Vancouver City Council |
| These minutes will be adopted at the Regular Council meeting on October 19, 2004. |
REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFICOCTOBER 5, 2004
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, October 5, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., in Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT:
Councillor Fred Bass, Chair
Councillor David Cadman
Councillor Jim Green
Councillor Peter Ladner, Vice-Chair
Councillor Raymond Louie
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Anne Roberts
*Councillor Sam Sullivan
Councillor Ellen WoodsworthABSENT:
Mayor Larry Campbell (Civic Business)
Councillor Tim StevensonCITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:
Judy Rogers
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:
Pat Boomhower, Meeting Coordinator
* Denotes absence for a portion of the meeting.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meetings of July 6, 2004, and September 14, 2004, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. International Walk to School Week – October 4th to 8th, 2004 (File 5560-1)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated September 21, 2004, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services provided background information for a presentation on International Walk to School Week and the province’s Way to Go! School program.
Don Klimchuk, Transportation Engineer, Strategic Transportation Planning, reviewed the report and outlined the trend in grade school trips by automobile and the City’s initiatives which support the Way to Go! program. He noted that at the afternoon Council meeting on October 5, 2004, a proclamation will be read for “Walk to School Week”.
Bernadette Kowey, Provincial Coordinator, Way to Go! program thanked the City for the visibility it has given the program, and described the Way to Go! program which supports parents and teachers in traffic safety education. Highlights of her presentation included:
· Parent Advisory Councils’ concern that many schools had not been built for the amount of vehicle traffic that they have experienced in recent years;
· financial support of ICBC and the Autoplan Brokers for a province-wide pedestrian safety program aimed at the school level for pedestrians and drivers;
· sample resource material available in the school “toolkit”;
· recognizing the complicated experience for today’s parents;
· flexibility in the Way to Go! program to fit what works for an individual school;
· Vancouver Police involvement in educating about traffic safety;
· benefits of encouraging personal, pedestrian and bicycle safety, creating a sense of community to help children arrive safely to and from school, and the promotion of active modes such as walking and cycling;
· the program inspires children to participate in healthy choices; and
· provides tools for parents to help reverse the trend in having school trips made by automobile and to promote safety.
Ms. Kowey invited Council members to join in Spring events and to give the program a higher profile in Vancouver, and responded to questions regarding:
· alleviating parents’ fear of stranger apprehension of their children;
· promoting proper protective gear for skateboarders;
· program focus on elementary and middle schools;
· working with BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation);
· addressing fear of bicycle thefts;
· the number of high school students driving cars to school and neighbourhoods upset at amount of traffic and parking;
· restrictions in place, such as graduated licenses and ICBC strict on who is specified as the primary driver;
· making Transit more affordable for high school students;
· plans for expanding the student U-pass and the limited capacity for the transit system to absorb new demand at peak periods;
· a project with TransLink being developed for teachers of Grade 6, 7 or 8 students on “how to get around by transit”;
· Cool Vancouver initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
· suggestion to connect with a media sponsor to promote walking to school;
· the focus on fitness rather than obesity; and
· more support and resources needed for schools working on traffic safety issues in Vancouver.
MOVED by Councillor Louis
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
THAT Council receive the presentation by the Provincial Coordinator, Way to Go! school program and the Administrative Report dated September 21, 2004, entitled “International Walk to School Week – October 4th to 8th, 2004”, for information.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillor Sullivan absent for the vote)
2. Authority to Contract – Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout, and Ridership Study (File 1805)
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated September 23, 2004, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning sought Council authority to contract with IBI Group to provide professional services for undertaking the Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout and Ridership Study.
Dale Bracewell, Transportation Engineer, Strategic Transportation Planning, reviewed the report with the aid of a visual presentation on the Downtown Streetcar project update (copies on file). Mr. Bracewell outlined the benefits of the Downtown Streetcar initiative, and described the recent survey of tourists and GVRD residents and the draft findings dated September 27, 2004, of the tourist and recreation research. He also reviewed Phase 1, and Phase 2 from the 1999 Vancouver Streetcar Feasibility Study and other possible route extensions. Mr. Bracewell noted the need to update the ridership estimates since 1999 and to research streetcar and light rail systems in comparable cities for benchmarking (e.g. frequency and pricing).
Mr. Bracewell described the process and criteria used in determining the consultant selected for the Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout, and Ridership Study which will provide more detail on a “block by block” basis. He also noted an application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been made for possible contribution towards costs of the design study, and upon completion of the market research, benchmarking and design, layout and ridership study, staff plans to have Council receive an overall project update in early 2005.
Richard Johnson, Planner, Downtown Transportation, outlined the public liaison aspect of the study regarding consultation with the public and key stakeholders.
Dave Rudberg, General Manager, Engineering Services, together with Messrs. Bracewell and Johnson responded to questions regarding:
· further information being compiled and required for a Council decision at a later date;
· integration with TransLink plans;
· potential funding from other levels of government and TransLink;
· completion of the entire loop;
· timelines for Phase 1 and for 2010;
· range of capital costs;
· preserving corridors (land use);
· comparison of annual boardings across Vancouver and the estimate for Downtown;
· commuter and residents needs;
· streetcar as a stimulus for specific areas;
· difference between light rail transit and streetcar;
· interest in gaining new riders.
Staff was requested to ask the consultant what would it take to look at streetcar potential along Arbutus Corridor and to report back next month.
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT, subject to the conditions set out in B, C, and D, Council approve that an agreement be entered into with IBI Group for undertaking the Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout and Ridership Study, at an estimated cost of $100,000 including disbursements plus $10,000 for public liaison; funding to be provided from existing Streets Capital reserved for Downtown Streetcar Project ($50,000), from citywide Development Cost Levies ($40,000), and from the approved consulting funding to complete the Official Development Plan for Southeast False Creek ($20,000).
B. THAT, all legal documentation is to be in a form which is satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services.
C. THAT, upon approval of the legal documentation by the Director of Legal Services, the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to execute and deliver the necessary agreement on behalf of City Council.
D. THAT, no legal rights or obligations will be created by Council’s approval A,B, and C and no services are to be provided unless and until the legal documentation has been executed and delivered by the General Manager of Engineering Services.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Committee adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
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|
CITY OF VANCOUVER REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 5, 2004 |
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, October 5, 2004, at 11:00 a.m., in Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting, to consider the recommendations and actions of the Committee.
PRESENT: |
Councillor David Cadman, Deputy Mayor
|
ABSENT: |
Mayor Larry Campbell (Civic Business)
|
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Judy Rogers |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Pat Boomhower, Meeting Coordinator |
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
SECONDED by Councillor Louie
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Deputy Mayor Cadman in the Chair.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Report of Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
October 5, 2004
Council considered the report containing the recommendations and actions taken by the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic. Its items of business included:
1. International Walk to School Week – October 4th to 8th, 2004
2. Authority to Contract – Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout, and Ridership Study
MOVED by Councillor Louie
THAT the recommendations and actions taken by the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic at its meeting of October 5, 2004, as contained in Items 1 and 2, be approved.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Bass
SECONDED by Councillor Louie
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
NEW BUSINESS
1. Leave of Absence – Mayor Campbell (file 1254)
MOVED by Councillor Louie
SECONDED by Councillor Bass
THAT Mayor Campbell be granted Leaves of Absence for Civic Business from the Regular Council meeting and Public Hearing on October 5, 2004.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS
1. Selection of Business License Hearing Panels (File 2711-1)
Councillor Green requested a better way for selecting the business license hearing panels in order to distribute the frequency among councillors.
The Council adjourned at 11:05 a.m.
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