False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclists Crossings Study

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 17, 2001
Author/Local: D.Bracewell/6440

RTS No. 02210

CC File No. 5553

T&T: July 31, 2001

TO:

Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services and the
Director of Current Planning

SUBJECT:

False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study Update

INFORMATION

The General Manager of Engineering Services and Director of Current Planning submit this report for Council's INFORMATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

In July 2000, Council approved the Terms of Reference and undertaking of the False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study.

PURPOSE
This report provides an update on the progress of the False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study for Council's information.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study is to analyze and identify the need and potential means for improved or additional pedestrian and cycle crossings across False Creek. There have been many alternatives or enhancements suggested to the existing False Creek crossings that would help improve access from adjoining neighbourhoods and the convenience to pedestrians and cyclists. For example, a pedestriancrossing underneath Granville Bridge was proposed as part of CityPlan, and more recently a crossing underneath Burrard Bridge ("Snauqway") was proposed. Council approved the funding and terms of reference for retaining consulting services for the study in July of 2000 and approved the awarding of the contract to a team headed by Delcan Corporation in February of 2001.

The scope of the study includes evaluating the costs and benefits of potential crossing alternatives, determining the existing and expected pedestrian and cyclist demand, and assessing the impacts of the various crossing options based on criteria relating to the existing transportation facilities, land use, and communities. The study is also being coordinated with the Downtown Transportation Plan team.

DISCUSSION

To date, the False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study has concluded that:
· The 5 major crossing improvement options related to both the Burrard and Granville bridges should be carried forward for assessment as part of this study (a total of 37 options had been identified);
· A heritage study is required to identify the significant heritage features of the Burrard Bridge to inform the current study (and future studies);
· The 2 major crossing improvement options related to the Cambie bridge will need to be examined as part of a future study, that could be initiated as early as the fall of this year.

The study itself is comprised of the following 4 phases of which Phase 2 is now completed and Phase 3 is currently underway: Phase 1 - Project Initiation (March to April 2001), Phase 2 - Existing Transportation System (April to May 2001), Phase 3 - Improvement Options (May to September 2001), and Phase 4 - Final Report (October 2001).

Over the past few months, several key tasks of the False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study have been completed including the following:
· creation of a project web-site
· formation of a stakeholder group
· site visits by City staff, consultant, and stakeholders
· meetings and workshops with stakeholders
· collection of pedestrian/cyclist data as well as marine data
· hosting of two open houses for the general public

Public Consultation

In addition to a broader public consultation process, participants for a stakeholder group were selected to represent a broad spectrum of the most affected and concerned groups (see Appendix A). Stakeholders were invited to participate in workshops prior to the more general public open houses to specifically allow them to provide their input into the project. To date, the following stakeholder workshops and public open houses have been held:
· Open House I: Ideas/Issues - May 2nd, 2001 @ Roundhouse Community Centre
· Open House II: Concepts/Solutions - June 19, 2001 @ Granville Island

Project Introduction and Option Generation

The purpose of the first round of public consultation was to introduce the study itself, to provide some background information, and to obtain improvement options from the stakeholders and general public early on in the study. Key issues related to the current pedestrian and cyclist operations on the existing False Creek crossings were summarized and a preliminary list of 16 potential improvement options was presented based on previously considered concepts and new ideas generated from the consultant team. Through suggestions from the stakeholders and public, an additional 21 potential improvement options were generated. The list of 37 proposed options represented a wide spectrum of potential improvement options ranging from upgrading existing facilities to creating new crossings, improving accessibility versus adding capacity, and providing recreational improvements versus commuter oriented improvements.

Evaluation Criteria and Option Screening

From the long list of 37 options, the challenge was to then consider each of these options individually and to develop a process whereby the options could be `screened' to best determine which options should be carried forward to the subsequent development phase of the study. Options that would not be short listed from the screening process would remain as potential improvement options that could be examined at a future date or referred to other processes that could address their respective conceptual development.

The screening process itself consisted of two levels. The first level of the screening process involved prioritizing the options in terms of feasibility and the study objectives. The second level involved performing a comparative assessment of the various improvement options based on the following six broad categories:
· Usage (demand, trip purpose, demographics, capacity, flexibility, connectivity);
· Quality of Trip (travel time, efficiency, access, user safety, user comfort);
· Cost/Construction (capital, operating, user, environmental impacts, disruption);
· Traffic Impacts (private vehicles, transit, marine, ferry operators);
· Neighbourhood Integration (properties, land use, environmental, views, shadowing);
· Urban Design/Appearance (heritage, aesthetics, COV image, public space).

Based on the results of the screening process, a total of 18 improvement options are to be carried forward for further assessment as part of this study. To better understand the relative scope of the proposed improvements, the 18 options remaining from the screening process were classified as either being major crossing improvements (7 options) or local improvements (11 options). Major crossing improvements involved increasing the existing pedestrian and cyclist capacity across False Creek while local improvements involved improving the access or connectivity to the existing crossings. A description of each of the 7 major crossing improvement options and their respective complementary local improvement options is shown in Appendix B.

A second round of public consultation was held to present the methodology of the screening process and the resultant list of major crossing and local improvement options. While there was relatively strong consensus from both the stakeholders and the public on the remaining 18 improvement options, the general feedback was that they would like to see a more thorough analysis of the remaining major crossing improvement options in the next stage of the study. Furthermore, the expectations of the stakeholders and general public may be higher than the scope of this study.

Study Scope

Given that the terms of reference of the study require that only 3 or 4 of the major crossing improvement options be developed in greater detail, and that one of the original expectations of the study was to evaluate the previously considered concepts located in the western False Creek area, only the 5 major crossing improvement options related to both the Burrard and Granville bridges will be carried forward for assessment as part of this study. As such, the 2 major crossing improvement options related to the Cambie bridge and the 11 complementary local improvement options will need to be examined as part of a future study that could be initiated as early as the fall of this year.

Staff have agreed that the Burrard Bridge and Granville Bridge corridors are priorities for the present study for the following reasons:
· These corridors have been the focus of recent policy discussion (i.e. 1996 BurrardStreet Bridge Upgrade Study, 1995 CityPlan Granville Street Bridge Pedestrian Walkway) and, as noted, have generated concepts that merit further investigation;
· Capacity concerns have been raised in relation to the Burrard Bridge and access concerns have been raised for Granville Bridge;
· While an analysis of latent demand for this study shows that each bridge corridor has the potential to capture more pedestrian and cyclist traffic, the growth projected for the Cambie corridor will be mostly due to the future increases in population and employment in Northeast and Southeast False Creek;
· Alternative funding sources may be possible for Cambie Bridge improvements and these possibilities should be investigated further.

Next Steps

Therefore, subsequent work for this study will concentrate on the evaluation and conceptual development of the Burrard and Granville bridge major crossing improvement options including providing preliminary capital cost estimates. Upon completion of the evaluation of the 5 westerly major crossing improvement options, staff will present this information to Council in the context of a potential strategy to improve pedestrian and cyclist crossings across False Creek. This overview will most likely encompass a package of actions including the priority and need for additional studies or future work relating to the following:
· the 5 major crossing options evaluated as part of this study;
· the 2 major crossing options considered for the Cambie bridge;
· the respective complementary local improvement options for each bridge.

As the study has proceeded, it has become apparent that some of the options relating to the Burrard Bridge will need to considered from a heritage point of view. Staff have agreed that a study of the key heritage aspects of the bridge be undertaken that will allow the consultant team to develop conceptual options that are sensitive to the heritage features of the Burrard Bridge. Engineering and Planning have agreed to use existing departmental resources to proceed with this heritage study.

SUMMARY
The False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study is well underway with the project introduction and screening of options completed. Work on the evaluation of the major crossing improvement options is ongoing and the project is to completed in the Fall of 2001.

* * * * *

APPENDIX A

FALSE CREEK PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST CROSSINGS STUDY

STAKEHOLDER GROUP

· Aquabus Ferry
· Bicycle Advisory Committee
· BC Coalition of People with Disabilities
· BCAA
· BEST
· Blue Gavel Canada
· CMHC
· Coast Guard - Navigable Waters
· Council of BC Yachts & BC Marine Trades Association
· CPTED
· Downtown Vancouver Association
· Downtown Vancouver BIA
· False Creek Yacht Club
· False Creek South Neighbourhood Association
· Granville Island BIA
· Granville Island Ferries
· Heritage Vancouver
· In-Line Skating
· Kitsilano Points Residents Association
· Parking Corporation of Vancouver
· Police Cycling Patrol
· Police Waterfront Team
· Putting Pedestrians First
· SEFC Working Group
· Snauqway Architects
· SPEC
· Tourism Vancouver
· TransCanada Trails
· TransLink
· Urban Design Panel
· Vancouver Skateboard Coalition
· Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition
· Vancouver Heritage Foundation
· West End Residents Association
· Yaletown BIA

APPENDIX B

FALSE CREEK PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST CROSSINGS STUDY

MAJOR CROSSING AND LOCAL IMPROVEMENT OPTIONS

MAJOR CROSSING IMPROVEMENT

DESCRIPTION

LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS

BURRARD BRIDGE

B1:
Outward Sidewalk Extensions

Maintain the existing number of vehicular lanes (6) along Burrard Bridge and extend the sidewalks on both sides outward to create widened pedestrian/cyclist facilities.

B4:
Cycling loop ramp at south end of bridge

B6:
Redesign north end of bridge (incl. Pacific /Burrard intersection).

B2:
Inward
Sidewalk Widening
(Reduce 1 Lane)

Reduce one vehicular lane (likely northbound) along Burrard Bridge and extend the sidewalks on both sides inward to create wider pedestrian/cyclist facilities.

B4:
Cycling loop ramp at south end of bridge

B6:
Redesign north end of bridge (incl. Pacific /Burrard intersection).

B3:
Low / Medium Level Beneath Bridge

A separate low/medium level pedestrian/cyclist crossing beneath the Burrard Bridge through the existing openings of the concrete piers. This would be a 'live' bridge that could be adjusted to allow for the passage of marine vessels through the channel.

GRANVILLE BRIDGE

G1:
Suspended Beneath Bridge

A medium/high level pedestrian/cyclist crossing suspended beneath the Granville Bridge (likely along the west side) connecting between the seawall on the north end and Granville Island on the south end (near the Arts Club Theatre or potentially further south).

G7:
Elevator / stairway connection to Granville Island.

G6:
Reduce No. of Lanes to Provide Separate Bike Lanes

Reduce one vehicular lane in each direction along Granville Bridge by merging the Howe St. and Hemlock St. 2- lane on-ramps into single lanes on the bridge. The additional road space would then be used for separate marked bike lanes along the roadway.

G2:
Stairway / elevator connection to Pacific Blvd.

G7:
Elevator / stairway connection to Granville Island.

G8:
Signalization of on /off-ramp crosswalks.

G11:
Intersection improvements at Hemlock / 6th Ave. on-ramp access.

CAMBIE BRIDGE

C2:
Outward West Sidewalk Extension

Outward extension of the existing west sidewalk along the Cambie Bridge (from the Nelson/Beatty intersection to 6th Ave westbound off-ramp) to allow for shared pedestrian/cyclist usage.

C3:
Improved disabled access to the seawall at both ends (i.e. via elevator connections).

C6:
Intersection improvements at 2nd Ave. on-ramp access.

C7:
Stairway connection on northeast side to Seawall at Coupers Park (to match southeast side).

C8:
Ramp connection to Southeast False Creek (to match northeast side).

CAMBIE BRIDGE

C4:
Adjust Lanes to Provide Southbound
Bike Lane

Adjust the vehicular lane widths along the existing Cambie Bridge southbound carriageway to provide for a marked bike lane on the roadway (from the Nelson/Beatty intersection to 6th Ave westbound off-ramp).

C3:
Improved disabled access to the seawall at both ends (i.e. via elevator connections).

C6:
Intersection improvements at 2nd Ave. on-ramp access.

C7:
Stairway connection on northeast side to Seawall at Coopers Park (to match southeast side).

C8:
Ramp connection to Southeast False Creek (to match northeast side).

Comments or questions? You can send us email.


TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning
SUBJECT:	False Creek Pedestrian and Cyclist Crossings Study Update

	*MAJOR CROSSING IMPROVEMENT*	*DESCRIPTION*	*LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS*
BURRARD BRIDGE	B1: Outward Sidewalk Extensions	Maintain the existing number of vehicular lanes (6) along Burrard Bridge and extend the sidewalks on both sides outward to create widened pedestrian/cyclist facilities.	B4: Cycling loop ramp at south end of bridge B6: Redesign north end of bridge (incl. Pacific /Burrard intersection).
	B2: Inward Sidewalk Widening (Reduce 1 Lane)	Reduce one vehicular lane (likely northbound) along Burrard Bridge and extend the sidewalks on both sides inward to create wider pedestrian/cyclist facilities.	B4: Cycling loop ramp at south end of bridge B6: Redesign north end of bridge (incl. Pacific /Burrard intersection).
	B3: Low / Medium Level Beneath Bridge	A separate low/medium level pedestrian/cyclist crossing beneath the Burrard Bridge through the existing openings of the concrete piers. This would be a 'live' bridge that could be adjusted to allow for the passage of marine vessels through the channel.
GRANVILLE BRIDGE	G1: Suspended Beneath Bridge	A medium/high level pedestrian/cyclist crossing suspended beneath the Granville Bridge (likely along the west side) connecting between the seawall on the north end and Granville Island on the south end (near the Arts Club Theatre or potentially further south).	G7: Elevator / stairway connection to Granville Island.
	G6: Reduce No. of Lanes to Provide Separate Bike Lanes	Reduce one vehicular lane in each direction along Granville Bridge by merging the Howe St. and Hemlock St. 2- lane on-ramps into single lanes on the bridge. The additional road space would then be used for separate marked bike lanes along the roadway.	G2: Stairway / elevator connection to Pacific Blvd. G7: Elevator / stairway connection to Granville Island. G8: Signalization of on /off-ramp crosswalks. G11: Intersection improvements at Hemlock / 6th Ave. on-ramp access.
CAMBIE BRIDGE	C2: Outward West Sidewalk Extension	Outward extension of the existing west sidewalk along the Cambie Bridge (from the Nelson/Beatty intersection to 6th Ave westbound off-ramp) to allow for shared pedestrian/cyclist usage.	C3: Improved disabled access to the seawall at both ends (i.e. via elevator connections). C6: Intersection improvements at 2nd Ave. on-ramp access. C7: Stairway connection on northeast side to Seawall at Coupers Park (to match southeast side). C8: Ramp connection to Southeast False Creek (to match northeast side).
CAMBIE BRIDGE	C4: Adjust Lanes to Provide Southbound Bike Lane	Adjust the vehicular lane widths along the existing Cambie Bridge southbound carriageway to provide for a marked bike lane on the roadway (from the Nelson/Beatty intersection to 6th Ave westbound off-ramp).	C3: Improved disabled access to the seawall at both ends (i.e. via elevator connections). C6: Intersection improvements at 2nd Ave. on-ramp access. C7: Stairway connection on northeast side to Seawall at Coopers Park (to match southeast side). C8: Ramp connection to Southeast False Creek (to match northeast side).