Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: April 23, 2003
Author: P. Stary
Local: 604-871-6437
RTS NO. 02485CC File No. 5701
Meeting date: May 13, 2003
TO:
Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:
General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:
Pedestrian Enhancements for School Crosswalks, 2003 Program
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve the construction of corner bulges on:
· Commercial Dr. at 4th Av.,
· Elliott St. at 52nd Av.,
· Matheson Cr. at Champlain Cr.,
· Nanaimo St. at 37th Av.,
· 10th Av. at Collingwood St. and
· 54th Av. at Rupert St.and the construction of median refuges on:
· Matheson Cr. at Blake St. and
· Matheson Cr. north of Champlain Cr.B. THAT funding of $125,000 be provided in advance of the 2003 Streets Basic Capital Budget, from submission A-5a: Local Area Traffic Plans and Other Improvements.
COUNCIL POLICY
The Vancouver Transportation Plan emphasizes the need to provide more comfortable pedestrian environments.
On June 5, 2001, Council passed a motion that staff be encouraged to accelerate the installation of various methods for improving pedestrian crossings.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval to construct curb bulges at six existing school crosswalks and to construct median refuges at one existing mid-block school crosswalk and at one proposed mid-block crosswalk.
BACKGROUND
Curb bulges have been constructed on arterial streets with full time on-street parking as a means of improving the pedestrian environment. Ten curb bulges have been constructed at school crosswalks since the fall of 2000. Almost all of the responses received to date from both schools and the public have been favourable. A concern raised was that bulges could create an area of friction between cyclists and motorists. To address this concern all proposed bulges on arterial streets are designed to allow a minimum 4.3 m wide curb lane, appropriate for bicycle/motor vehicle lane sharing.
Corner bulges improve crossing conditions for pedestrians by:
· increasing pedestrian visibility;
· increasing pedestrians' sight distance;
· reducing pedestrian crossing distance;
· preventing parking too close to a crosswalk.Median refuges give pedestrians the opportunity to cross one direction of traffic at a time. They also improve pedestrians' sight distance and provide a visual cue to motorists that pedestrians can be expected. There is evidence that median refuges can also moderately reduce traffic speeds. There are some existing median refuges in the City, but these are the first to be proposed at mid-block pedestrian crossing locations.
DISCUSSION
The six proposed curb bulge locations and one of the median refuge locations are at well-used school crosswalks. The remaining proposed median refuge is at a location where a pedestrian walkway intersects a street in mid-block. These locations have been identified by the School Traffic Working Group, comprised of staff members from the Vancouver School Board, the Vancouver Police Department and Engineering Services. The principals of the schools involved have been consulted and support these proposals.
1. Commercial Dr. at 4th Av. (Grandview/?uuqinak'uuh School and Queen Victoria Annex) This school crosswalk is located at a "T" intersection in a commercial area and is used by many pedestrians throughout the day. A bulge is recommended on the east side only (the top of the "T"), where frequent parking violations obstruct pedestrian visibility. A bus stop on the west side helps to maintain good visibility.
2. Elliott St. at 52nd Av. (Kingsford-Smith School) This school crosswalk is located at a "T" intersection on an uncurbed section of Elliott St. Until recently a student school patrol operated at this location; however, the patrol has had to be disbanded. The recommended bulges would improve pedestrian visibility and eliminate parking violations.
3. Matheson Cr. at Champlain Cr. (Champlain Heights School and Annex) This school crosswalk is located at a "T" intersection. The recommended bulges would improve pedestrian visibility and pedestrians' sight distance along this curving roadway.
4. Matheson Cr. north of Champlain Cr. (Champlain Heights School and Annex) A pedestrian walkway that runs the length of the Champlain Heights residential area crosses Matheson Dr. at this point. There is a public playground located adjacent to the walkway on the west side of the street. Although there is no school crosswalk here some children use this walkway as an alternative route to and from school. Children also cross here outside of school hours to use the playground. Matheson Dr. is a curving street, and sight distance for westbound pedestrians looking for traffic approaching from the north is limited. A median refuge and a "zebra" crosswalk are recommended here in order to provide pedestrians with improved sight distance and visibility.
5. Matheson Cr. at Blake St. (Champlain Heights School and Annex) A student school patrol operates at this well-used mid-block school crosswalk located near the point at which Matheson Cr. becomes Blake St., close to Champlain Heights Elementary School. The crosswalk also provides access to the Champlain Heights walkway network. A median refuge is recommended in order to calm traffic and improve pedestrian visibility.
6. Nanaimo St. at 37th Av. (Cunningham School) This school crosswalk is located at a "T" intersection on an uncurbed section of Nanaimo St. A student school patrol operates at this location. The recommended bulges would improve pedestrian visibility and eliminate parking violations.
7. W 10th Av. at Collingwood St. (Bayview School) This school crosswalk crosses a relatively narrow, moderately busy street lined with tall street trees. Bulges have recently been installed at another crosswalk several blocks away. The recommended bulges would improve pedestrian visibility and eliminate parking violations.
8. E 54th at Rupert St. (Anne Hebert School - Francophone School Board of BC) This school crosswalk is located at a "T" intersection. The recommended bulges would provide pedestrians with improved sight distance and visibility and would eliminate parking violations.
No vehicle movements will be prohibited at any of these locations. However, at some locations vehicles may be prevented from passing on the right while other vehicles are turning left or stopped for pedestrians. All curb bulges and medians will leave a travel lane at least 4.3 metres (14 feet) wide, suitable for bicycle/motor vehicle lane sharing, for each direction of travel. Curb bulges will be located within existing by-law clearances; therefore, no legal parking spaces will be displaced.The proposed curb bulges and medians address two of the recommendations of the Vancouver Transportation Plan:
· R5 - small changes to improve pedestrian environments; and
· NP8 - improve pedestrian spaces.
They also address a recommendation contained in a 1999 Vancouver School Board report entitled Traffic Safety Around Vancouver Schools which supports "developing and implementing innovative engineering measures such as corner bulges, speed humps and painted clearance panels in cooperation with individual schools".FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The total cost of installing the curb bulges and medians as described above is estimated at $125,000. Funding for this project is to be provided in advance of the 2003 Streets Basic Capital Budget, from submission A-5a: Local Area Traffic Plans and Other Improvements.
Curb bulges and medians will be finished in concrete and turf to match existing sidewalks and boulevards; therefore, there should be no extraordinary maintenance costs.CONCLUSION
Curb bulges and median refuges have been identified as effective, relatively low cost ways to enhance the pedestrian environment, and are therefore recommended for installation at the locations noted above. It is anticipated that additional school safety related enhancements will be identified and recommended in subsequent years.
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