CITY OF VANCOUVER
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

M E M O R A N D U M

DATE: June 24, 2002 FILE: 3252

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: Charlene Imai, Meeting Coordinator

SUBJECT: UBCM Resolutions

The following resolution is submitted for Council's consideration on June 25, 2002, and will be forwarded to the UBCM Annual Convention thereafter:

Resolution	Submitted by
Enabling Legislation into the Motor Vehicle Act to Include the Operation of Streetcars on City Streets	General Manager, Engineering Services

Atts.

ENABLING LEGISLATION INTO THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACT TO INCLUDE THE OPERATION OF STREETCARS ON CITY STREETS

WHEREAS a streetcar system will operate on the roadway amongst vehicles;

AND WHEREAS a streetcar system can improve transit ridership and reduce the reliance on the car for inner city trips;

AND WHEREAS use of transit facilities has positive effects on the environment;

AND WHEREAS legislation for the use of streetcars existed in the British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act prior to 1951;

AND WHEREAS current restrictive legislation for the use of streetcars exists only within the British Columbia Rail Act.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Minister of Transportation and Highways be asked to consider an amendment to once again allow the operation of streetcar systems on incorporated municipalities' streets.

ENABLING LEGISLATION INTO THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACT TO INCLUDE THE OPERATION OF STREETCARS ON CITY STREETS - BACKGROUND

At present the Downtown Historic Railway (DHR) operates in a designated rail corridor pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services and the Railway Act. Interaction with motor vehicles is limited to railway grade crossings with tram stations, for passenger loading and unloading, located within the rail corridor and away from vehicular traffic.

With future plans to extend the DHR into the downtown core it will be necessary to operate with respect to street traffic including curbside and/or center median tram stations. By including streetcar operations in the Motor Vehicle Act, as it was in the 1948 Act, we can enhance the safety of tram operations as well as passenger loading by placing the onus on road traffic to observe specific rules when interacting with streetcar movements.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver