|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
November 5, 2003 | |
Author: |
Fred Lin | |
Phone No.: |
604-873-7693 | |
RTS No.: |
02707 | |
CC File No.: |
5757 | |
Meeting Date: |
January 13, 2004 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic |
FROM: |
General Manager of Engineering Services |
SUBJECT: |
Braemar Park Traffic Calming Plan - Follow-up |
THAT Council approve the permanent installation/retention of the traffic calming measures, as detailed in this report and as shown in Appendix A, at a cost of $30,000 to be provided from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account SCA5A- Local Area Traffic Plans and Other Improvements.
COUNCIL POLICY
· In May 1997, Council approved the Vancouver Transportation Plan that emphasizes the need to mitigate the effects of traffic in local neighbourhood areas and to give priority to streets and neighbourhoods where traffic impacts are most serious.
· In June 2001, Council approved the Braemar Park Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan that intended to ameliorate the impacts of the development at 4500 Oak St. (Children's and Women's Health Centre).
· It is Council's policy to implement diversionary traffic calming measures on a trial basis before making them permanent.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval for the permanent installation/retention of the following traffic calming measures in the Braemar Park neighbourhood (see Appendix A for the schematic illustration):
· Partial diverter on W. 28th Ave., at the entrance (Gate 2) of Children's and Women's Health Centre.
· Left-turn restriction (between 3pm and 6pm) posted for southbound vehicles on Oak St. at W. 32nd Ave.
· Centre median on the north leg of the Heather St. and W. 32nd Ave. intersection.
BACKGROUND
In 1999, Council approved amendments to the Zoning and Development By-Law to allow for an increase in the floor area at 4500 Oak St. (Children's and Women's Health Centre). As a condition of approval, Council directed that a traffic calming plan be completed, prior to Phase 1 occupancy, to ameliorate the impacts of the development on the Braemar Park neighbourhood. This neighbourhood is bounded by King Edward Ave. to the north, 33rd Ave. to the south, Cambie St. to the east, and Oak St. to the west.
In 2001, a traffic plan was developed jointly by City staff and the neighbourhood resident traffic committee. The plan consists of both diversionary and non-diversionary traffic calming measures intended to calm traffic on local residential streets. Affected residents were surveyed to solicit their opinions of the proposal. The majority of the survey respondents (70%) supported the proposal and subsequently, Council approved the Braemar Park Traffic Calming Plan later in the year.
DISCUSSION
Two measures in the Braemar Park traffic plan (28th Ave. partial diverter and Oak St./32nd Ave. left-turn restriction) are diversionary and were installed on a trial basis. The purpose of the measures is to reduce the amount of non-local vehicles accessing Children's and Women's Health Centre using local streets, rather than using adjacent arterial streets. A comparison of the traffic volume data collected before and after the installation of the trial measures indicated that the diverter has reduced the daily volume on 28th Ave. by more than 950 vehicles (35%), while the left-turn restriction has reduced the volume on 32nd Ave., during the hours of restriction, by more than 50 vehicles (25%). While the measures have effectively reduced the amount of traffic on local streets, they have not caused an unacceptable level of traffic diversion on adjacent residential streets. Please see Appendix A for the summary of traffic counts conducted before and after the implementation of the measures.
NEIGHBOURHOOD CONSULTATION
City staff have consulted with the neighbourhood resident traffic committee and hospital staff to develop the designs of the traffic calming measures. In September 2003, affected residents were resurveyed to seek their opinions on the permanent installation/retention of the trial measures. See Appendices B and C for the survey results and survey comments, respectively. The results of the survey show that the majority of the respondents support the proposed trial measures, with 75% and 71% of the respondents in favour of the partial diverter and left-turn restriction, respectively.
OTHER ISSUE
Originally, a centre median was proposed on Heather St., just north of 33rd Ave., to calm traffic on Heather St. and to provide a gateway treatment for the neighbourhood. However, due to the need to accommodate service vehicles accessing St. Vincent's Hospital's driveway at 32nd Ave. (the only access to the loading area), it would be necessary to change the location of the median. After consulting with the resident traffic committee and hospital staff, it was proposed that the median be constructed one block north of the original location, on the north leg of the Heather St. and 32nd Ave. intersection. Having the median at that location would not only provide adequate room for service vehicles, it would also provide the same traffic-calming benefits as the original proposal. An information letter was sent to the affected residents in September 2003. No concerns about the proposal were expressed.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The estimated cost of $30,000 for the installation/retention of the traffic calming measures would be provided from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account SCA5A- Local Area Traffic Plans and Other Improvements.
CONCLUSION
The permanent installation/retention of the traffic calming measures, as detailed in this report and as shown in Appendix A, are recommended based on the overall benefits to the neighbourhood and the support from the affected residents.
* * * * *
