SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2
VTC AGENDA
MAY 16, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: April 29, 1996
File No. 4252-1
TO: Vancouver Traffic Commission
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: Bus Stop Relocations
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. THAT the following bus stops be established:
1. Eastbound Broadway at Trafalgar Street
2. Eastbound Hastings Street at McLean Drive
3. Eastbound 4th Avenue at Trafalgar Street
4. Eastbound 4th Avenue at Balsam Street
5. Southbound Main Street at 40th Avenue
6. Southbound Main Street at 43rd Avenue
7. Westbound Cornwall Street at Arbutus Street
8. Westbound Cornwall Street at Maple Street
B. THAT the following bus stops be discontinued:
1. Eastbound Broadway at Stephens Street
2. Eastbound Hastings Street at Woodland Drive
3. Eastbound 4th Avenue at Stephens Street
4. Eastbound 4th Avenue at Larch Street
5. Eastbound Broadway at Cassiar Street
6. Westbound S.E. Marine Drive at Nanaimo Street
7. Westbound S.E. Marine Drive at Duff Street
8. Westbound S.E. Marine Drive at Borden Street
9. Southbound Main Street at 42nd Avenue
10. Southbound Main Street at 44th Avenue
11. Westbound Cornwall Street at Laburnum Street
COUNCIL POLICY
It is Council policy to approve changes to bus stop locations in the
City.
PURPOSE
This report recommends that a number of bus stop adjustments be
approved.
DISCUSSION
It is proposed to relocate a number of bus stops in order to:
- improve safety by encouraging transit users to cross arterial
streets using a signal.
- provide improved access to bus stops for seniors and other less
mobile transit customers who require signals to cross arterial
streets.
Locations for this treatment, based on current requests from the public
and BC Transit, are:
1. Broadway, Stephens Street to Trafalgar Street (see Figure 1).
2. Hastings Street, McLean Drive to Woodland Drive (see Figure
2).
3. 4th Avenue, Macdonald Street to Vine Street (see Figure 3).
4. Broadway, Rupert Street to Skeena Street (see Figure 4).
There is limited sight distance between eastbound motorists
and pedestrians crossing Broadway at Cassiar Street due to
the grade and curvature of Broadway. It is proposed to
cancel the eastbound stop at this intersection in order to
encourage transit patrons to use the adjacent bus stops at
Rupert Street and Skeena Street, where there are traffic
signals.
5. Marine Drive, Elliott Street to Knight Street (see Figure 5).
6. Main Street, 41st to 45th Avenues (see Figure 6).
7. Cornwall Street, Cypress Street to Arbutus Street (see Figure
7).
The inter-stop spacings created would be generally within maximum
spacing guidelines. BC Transit supports the new bus stop locations.
CLARENDON AND 42ND AVENUE
22ND AVENUE AND BOUNDARY
BC Transit have indicated they are not prepared to use the bus stops on
the west side of Clarendon at 42nd Avenue and on the south side of 22nd
Avenue at Boundary for safety and operational reasons. The stop on
22nd Avenue has already been removed by BC Transit.
City staff have reviewed BC Transit's reasons for not wanting to use
these stops and have concluded their arguments are weak. In each case
BC Transit argues that an unsafe situation exists. However, the
arguments are not supported by any accident history and as such the
risk of an accident is very low. City staff have been unable to
convince BC Transit to retain the stops.
The removal of the bus stops without establishing new stops in the
vicinity will result in longer walking distances for transit users. In
the case of both stops, the extra walking distance will be about 125
metres (400 feet) and will marginally exceed the City's recommended
maximum stop spacing.
The above is submitted for the Traffic Commission's information.
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