Vancouver City Council

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 9, 2003
Author/Local: P. Stary/6437

RTS NO. 03521

CC File No. 5702
Meeting Date: July 29, 2003

TO:

Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Cyclist Push Buttons for Existing Pedestrian Signals

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve the installation of forty cyclist buttons at selected pedestrian activated signals as described in this report at a cost of $100,000 with 50% of this total provided by the Translink Bicycle Infrastructure Capital Cost Sharing Program, and

THAT funding in the amount of $50,000 be allocated for the balance of the cost from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account Group SCA2E-UNAP, Bicycle Network.

COUNCIL POLICY

The Vancouver Transportation Plan emphasizes the need to promote bicycling by providing more facilities for cyclists, including connections to neighbourhood centres and identifies cycling as a high transportation priority, second only to walking.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval to install 40 cyclist push buttons at selected existing pedestrian signals.

BACKGROUND

Cyclist buttons are located close to the curb so that cyclists can easily activate pedestrian signals. They have been a feature of Vancouver's local street bikeways for the last ten years. In a 1999 survey of Vancouver bikeway users this feature was the second most popular, after only traffic calming. The City has received a number of requests from the public for more cyclist buttons at locations that are not on designated bikeways.

Many pedestrian activated signals installed in the late 1990s and all pedestrian activated signals installed since 1999 have included cyclist buttons as part of each project. However, unless located on a designated bikeway, older pedestrian activated signals typically do not have cyclist buttons.

DISCUSSION

Presently in Vancouver there are 146 pedestrian activated signals that do not have cyclist buttons. Based on requests from the public and a staff review, a number of locations have been identified as priorities for cyclist buttons. Many of these are on what could be termed informal bike routes -local streets that haven't been developed as designated bikeways but are used by numbers of cyclists as alternatives to the arterial street system. Others give access to destinations such as shopping and community centres or provide links to existing bikeways.

A list of recommended locations and other locations considered is included in Appendix A. It should be noted that at most pedestrian signals two cyclist buttons will be needed, one on each approach.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The total cost of installing 40 cyclist buttons is estimated at $100,000. Funding for half of this cost is available from Translink's Bicycle Infrastructure Capital Cost Sharing Program. The remaining $50,000 for this project is available from the 2003 Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account Group SCA2E-UNAP, Bicycle Network.

CONCLUSION

Installing bicycle buttons at existing pedestrian activated signals is a cost-effective way to enhance opportunities for cycling around the City and should encourage more citizens to choose cycling for transportation around their neighbourhoods.

* * * * *

Appendix A

Cyclist Buttons for Existing Pedestrian Signals

Recommended for installation in 2003:

King Edward at Prince Edward
Kingsway at Gladstone
Victoria at 22^nd
Broadway at Blenheim
Broadway at Maple
Broadway at Vine
4th at Vine
Main at 59th
Oak at 59^th
Knight at 61st
Argyle at 61st
41^st at Willow
49th at Tisdall (offset intersection, button on north approach only)
Granville at 45th
Oak at 46th
Main at 18th
Fraser at 19^th
Main at 14^th
Granville at 14^th
Quebec at National (existing button on east approach, new button on west approach only)
Hastings at McLean

Also considered:

Cambie at 18th
41st at Commercial
12th at Quebec
4^th at Collingwood
4^th at Trafalgar
Broadway at Trafalgar
Robson at Cardero
Davie at Cardero
Georgia at Broughton
Robson at Broughton
Davie at Jervis
16th at Crown
Nanaimo at 24th
Nanaimo at Charles
Victoria at 44^th
Kingsway at Clark
41^st at Carnarvon


TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:	Cyclist Push Buttons for Existing Pedestrian Signals