX A

Resident Letter and Survey
Traffic Circle at West 26th Avenue and Osler Street

City of Vancouver Survey

Traffic Calming Plan - Traffic Circle
City of Vancouver May 2001

Dear Neighbour:

This survey seeks your opinion about a traffic circle at the intersection of Osler Street and 26th Avenue.

In 1999, the Children & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia applied to the City of Vancouver to develop additional building density on their existing site. As a condition of the development, City Council has required Children & Women's to participate in and fund a neighbourhood traffic calming plan. Subsequently, a letter was sent out from the City, to all the residents in your area requesting input for a neighbourhood traffic study.

After initial consultation, a residents' committee was formed that has worked with representatives from the City and Children & Women's to design a neighbourhood traffic calming plan. A major goal of this plan is to reduce the volume and speeds of vehicles short-cutting through your neighbourhood to get to Children & Women's.

The Committee has identified a concern that when eastbound traffic on King Edward is backed-up from the light at Oak, traffic short-cuts down Osler Street. To deal with this concern, a traffic circle is proposed for the intersection of Osler Street and 26th Avenue. A traffic circle is a circle with a concrete curb installed at the middle of an intersection. It forces motorists to slow down at the intersection in order to navigate around the circle. Other attributes of the traffic circle include increased green space, reduced intersection accidents, and the visual length of street is broken up.

Traffic Circles can be "sponsored" so that they are landscaped and cared for by residents of the neighbourhood. Please call Carli Williams at 871-6422 if you are interested in being a sponsor.

The cost for this traffic circle will not affect your taxes. If the results of the enclosed survey indicate that you and your neighbours support the traffic circle, the traffic circle will be presented to Vancouver City Council for approval. Your response to the survey is important.

Please return the survey by May 18, 2001 Please detach the bottom portion of this page and return it in the postage paid envelope. If you wish to expand on your comments, please fax them to 871-6119, e-mail carli_williams@city.vancouver.bc.ca or mail to Engineering Services, City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1V4. All personal information will remain confidential but your comments will be forwarded to City Council. If you have any questions, call Carli Williams at 871-6422 or e-mail carli_williams@city.vancouver.bc.ca

Please detach the following and return it in the postage paid envelope.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: ___________________Address: _______________________________Postal Code:__________
Yes No Neutral
I support the proposed traffic circle at Osler and 26th
I would like to be notified when this issue goes before Council.

I offer the following comments about the proposed traffic circle:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

APPENDIX B

Resident Letter and Survey
Braemar Park Traffic Calming Plan

City of Vancouver Survey
Braemar Park Neighbourhood
Traffic Calming Plan

City of Vancouver April 2001

Dear Resident:

This survey seeks your opinion about a traffic calming plan for your neighbourhood. Traffic calming involves slowing the speed or reducing the volume of vehicular traffic on neighbourhood streets in order to increase safety and livability in the neighbourhood.

In 1999, the Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia applied to the City of Vancouver to develop additional building density on their existing site. As a condition of the development, City Council has required Children's & Women's to participate in and fund a neighbourhood traffic calming plan. Subsequently, a letter was sent out from the City, to all the residents in your area requesting input for a neighbourhood traffic study. For the purposes of this plan, the neighbourhood was determined to be the area bounded by King Edward, West 33rd, Oak and Cambie.

After initial consultation, a residents' committee was formed that has worked with representatives from the City and Children's & Women's to design a neighbourhood traffic calming plan. A major goal of this plan is to reduce the volume and speeds of vehicles short-cutting through your neighbourhood to get to Children's & Women's. The committee is especially concerned with the routes of trucks and other commercial vehicles travelling to Children's & Women's.

The Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan, shown on page 2, addresses these goals through the use of five measures: curb bulges, traffic circles, centre medians, a partial diverter and left-turn restrictions. An explanation of these measures, as used in the neighbourhood plan is found below.

Curb Bulges
A curb bulge is a horizontal extension of the curb into the roadway resulting in a narrower section of roadway. The curb is extended on both sides of the roadway to reduce its width for two-way traffic. The purpose of the bulge is to:
- reduce vehicle speeds;
- reduce crossing distance for pedestrians;
- increase pedestrian visibility;
- prevent parking close to an intersection; and
- improve the environment as, when landscaped, can improve the appearance of a street.
Proposed locations of the five curb bulges are:
- Laurel at W 32nd
- Heather at 29th, 30th, 31st, and 26th
Traffic Circles
A traffic circle is a circle with a concrete curb installed at the middle of an intersection. It forces motorists to slow down at the intersection in order to navigate around the circle. Other attributes of traffic circles include:
- increased green space;
- reduced intersection accidents and;
- the visual length of street is broken up;
Proposed locations of the seven traffic circles are:
- Laurel at W 26th and W 32nd
- Heather at 30th, 27th and 26th
- Ash and W 27th
- Willow at W 26th

Both Curb Bulges and Traffic Circles can be "sponsored" so that they are landscaped and cared for by residents of the neighbourhood. Please call Carli Williams at 871-6422 if you are interested in being a sponsor.

Centre Medians
A centre median is a landscaped median extending approximately 5 metres from an intersection. Both medians, in this plan, are proposed to be located on Heather Street just south and north of W King Edward and W 33rd Avenues, respectively. The purpose of centre medians is to:

Partial Diverter

One of the traffic concerns identified in your neighbourhood is the high volume of traffic accessing the 28th Avenue Children's & Women's entrance (Gate #2) by driving through your neighbourhood (rather than using Oak Street). A partial diverter installed on 28th, at Gate #2, will prohibit vehicles from using your neighbourhood streets for this purpose. Upon installation of the diverter, vehicles will be limited to accessing the gate using 28th DIRECTLY to and from Oak Street ONLY. The diverter will not affect 2-way through traffic travelling on 28th. Please see the figure below for a graphic description.

Children's & Women's "Ring Road" On-Site Improvements
The purpose of this traffic calming plan is to calm the traffic on neighbourhood streets. However, the committee working on this plan is also concerned with traffic problems on Children's & Women's internal "ring road". It was determined that an improved ring road would decrease circulating traffic as well as the number of commercial, service and fleet vehicles in the neighbourhood.

Through consultation with Children's & Women's, it was agreed that improvements would be made to the ring road in order to enable larger vehicles to use Gates #1 and #2 (see Figure 1). It was also agreed that Children's & Women's would limit commercial, service and fleet vehicle access to Gates #1 and #2. Vehicles larger than a "minivan" will not be permitted through Gates #3. They will also be closing Gate #4 to all traffic and adding more on-site parking. Improvements to the ring road and limitations on commercial, service and fleet vehicles are important components to this traffic calming plan which will influence the success of the proposed traffic calming measures. Children's & Women's have committed to completing these improvements prior to occupancy of their "Ambulatory Care" building.

Parking on City Streets Adjacent to Children's & Women's
Another of the issues identified by the resident's committee is the presence of public parking on Heather and 28th adjacent to Children's and Women's. The resident's committee feels that the public parking should be removed in order to stop vehicles from circulating as they search for parking. However, representatives from the City disagree with removing parking adjacent to Children' & Women's as it may cause additional traffic problems such as increased vehicle speeds on Heather and 28th. On street parking acts as a traffic calming measure, similar to curb bulges, by effectively reducing the width of the street. Children's and Women's supports the City's position and feels that their employees should be able to park on Heather and 28th.

The committee and the City representatives have agreed to refer the decision to City Council. If you have an opinion on this matter, either way, please check the box on the questionnaire part of this letter. We will use the results to inform City Council.

In addition to the measures in the neighbourhood, City staff will be upgrading the signage leading to Children's and Women's and St. Vincent's. The new signs will be placed on Oak, Cambie, King Edward and 33rd in order to guide visitors to the correct entrances.

The cost for these traffic calming measures will not affect your taxes. If the results of the enclosed survey indicates that the neighbourhood supports this Plan, the Plan will be presented to Vancouver City Council for approval. Your response to the survey is important.

Please return the survey by Monday, May 14, 2001 Please detach the bottom portion of this page and return it in the postage paid envelope. If you wish to expand on your comments, please fax them to 871-6119, e-mail carli_williams@city.vancouver.bc.ca or mail to Engineering Services, City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1V4. All personal information will remain confidential but your comments will be forwarded to City Council. If you have any questions, call Carli Williams at 871-6422 or e-mail carli_williams@city.vancouver.bc.ca

There will be an Open House at Beth Israel Synagogue, at 4350 Oak Street (enter through the back door), on May 7, 2001 from 7-9 pm. Please come to meet City staff and your neighbours who have developed this proposal for your neighbourhood. They will be pleased to answer any of your questions.

Braemar Park Neighbourhood Carli Williams, EIT
Traffic Committee Neighbourhood Transportation, City of Vancouver

Please detach the following and return it in the postage paid envelope.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: ___________________Address: _______________________________Postal Code:__________

Yes No Neutral
I support the overall concept of the Traffic Calming Plan

I feel that public parking should be removed on Heather and Yes No Neutral
West 28th Streets adjacent to Children's and Women's

I would like to be notified when this issue goes before Council.

I offer the following comments about the traffic calming plan:
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED
Please read the enclosed information and return the postage paid reply card.
This survey seeks your opinion of a traffic calming plan for your neighbourhood

APPENDIX C

BRAEMAR PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING SURVEY COMMENTS

COMMENTS FROM THOSE SUPPORTING THE TRAFFIC PLAN
Move traffic circle from Heather @ 27th to Heather @ 28th. I walk Heather St. from King Edward to 33/37 every day for the past 8 years and have never seen a car stop at a stop sign.

I recommend a pedestrian signal at King Edward @ Heather for Douglas Park users and Emily Carr School.

There should be a "calmer" at 26 & Ash. Before the stop sign was installed there were several accidents there. Stop sign has increased speeds on Ash; this is dangerous because of the hill between 26th and 27th.

Very attractive. We'd be interested in learning more about sponsorship of a bulge or circle

3 traffic circles is definitely an overkill. Parked cars on both sides of the road already; getting to the grocery store at Oak &25th is quite a squeeze already. I agree with reducing traffic on Heather & 27th but have not found 26th to have a problem with heavy traffic

Good idea! Should relieve some speeding in the area. How about speed limit and restricted parking close to Eric Hamber.

No parking allowed within 20' of intersection where traffic circle is located. Parking too close to intersection could cause car accidents.

Sounds good to me. Still need monitoring by Police at Braemer Park. Please note that the 2hr zone abused regularly Mon - Fri.

Excellent Plan!

The reduction of access for both large trucks and service vehicles is a primary virtue of this plan. Good signage for hospital users will be of the utmost importance. Thanks to the committee for all their work.

The traffic calming is a wonderful idea and we fully support it's implementation.

Need more information re: removing parking before supporting.

The sooner these changes can be implemented the better. Stop signs at 26th & Willow are routinely ignored & motorists speed thru at 50-60K east-west. Hospital employees traffic (6-9am/3-5:30pm) is heavy and pay no attention to pedestrians.

Hospital workers have to have some parking so 28th & Heather will be alright. Lets be compassionate.

Great Idea! Would like to see another circle @ 27&Willow. Some helicopters don't keep to the Oak St flightpath- house shakes when they come and go. Please monitor traffic using lanes parallel to 25th on the south side.

Great idea. Cars seen exceeding 80 kmh on 27th @ Ash!

Excellent. Suggest reviewing corner clearances on King Edward as parked cars make exiting very difficult.

Sounds good to me.

Excellent Plan - Congratulations.

Provide free parking or cheaper parking rates for staff.

The road surface on Laurel adjacent to C&W is very uneven - please resurface it when the calming plan is being done.

The piece of street on Ash between 27th & 28th is a disgrace. Its like driving on an old farm road! Can you do something about this?

Ambulances are very good about turning sirens off within 3 blocks of the hospital. Fire trucks are very bad at this - they keep their sirens on right up to the hospital entrance. Are there different policies or procedures for the 2 groups?

Want 28th parking changed from 7a.m. - 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.. As it is now it caters to the hospital staff, not visitors. Also, the streets are very busy at 6 a.m. as staff are parking at that time.

Good traffic easing and calming plan. We support the overall concept.

I agree with the overall concept but feel that the hospital staff should park in their own lot. You are simply moving the problem to other areas ie. W. 29th. The problem will get worse on our street as people avoid the traffic circles and bulges. I would like to see a traffic circle/bulge on 29th @ Ash as cars frequently speed on their way to hospital on 29th including ambulances which sometime forget to turn down their sirens at night. Please consider a Left Turn signal at King Edward @ Ash as I feel it will be increasingly difficult to make a left turn.

Regarding the removal of parking, let's wait to see if the calming addresses the traffic problem before going to No Parking. Parking should be 2hr time limit. Employees should use hospital parking.

Very important to us that truck traffic cease at #3 entry. We agree that bulges and circles on Heather will calm traffic on Heather but another circle between 28th and 33rd would be nice.

Some plan such as this is necessary especially to remove trucks which use Gate 3 and arrive long before gate is opened.

These plans look very good. Something must be done.

I feel that parking should be removed also adjacent the C & W Hospital on 32nd also.

Why aren't you removing parking on 32nd? Shouldn't all hospital traffic be contained within the hospital grounds? If parking is removed from Heather @ 28th it will increase demand on 32nd and increase traffic cruising/waiting for spots. This all detracts from our privacy and increases noise.

Traffic island/speed bumps @ 33 & Willow are very dangerous for pedestrians - vehicles refuse to slow down or wait. Way too many crazy left turns.

Left turn traffic may increase @ Oak & 28th (southbound) due to the diverter at Gate 2. I support the sign but think some traffic will go west @ 32nd & Oak to get back to 33rd heading east. Westbound 33rd traffic prior to Oak take a shortcut thru the lane before Oak.

Is one traffic circle on Ash enough? Or will Ash become the preferred route for traffic calmed Heather?

Thanks for your good work

Drivers don't obey stop signs on 27th and 26th when crossing Heather - dangerous to pedestrians and cars.

I notice children going to school use Heather a lot and the street needs to be calmed down and people on wheelchairs. I was nearly run down with a person on a bike, the persons head was down, I was watching but the person wasn't.

COMMENTS FROM THOSE OPPOSED TO THE TRAFFIC PLAN
Save the money to be spent on the traffic calmers and spend it to hire more traffic police!! If the cost isn't coming from our taxes where is it coming from? Surely our taxes will rise in the future!

It would slow down emergency vehicle traffic. Narrowing Heather St would cause problems for cyclists and cars.

The entrance at 28th will cause a lot of traffic being diverted. A light should be put at 28th and Oak St.

This is a ridiculous poorly planned make-work scheme. It will do nothing to improve the neighbourhood and create more traffic problems than it solves. It will create more noise and traffic problems. I am greatly opposed to this scheme.

Heather needs to remain a secondary thoroughfare - very few houses face Heather. This plan increases traffic on Willow and 27th which are not designated collectors. Commercial traffic should use Gate 3 not 2. Car traffic is not a problem - helicopter is! Get rid of it. C&W should be more responsive to our phone complaints.

Inadequate staff parking for hospitals & rehab.. is the problem in this neighourhood.. Don't waste money by inconveniencing residents with traffic barriers. Address the cause, the hospital presence, which is a failure to take responsibility for staff and visitor/user parking at economical or "built-in" rates and give them places to park on site.

Parking on west-side of Heather from 28th to 33 is acceptable since the street is wider but on 28th between Oak & Heather it should be removed. People driving out of Gate 2 often get view blocked by the cars parking on the street and the street is too narrow for the amount of traffic.

No traffic circles or bulges on Heather. Medians on Heather should be signed "Local residents Only". Remove left turn lane on King Edward @ Heather. I agree with a partial diverter at Gate 2 and close Gate 4 (green over some parking for long term employees at reduced rates or free). Retain parking Heather @ 28th.

The restrictions on overnight parking on 28th are frustrating drivers resulting in more frequent violators parking in front of our and our neighbour's houses.

Heather is a bike route - the proposed changes will make it unsafe for cyclists as it narrows the space between car & bike plus the bulges are difficult to see at night. The bulges at 29th/Heather are especially dangerous as they are on both sides of the street.

If a driver can't drive through an intersection etc, without due care, and a pedestrian can't walk across an intersection, both should remain on the sidewalk, so under the circumstances the present rules should apply, without more confusion for the bad drivers.

First Heather is made a Bike Route, now plans are underway to block the route with bulges and circles that impede all traffic including trucks and ambulances coming to the hospital. I think the money could be used better elsewhere.

We have lived on 31st since 1994 and we do not think that traffic needs to be calmed in any way. Please do not waste taxpayers money in this way.

Some methods are okay but we'd like to see a more comprehensive plan than this. Putting circles and bulges EVERYWHERE is stupid! Putting them in SELECT spots where children may play (ie, a park with PLAYGROUND) is more useful.

Generally support the overall concept. However, limiting left hand turns southbound Oak at 32nd will cause a real inconvenience for the residents of 800/900 32&33rd. This area, especially 32nd Ave. is essentially a cul-de-sac. With 3 - 6No Left Turn at both 33rd and 32nd, getting home after work will be a real hassle.

Don't support the No Left Turn 3 - 6 p.m. @ Oak & 32nd. Access for residents would be completely cut off as 33rd & Oak is No Left Turn 3 - 6 p.m. already. I question bulges and traffic circles at Laurel & 32nd. These would impede emergency vehicles. I do not feel that traffic, as it stands now, warrants change. I support public parking on Heather @ 28th.

I agree with the bulges and traffic circles on 32nd Avenue. However, I disagree strongly with the "no left turn" at Oak & 32nd.

I do not agree with bulge or traffic circle at 23rd & Laurel or the No Left Turn 3 - 6 p.m. @ Oak & 32nd.

Gates 3 & 4 should be closed. Create a new gate at Willow & 32nd west of St. Vincents. Do Not install Traffic circles, leave the stop signs. Allow eastbound traffic to cross Cambie, will remove some traffic off 27th and racing through lanes west side of Cambie. No bulges on Heather - hazardous to cyclist. Plantings in circle/bulges interfere with drivers line of vision.

The traffic in the area is not congested and I don't think that it merits the expense of installing a calming plan.

I feel traffic safety and speed are not in need of any change. I feel public parking should remain for residents on Heather St.

Traffic circle is not necessary for 32nd & Laurel and we do not need bulges. This would make the road narrower. There is already a no left turn sign on Oak & 33rd, we don't need another on 32nd.

COMMENTS FROM THOSE UNDECIDED REGARDING THE TRAFFIC PLANApprove parking adjacent hospital, no reason to add traffic control to Heather - it's the only north-south collector in the neighbourhood so proposal shouldn't diminish traffic. 4 way stops at 29/Heather should improve traffic flow - the 4 ways @ 28th work well. Traffic circles, except 32nd, waste of money. Gate 1 & 2 changes - major improvement. Hospital should pay for LT signals at King Edward @ Cambie or on demand light Oak@28. No Right Turn southbound Cambie @ 26th - 32nd, 4-7:30 a.m. and one at 27th northbound - No Left Turn. Hospital patrons should be encouraged to use on-site parking.

No parking on 28th, Oak to Heather. The parking lot on the east side is not utilized so employees should pay for parking or use public transit. We pay high taxes, should not have to put up with staff driving around looking for parking. When my big family come for visit they can't park nearby because of the No Parking 6pm - 7am.

I've lived at this address since 1950, seen a few changes, none have caused me any concern. I haven't found the traffic annoying - will go along with the majority if its any improvement to the neighbourhood

Why have roads if you impede everyone...not everyone can afford parking costs to visit sick family. Ambulances need a direct lane, can't be expected to negotiate traffic circles.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The under scribed must question necessity of such elaborate and expensive measures, that presumes a greatly increased level of vehicular traffic in the Braemar Park Neighbourhood, in connection with the new buildings for the Children's & Women's Health Centre, located approx. 800 blocks south of West 28th Avenue. The City's proposal mentions a vague "additional density" only, but fails to provide data in specific terms about expected increase in the rate of street-traffic.

The area of the Center shown on the map applies to the large medical complex, that is generally known by the name of Shaughnessy Hospital. There ought to be a precise listing of the various buildings and organizations occupying the area, with the occupancy load of each, that is parking space requirement, according to By Law and what additional parking space would be created. Obviously these figures bear close relationship to the expected increase in street-traffic in the neighbouring residential areas. The heavy truck-traffic during the construction is only temporary, superficial, visual survey should not be taken into account.

As a long time resident (since 1962) in the area I have had the opportunity to watch the gradual change in the largerneighbourhood. As a retired former architect, my interest goes beyond the cliche-like "NIMBY" reaction. I realize that being able to live near to the geographical centre of the City, with its conveniences has certain prices.

A. My objection to the proposed seven traffic circles peppered around neighbouring residential area is based on personal experiences as a driver. They do slow down traffic, but so is the effect of a simple stop sign, at considerable less cost! From my living-room window, I can observe the practical effects of the stop-signs. Drivers do slow down, about the same speed as when having to crawl through the tight curve around traffic circles.

B. Most of the traffic circles are overgrown with weed, which if neglected, can grow as tall as to obstruct view. I am dubious about the so-called "Sponsoring"! Only those gardeners with death wish would choose to work exposed in an intersection.

C. The circles eliminate four residential parking spaces at each corner. In addition, those cars that are the first ones that parallel-park, they are in definite danger of being hit by inattentive drivers that do not slow down sufficiently while navigating around the concrete circles.

D. Since the leaflet does not provide graphics with dimensions, I am unable to comment on the "curb-bulges".

E. Centre medians are also vaguely described, only by saying that "It extends approx. 5 meters from the intersection" - it is remarkable that the planners have forgotten, that Heather Street is designated as a bicycle-route. Artificially reducing effective street width at so many spaces, - including those at curb-bulges, - would expose those people who ride bicycles to increased danger at those places! All above (a,d,e) should be properly called "man-made bottlenecks".

F. Frankly, I am at a loss even to comment on the proposed "partial diverter"! The text clearly indicates "two-way traffic" on 28th Ave., there is a potential of accidents for those drivers, who intend to travel westward, turning left after exiting at Gate #2, - they must cross oncoming traffic, going eastward. Just a quick glance at the picture will convince anyone about this likely to happen. There is good reason for having a "right turn only" sign at this location at the present! The diverter and the paved over large expanse, both are like an OBSTACLE COURSE. Signage inside the roadway of the hospital complex ought to be able to direct traffic with specific final destination toward the right gates. The planner conveniently ignored those cars and ambulances that are coming from east and want to turn into the direct entrance-gate to the EMERGENCY of the Children's Hospital.

G. The proposal doesn't deal with the main cause for traffic congestion near the corner of 26th Ave. and Oak Street. Here parents of children attending the Jewish Elementary School are dropping off and picking up their children. Fortunately, this could be easily resolved if parents would enter with their cars on 28th Ave., after proceeding through the parking lot of the Synagogue and after dropping off/picking up their children at the back door of the school, could exit through the short (dead-end) 27th Street to Oak Street. This way traffic would not be hindered and safety for the kids would be enhanced.

H. Generally speaking, the whole proposal shows a definite hostile attitude towards motorists. Whole generations having grown up with the use and convenience, - not to mention often the necessity - will not change their life-long habits, even in face of heavy-handed methods to make life more difficult for them. Just an example: after gradually depriving chances of street-parking for the nurses and hospital workers at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre on the South and East side adjacent to Braemar Park, 2 hours restricted parking signs were erected. Just because the hospital workers in the neighbourhood want to use their own car to commute with to work (gasp!) Their rights to use city streets - not only to travel on them, but being able to park somewhere near at 7 am and to go home at 4 pm, they do not contribute much to the traffic flow! The restrictions penalizing them unnecessarily! Also: increasing the number of traffic-lights throughout the city contribute greatly to air pollution, forcing so many cars to stop, idle and to speed up again on the busy throughways.

I. The quality of the map for the area has several shortcomings:

OSLER AND 26TH TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN SURVEY COMMENTS

COMMENTS FROM THOSE SUPPORTING THE TRAFFIC PLAN
The concrete curb should be "see in the dark" flourescent or electrified light - circles TOO DANGEROUS at night and in the rain!!

There have been numerous accidents in the 31 yrs we have lived on this corner.

I attended meetings...traffic in this area has increased even more in recent months, affecting 26th and 27th, even going up to Selkirk. The southbound Osler off 25th traffic has increased as drivers try to avoid the Oak & 25th congestion. All this despite water main construction and complete street closures. I had to wait for 14 cars to pass the other day before I could get out of my car. Perhaps more will need to be done.

Additional traffic circle at Osler & 22nd to deter speeding after passing circle at Osler & 26th.

COMMENTS FROM THOSE OPPOSED TO THE TRAFFIC PLAN
TOTALLY UNNECESSARY

You already put some stop signs on Osler. Instead of traffic calming circle try a few more 4-way stops or other efforts. A "circle" will inhibit us, the ones driving thru; the rush hour lasts a few hours a day, a "circle" we the neighbours live with 24 hours. Tell C & W that the neighbourhood can't be changed to suit all their needs. Maybe they should be concerned with all the cars stopping at the alleys and on 26th to pick up their children.

Can 4-way stops be implemented for safety reasons as opposed to traffic circle? Traffic circle clutters the open space and will decrease property value of the four corner lots at this intersection.

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