CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

NOVEMBER 4, 1997

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, November 4, 1997, at approximately 11:55 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.

PRESENT: Mayor Philip Owen

Councillor Don Bellamy

Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario

Councillor Jennifer Clarke

Councillor Alan Herbert

Councillor Daniel Lee

Councillor Don Lee

Councillor Gordon Price

Councillor Sam Sullivan

ABSENT: Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Leave of Absence)

Councillor George Puil (Civic Business)

CLERK TO THE

COUNCIL: Denise Salmon

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Price,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Owen in the chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Standing Committee on

Transportation and Traffic

November 4, 1997

Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in the following clauses of the attached report:

Cl.1: Transportation Governance Financial Agreement

Cl.2: Discussion Item - Lions Gate Project

Cl.3: Bus Stop Relocations

Cl.4: Midtown Bikeway, English Bay Bike Route, and

Elliott/Slocan Bikeway

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1-4 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Traffic Plan for Burrard and Cypress File: 5761-2

Councillor Herbert requested a status report regarding Burrard Street northbound traffic: 4th Avenue, 1st Avenue and Cornwall, re left turn bays and advance greens. Also requested is a report back, six months after implementation, of implications for Cypress Street traffic calming and safety/accident statistics re south to eastbound traffic turning off Burrard to access Granville Island.

The Council adjourned at 12:00 noon

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REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

NOVEMBER 4, 1997

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, November 4, 1997, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT: Councillor Gordon Price, Chair

Mayor Philip Owen

Councillor Don Bellamy

Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario

Councillor Jennifer Clarke

Councillor Alan Herbert

Councillor Daniel Lee

Councillor Don Lee

Councillor Sam Sullivan

ABSENT: Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Leave of Absence)

Councillor George Puil (Civic Business)

CITY MANAGER'S

OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager

CLERK TO THE

COMMITTEE: Denise Salmon

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting of October 7, 1997, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Transportation Governance Financial Agreement File: 5551

The Committee had before it for discussion a memorandum dated October 31, 1997 (on file), in which the Transportation and Strategic Planning Committee of the GVRD outlined proposals for Improved Governance and Funding for Transportation in Greater Vancouver.

Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, noted the significance of the proposed agreement, and the need for discussion and questions to prepare for decision early in the new year. He then presented Ken Cameron, Manager, Strategic Planning, GVRD, Clive Rock, Administrator, Transportation Planning, GVRD, and Marvin Shaffer, Transportation and Governance Negotiator.

With the aid of overheads, Clive Rock provided Council with a brief history and review of the recommended agreement on Transportation Governance and Funding as follows:

·400·Creation of Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (GVTA), consisting of 15 Members: 12 Municipal (appointed by GVRD), 3 Provincial. GVTA will develop, coordinate, and fund regional transportation infrastructure and services in the GVRD.·400

Functions

·400·Finance all regional transportation in the GVRD (excluding provincial highways)·400

·400·Coordinate the development of policies, standards and funding for a major road network, and components of which are owned by municipalities·400

·400·Implement Transportation Demand Management (TDM)·400

·400·Responsible for AirCare program within the GVRD·400

Financial Resources

·400·Provincial Contribution - to be continued at levels consistent with announced Provincial plans·400

·400·Existing Local Sources: transit fares and other transit system revenues, motor fuel tax, hydro levy and property tax·400

·400·New Sources: vehicles charges (after April 1, 2001), project tolls on facilities funded by the authority, parking taxes, profits from sale of land or other assets, parking sales taxes·400

Clause 1 Cont'd

Next Steps if Ratified

·400·following consultation with councils, by February 28, 1998, the GVRD will vote on ratification of the agreement·400

·400·agreement will be referred to Cabinet which will decide on ratification no later than February 28, 1998·400

·400·if both parties agree, the Province will introduce at the 1998 Spring Legislature, with implementation expected by April 1, 1999·400

Council members discussed the following:

·400·details of methods proposed for securing Provincial contributions, including transfer of the hospital tax and existing SkyTrain debt, and assurance revenues would be general revenues, with no additional taxes from the Province·400

·400·any tax rate increases would be referred to each Council for initial approval then ratified by GVRD Board·400

·400·types of vehicle charges envisioned, including possible flat charge for vehicles, low mileage charge, etc.·400

·400·although new sources of funding were meant to be an exhaustive list, different kinds of innovative charges are possible, with flexibility allowed within each type of charge·400

·400·profits from lands sales could include lands now under BC Transit jurisdiction, including depots, etc. ·400

·400·an independent study of the Pattullo and Knight Street Bridges, will be carried out; the Province will compensate the Authority if more than $38 million is required for seismic upgrading and rehabilitation·400

·400·marine survey of Albion ferries will be carried out to ascertain if fifteen plus years of service can be expected; if less, the Province will rehabilitate the vessels or make other financial arrangements to compensate the authority ·400

·400·the GVTA would have the ability to decide to continue with the Albion ferries, or replace with a new bridge, seek a cost sharing arrangement with the Province, and initiate user tolls·400

·400·opportunity exists to reduce costs for BC Transit; by providing services in different ways, the GVTA could contract with different municipalities·400

·400·how to deal with regional growth if plan not endorsed by all GVRD appointees·400

·400·taxis are regulated under the Motor Carrier Commission, but the Authority could contract with same to provide various transit services not offered by bus system·400

·400·the need to retain integrated services, but provide flexibility for local services through contractual arrangements·400

Clause 1 Cont'd

·400·the Authority can contract with parties outside of the district to provide services like the West Coast Express - and boundaries of authority could be changed by mutual agreement with the Province·400

·400·a number of opportunities are planned for public input, and member municipalities are encouraged to hold their own events, with GVRD representatives available for meeting presentations·400

Ken Dobell, City Manager, while noting the significant achievement reached in the proposed agreement, advised a lot of work yet needs to be done. This work includes not only budgets, revenues, and security but also a number of major policy questions.

The following motion by Councillor Clarke was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT the GVRD's verbal presentation on the Transportation Governance Financial Agreement and memorandum dated October 31, 1997, be received for information.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillors Clarke and Dan Lee and Mayor Owen not present for the vote)

2.Discussion Item - Lions Gate Project File: 5752-2

The following motion by Councillor Chiavario was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

THAT, due to lack of time at today's meeting, this item be referred to the Planning and Environment Committee meeting of November 6, 1997, for discussion.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillors Dan Lee and Sullivan, and Mayor Owen not present for the vote)

3.Bus Stop Relocations File: 5554

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated October 20, 1997, (on file), in which the General Manager of Engineering Services recommended bus stop locations for new bus services and for improvements to transit customer service, operations and safety.

Wayne Pledger, Strategic Transportation Planning Engineer, reviewed the main points of the report with the Committee and noted Mr. and Mrs. Snow, who had registered to speak, agreed to talk further with Engineering staff and BC Transit on the bus stop changes shown in Figure 11 of the report to determine if an opportunity exists to adjust the stops within the block, or find an acceptable alternative location for them. Accordingly, Mr. Pledger suggested Council may wish to omit Figure 11 from the submitted recommendations.

Dave Currie, Transportation Engineer, BC Transit, advised bus stops are being relocated to encourage pedestrians to cross at signals for safety reasons, although all cannot be done at once due to cost restrictions.

In response to a question from Council, Mr. Pledger advised Engineering staff are contemplating a report to Council to determine if Council is amenable to accepting financial responsibility for providing schedules at bus stops.

The following motion by Councillor Bellamy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A.THAT the bus stop changes listed in Appendix A (with the exception of those changes indicated in Figure 11) of the Administrative Report dated October 20, 1997, be approved.

B.THAT $2,640 to pay for litter receptacles at all bus stops on the new transit routes be funded out of Contingency Reserve, and that the Sanitation Operating Budget be increased by $5,700 annually for emptying and maintaining the receptacles.

C.THAT Boundary Road between Marine Way and North Fraser Way be approved as a bus route.

Clause 3 Cont'd

D.THAT BC Transit be requested to work with the City to quickly reestablish in all time periods the eastbound bus stop on Georgia Street west of Gilford Street for the bus systems based in both North Vancouver and West Vancouver, in order to serve Stanley Park and the western portion of the West End.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Price not present for the vote)

4.Midtown Bikeway, Ridgeway Bikeway, English Bay Bike Route,

and Elliott/Slocan Bikeway File: 5553

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated October 17, 1997 (on file) in which the General Manager of Engineering Services recommended a bike route name for the new east-west bicycle route connecting UBC and Burnaby, informed Council about the award of the 1997/1998 Infrastructure Works Program for the English Bay Bike Route and the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway, and recommended preliminary funding for these two new bike routes.

Doug Louie, Neighbourhood Transportation Branch, Engineering Services, reviewed the main points of the report with the Committee and advised design standards for the English Bay Bike Route and Elliott/Slocan Bikeway would be before Council in early December. The report was prepared in consultation with the Park Board.

The following motion by Councillor Bellamy was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A.THAT the new bicycle route along 39th Avenue, 37th Avenue, 38th Avenue, Earles Street, 29th Avenue, and 45th Avenue be named (as shown on Figure 2 contained in the Administrative Report dated October 17, 1997):

•‘Midtown Bikeway’ from Camosun and S.W. Marine to Boundary and Moscrop, and

•'Ridgeway Bikeway' from 37th and Yew to Boundary and 45th, following the Ridgeway Greenway.

Clause 4 Cont'd

B.THAT $42,000 be approved for preliminary work on the English Bay Bike Route ($17,000) and the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway ($25,000), to be funded from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account 12/31/6903/999 (Bicycle Network).

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Committee adjourned at 11:55 a.m.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver