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REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

APRIL 23, 2002

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, April 23, 2002, at 9:30 a.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor Jennifer Clarke, Chair Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Lynne Kennedy Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price, Vice-Chair Councillor George Puil
ABSENT:	Mayor Philip Owen (Leave of Absence) Councillor Sam Sullivan (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting of March 5, 2002, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Granville Street (and Granville Mall) between Drake and Cordova (File 8108)

The Committee had before it an Administrative report dated March 7, 2002, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services and Director of Current Planning reviewed the role of Granville Street within the context of the downtown transportation network and provided recommendations for its future direction.  The General Manager of Community Services also recommended approval of the foregoing.

The Committee also had before it a letter dated April 18, 2002, from the Bicycle Advisory Committee, recommending Granville Mall be maintained as a pedestrian, bicycle and transit corridor.

Jeffrey Patterson, Planner, and Doug Louie, Downtown Transportation Engineer, Downtown Transportation Plan, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, provided an overview of Granville Mall, including history, economic health and policy initiatives. Mr. Louie also reviewed public opinion and the results of a traffic micro-simulation analysis.

Clive Rock, Manager, Strategic Planning, TransLink, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, reviewed the role of Granville Mall, provided a perspective on potential changes and described the impacts if general traffic were reintroduced. He introduced Brian Mills, Program Manager of Service Planning, TransLink, who was present to respond to questions.

Mr. Patterson, Mr. Louie and Mr. Rock, together with Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning, and Araceli Mallen, Senior Research Manager, Ipsos-Reid, responded to questions regarding options for reintroducing traffic to Granville Mall, impacts if buses were relocated to adjacent streets, compensation for transit delays and polling.

The following speakers were in favour of the recommendations:

Bruce Chown, Co-Chair, Special Advisory Committee on Seniors
Bev Ballantyne, Putting Pedestrians First (brief filed)
Kevin Stuart
Ray Straatsma, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation
Paul Tubbe, Co-Chair, Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues

A summary of speakers' comments follows:

· the Granville Mall is a crucial pedestrian and transit corridor that provides significant public and retail benefits;
· a rotating management team involving all stakeholders is needed to help revitalize Granville Mall;
· Granville Street, which is important to Vancouver and the 2010 Olympics, needs improvements to its public realm and 24-hour transit service; consider penalties to property owners who leave their lots empty;
· the elderly and disabled communities depend on public transit and would be negatively impacted by slower or reduced transit service;
· narrowing sidewalks could compromise pedestrian safety and comfort.

The following speakers were opposed to the recommendations:

Blaine Culling, Granville Entertainment
Roger Bayley
David Goldman
Stuart Swain, President, Downtown Vancouver BIA
Gary Bannerman
Norm Hotson, Hotson Bakker Architects

A summary of speakers' comments follows:

· encourage Council to delay its decision and allow a proper traffic study to be completed which thoroughly analyzes the impacts if vehicular traffic is reintroduced to Granville Mall;
· not all stakeholders were consulted in the review process;
· the flaw with Granville Mall is a focus on transit only;
· a proper assessment of the economic condition of Granville Mall is needed prior to any final decisions;
· reintroducing traffic to Granville Mall will improve its socio-economic state as well as open it up to more people at more times of day.

Due to time constraints, this matter was referred to the April 30th Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m., to continue hearing speakers.

The Committee adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

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CITY OF VANCOUVER

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

APRIL 23, 2002

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, April 23, 2002, in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.

PRESENT:	Councillor Gordon Price, Acting Chair Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor George Puil
ABSENT:	Mayor Philip Owen (Leave of Absence) Councillor Jennifer Clarke (Civic Business) Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business) Councillor Sam Sullivan (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Louis
SECONDED by Councillor McCormick

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Councillor Price in the Chair.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
April 23, 2002

As the hearing of speakers was not completed, this item was referred to the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting of April 30, 2002, at 9:00 a.m.

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Puil

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Daniel Lee
SECONDED by Councillor Bass

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

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Leave of Absence - Mayor Owen (File: 1254)

MOVED by Councillor Puil
SECONDED by Councillor McCormick

THAT Mayor Owen be granted Leave of Absence for the mornings of April 23, 2002, and April 25, 2002.

The Council adjourned at 12:11 p.m.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver