Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: August 15, 2003
Author/Local: Peter Judd/7360
RTS No. 03539
CC File No. 5701
Meeting Date: September 9, 2003
TO:
Vancouver City Council
FROM:
General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:
Allocation of Pedestrian Facilities Funding
RECOMMENDATION
That the $780,000 of surplus Capital Plan funds set aside in the 2002 Capital Budget for "Pedestrian Facilities - Special Projects" be allocated to Sidewalk Construction around Parks and Schools, $200,000; Kingsway and Knight Neighbourhood Centre Delivery Program, $200,000 for sidewalk reconstruction; The Central Valley Greenway, $180,000; and The Downtown Transportation Plan, $200,000.
POLICY
The Vancouver Transportation Plan (1997) emphasizes the need to provide more comfortable and convenient pedestrian facilities and environs. City Plan (1995) established major directions for transportation policy within the city, including support for a hierarchy of mode priorities identified in a citizen survey with pedestrians first, then cycling, transit, goods movement and vehicles.
The Livable Region Strategic Plan (1995) provided a regional framework for managing growth by increasing transportation choice and building complete communities.
PURPOSE
During consideration of the 2003 Streets Capital Budget at the May 15, 2003 City Services and Budgets meeting Council passed a motion asking that Engineering allocate funds to step up pedestrian, cycling and Greenway projects. The purpose of this report is to recommend allocation of additional funds to a number of pedestrian, cycling and Greenways initiatives.
DISCUSSION
In the 2002 Capital Budget some surplus funds from previous capital plans were identified and set aside for "Pedestrian Facilities - Special Projects". In response to Council's May 15th motion staff recommend allocation of this funding to enhance pedestrian facilities as follows:
Sidewalks
Sidewalks in Vancouver are constructed through the local improvement process with adjacent property owners paying approximately 50% of the cost for sidewalks adjacent to their property. $270,000 was allocated in the 2003 Capital Budget for the City's portion of local improvement sidewalk costs. Most of the blocks lacking sidewalks are in residential areas where the adjacent property owners have defeated local improvements, either because they do not want a sidewalk adjacent to their property or they do not want to pay a share of the cost. Staff have committed to report back to Council in the fall on possible options for changing the cost sharing formulae for sidewalk construction and other mechanisms that might accelerate sidewalk construction.
In the interim, there are a number of locations adjacent to schools and parks where sidewalks can be added and where a local improvement process is not required because the City pays the full cost of construction. The following locations are proposed for construction at an estimated cost of $200,000 using the "Pedestrian Facilities - Special Projects" funding:
W/S McKinnon - Euclid to 420 ft south of Euclid - (Collingwood Park) 450 ft.
This project would improve pedestrian access to the park as well as properly connect the area north of Euclid Street to bus routes on Kingsway.
W/S Slocan - Broadway to Grandview Hwy North - (Vancouver Tech Secondary) 1,200 ft.
This project would provide a safe pedestrian walkway for students attending the school as well as benefiting pedestrians using the nearby Skytrain line.
W/S Fraser Street from 31st Ave. to 33rd Ave. (Cemetery) 1,000 ft.
This project is adjacent the municipal cemetery and would complete the sidewalk system on Fraser Street which is a major bus route.
E/S St. George Street from 41st Ave. to 43rd Ave. (John Oliver High School) 650 ft.
This project would provide access to the school for students in the areas as well as access to the bus route on 41st Ave. for area residents.
W/S Kaslo - 18th Ave. to 22nd Ave. (Sunny Hill Hospital) 900 ft.
W/S 21st Ave. - Slocan to Kaslo (Sunny Hill Hospital) 600 ft.
This project would provide a safe pedestrian corridor for the public accessing services or visiting the hospital. Furthermore, students of the Vancouver Oral Centre for the hearing impaired would benefit greatly as their young students would have a safe area to walk instead of on the street.
Kingsway and Knight Neighbourhood Centre Delivery Program
The Kingsway and Knight Neighbourhood Centre Delivery Program, now underway, delivers on adopted Community Vision Directions to improve the Kingsway shopping area and introduce new housing variety around it. As part of the Program, Planning and Engineering staff are working with businesses and residents to develop a plan for improvements to the public realm, pedestrian environment, and traffic management. It will include proposals for sidewalk replacement, street landscaping (new trees, possibly landscaped median), intersection improvements, new street furniture, and other beautification items. The plan is scheduled to be reviewed by Council late in 2003, with implementation starting in 2004.
Staff recommend that $200,000 be reserved from the "Pedestrian Facilities - Special Projects" account to provide for the City share of sidewalk reconstruction requirements for this project. Specific requirements will be reported back to Council prior to construction.
Greenways
During construction of the Central Valley Greenway some unanticipated requirements were identified including additional pedestrian lighting and sidewalks across the street from the pathway built by the Skytrain Project.
Another portion of the Greenway, between Commercial and Victoria, had a modest budget allocated by the Skytrain Project, but area residents did not feel the design adequately addressed the impacts due to the Skytrain construction. After numerous meetings between staff and residents as well as two Council meetings, a design was finally agreed upon. The design included more trees, shrubs, a retaining wall and a sound reducing fence. The extra cost for this design is being shared by the City and the Skytrain Project.
Additional funding is required for this purpose. We recommend that $180,000 be allocated from the "Pedestrian Facilities - Special Projects" account.
Downtown Transportation Plan
The implementation of the Downtown Transportation Plan (DTP) is underway; however, there is insufficient capital funding available to undertake all the desired pedestrian improvements in the shorter term. Many pedestrian enhancements are being completed as a priority in conjunction with other sidewalk or street reconstruction projects. This eliminates the need to reconstruct relatively new infrastructure, minimizes public inconvenience and maximizes benefits to pedestrians with the funds available.
To step up implementation of enhancements for pedestrians within the downtown, it is recommended that $200,000 be allocated to accelerate implementation of the pedestrian improvements identified in the plan. These would include the upgrading of the pedestrian environment, installation of corner bulges, special sidewalk crossings of rear lanes, increased boulevard width and landscaping, subject to discussions with stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The following work would be funded from an account titled "Pedestrian Facilities - Special Projects" which was approved by Council as part of the 2002 Streets capital Budget.
Sidewalk Construction around Parks and Schools $200,000
Sidewalk Reconstruction - Kingsway and Knight
- Neighbourhood Centre Delivery Program 200,000
Central Valley Greenway 180,000
Downtown Transportation Plan Implementation 200,000
$780,000
This would fully allocate the funding in the account. No other work would be deferred as a result of this approval as the funding was surplus funding remaining from previous Capital Plans. It was consolidated and allocated for these types of projects in the 2002 Capital Budget.
CONCLUSION
The allocation of additional funds to pedestrian enhancement projects, as identified in this report, will accelerate projects arising from several City planning processes, and result in a better pedestrian environment in a number of areas of the city.
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