|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
January 24, 2005 | |
Author: |
David Rawsthorne | |
Phone No.: |
604-873-7343 | |
RTS No.: |
04745 | |
CC File No.: |
5553 | |
Meeting Date: |
February 15, 2005
|
TO: |
Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic |
FROM: |
General Manager of Engineering Services |
SUBJECT: |
Valley Drive and 29th Avenue Bike Routes |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT a bicycle route be established along Trafalgar Street and Valley Drive, from West 10th Avenue to West 33rd Avenue, subject to consultation regarding design details with neighbours abutting the route.
B. THAT a bicycle route be established along West 29th Avenue, Eddington Drive, Nanton Avenue, West 28th Avenue and Midlothian Avenue, from Imperial Drive to Ontario Street, subject to consultation regarding design details with neighbours abutting the route.
C. THAT $190,000 of the estimated $380,000 cost for these cycling improvements be provided from Community Amenity Contributions generated from 1925 West 33rd Avenue (Arbutus Gardens), with the remaining $190,000 funded from TransLink cost sharing contribution.
D. THAT, commencing in 2006, the Traffic Operating Budget be increased by $1500, the Streets Operating Budget be increased by $1500, and the Traffic Signal Maintenance Budget be increased by $2500, without offset, subject to the 2006 Budget Review.
COUNCIL POLICY
In 1997, Council approved the Vancouver Transportation Plan that emphasizes the need for developing more bikeways and ranks cyclists second priority after pedestrians.
In 1999, Council approved the 1999 Bicycle Plan that established the goal of developing the bicycle network in the City to ensure a grid of bicycle routes approximately one kilometre (1km) apart.
In January 2004, Council allocated $190,000 in Community Amenity Contributions generated from 1925 West 33rd Avenue (Arbutus Gardens) to pedestrian and cycling improvements and traffic calming on neighbouring local residential streets.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s approval to establish bicycle routes on Trafalgar Street and Valley Drive between West 10th and West 33rd Avenues and on West 29th Avenue, Eddington Drive, Nanton Avenue, West 28th Avenue and Midlothian Avenue, between Imperial Drive and Ontario Street.
BACKGROUND
In 1998, the City approved the rezoning of the residential block bounded by West 33rd Avenue, Arbutus Street, and Valley Drive. As a condition of the rezoning, the developer committed to providing Community Amenity Contributions totalling $1,810,612. These funds have been equally allocated between Engineering Services and Park Board, including $190,000 to unspecified “future pedestrian and cycling improvements and traffic calming on neighbouring local, residential streets.”
TransLink provides 50% cost-sharing for eligible cycling infrastructure projects.
DISCUSSION
City staff have identified two potential bicycle routes which would improve connections from the neighbourhood surrounding the Arbutus Gardens development to many surrounding destinations.
The first route, along Trafalgar Street and Valley Drive, is 3 km long, and follows part of the route of an 1870s-era logging railway. The second route, along West 29th Avenue, Eddington Drive, Nanton Avenue, West 28th Avenue and Midlothian Avenue, is 8 km long. Both routes are shown on Figure 1.
The Trafalgar/Valley Bicycle Route will connect to the Seaside, Off-Broadway, 10th Avenue and Cypress Bicycle Routes. It is a southward extension of an existing 1 km route on Trafalgar Street, north of 10th Avenue, established in 2004. It will provide the neighbourhood with improved bicycle access to Prince of Wales Secondary School, Arbutus Village Shopping Centre, Trafalgar Elementary School,16th Avenue shopping, Kitsilano Secondary School, Kitsilano Community Centre, West Broadway shopping, 4th Avenue shopping, and English Bay. This route is 0.7 To 1.2km west of the existing Cypress bicycle route, and 0.7 To 1.2 km east of the future Balaclava/Carnarvon bicycle route.
Changes to this route to accommodate cycling will likely include:
· reconfiguration of the 12th and Trafalgar intersection
· a new pedestrian/cyclist activated traffic signal at 12th and Trafalgar
· traffic circles to replace north/south stop signs at local street intersections
Figure1: Trafalgar/Valley Bicycle Route and 29th Avenue Bicycle Route
The 29th Avenue Bicycle Route will connect to the Cypress, Heather and Ontario Bicycle Routes as well as the future Camosun Greenway. It will provide the neighbourhood with improved bicycle access to UBC, Pacific Spirit Park, Saint George’s School, Shaughnessy Elementary School, Prince of Wales and Eric Hamber Secondary Schools, Children's and Women's Health Centre and Queen Elizabeth, Hillcrest and Riley Parks. This route is parallel to and 1.9 km south of the existing 10th Avenue bicycle route and parallel to and 0.9 km north of the existing Ridgeway (37th Avenue) bicycle route. Much of this route was identified in the 1992 Bicycle Network Study but was not among the routes endorsed by Council in the 1999 Bicycle Plan.
Changes to this route to accommodate cycling will likely include:
· a new pedestrian/cyclist activated traffic signal at Nanton and Oak
· reconfiguration of the 29th and Cambie intersection
· bike lanes on Midlothian Avenue between Cambie and Ontario
· traffic circles to replace east/west stop signs at local street intersections
These routes have been reviewed by and endorsed by the Bicycle Advisory Committee. Council approval of these two routes will allow staff to pursue cost sharing opportunities with TransLink.
Public consultation and detailed design of these bike routes will proceed in 2005. Staff will report back on any controversial elements of the route designs prior to construction.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The estimated costs of the components of the work on Trafalgar Street and Valley Drive are as follows:
Traffic calming (traffic circles, etc.) |
40,000 |
Pavement markings and signage |
10,000 |
West 12th and Trafalgar intersection, reconfiguration and new signal |
150,000 |
Total |
$ 200,000 |
The estimated costs of the components of the work on West 29th Avenue, Eddington Drive, Nanton Avenue and Midlothian Avenue are as follows:
Traffic calming (traffic circles, etc.) |
50,000 |
Pavement markings and signage |
15,000 |
Nanton and Oak intersection, new signal |
80,000 |
29th and Cambie intersection, reconfiguration and signal modifications |
35,000 |
Total |
$ 180,000 |
The total cost of the work proposed is $ 380,000. Funding is available as follows:
Community Amenity Contributions |
190,000 |
TransLink cost sharing |
190,000 |
Total |
$ 380,000 |
No funding from the City’s capital budget will be required to implement these bike routes. Commencing in 2006, additional funding of the Traffic Operating Budget ($1500), the Streets Operating Budget ($1500), and the Traffic Signal Maintenance Budget ($2500) will be required.
CONCLUSION
This report recommends that Council establish two new bicycle routes, one on Trafalgar Street and Valley Drive, and the other on West 29th Avenue and connected streets. It further recommends that $190,000 of over $1.8 million of Community Amenity Contributions from the rezoning of 1925 West 33rd Avenue (Arbutus Gardens) be allocated to the development of these routes, with the balance of the estimated $380,000 cost to come from TransLink.
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