ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: April 29, 1998

Author/Local: S. Edwards/7913

CC File No. 5757

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:	South Kerrisdale Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan

RECOMMENDATION

A.THAT the South Kerrisdale Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan be approved as described in the attached report.

B.THAT funding of $357,150 be provided from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account # 13/32/9801/999 - Local Area Plans & Other Improvements and that the operating budget be increased by $6,000, without offset, to pay for maintenance of signs, paint markings, and landscaping of measures included in this plan.

C.THAT Council express their appreciation to the members of the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Committee for their diligent work over the last two years.

COUNCIL POLICY

On May 27, 1997, Council approved the Vancouver Transportation Plan which emphasizes the need to mitigate the effects of traffic on local neighbourhood streets.

On December 9, 1997, Council adopted the Transportation Plan - Report back. This report identified the following action items: Small changes to improve pedestrian environments, Reclassify low volume secondary arterials as neighbourhood collectors, Initiate traffic calming on selected collector streets with less than 10,000 vehicles a day. These would include low volume secondary arterials proposed for redesignation as collector streets. (Policy NP7)

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek approval and funding for the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Plan as described in this report.

BACKGROUND

In the fall of 1995 neighbourhood residents, in conjunction with City staff, proposed a localized plan addressing concerns related to the speed and volume of traffic using Arbutus Street adjacent to McKechnie School. During a neighbourhood open house planned to present these measures to the area residents, additional concerns were raised regarding potential diversion from implementing these measures on other streets in the area. Concerns about shortcutting traffic, vehicle volumes and safety near McKechnie School were all raised.

Following this meeting, neighbourhood awareness of transportation issues was heightened. The residents of Arbutus Street forwarded a petition showing strong support for traffic calming on Arbutus Street. In order to address the concerns of the entire neighbourhood the South Kerrisdale Traffic calming committee was formed. The Arbutus Street residents’ petition was put into abeyance with the understanding that the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Committee would develop a plan addressing the broader neighbourhood issues.

Residents from throughout the South Kerrisdale neighbourhood were invited to participate in the neighbourhood committee. For more than two years this committee has worked to prepare the proposed plan. The neighbourhood plan discussed in this report is a compromise and was not agreed to unanimously by the committee or the neighbourhood. This is, however, a plan prepared by area residents for the South Kerrisdale neighbourhood and supported by a majority of residents and committee members.

DISCUSSION

Public Involvement

This traffic plan was prepared by community representatives, acting as the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Committee, with the assistance of staff. Residents have been involved in the development of this plan since the fall of 1995, through a series of 3 open houses, the committee itself, the survey and considerable press coverage.

For over two years the committee deliberated on possible solutions for the neighbourhood. This involved an ongoing process of identifying neighbourhood concerns and learning about the pros and cons of the individual measures available for use in the City of Vancouver. The committee did not reach unanimity regarding the proposed plan. During the preparation of this plan a number of opposingviewpoints and strong opinions were heard. Some committee members have philosophical concerns regarding the benefits of traffic calming.

Documentation provided to the committee members included existing traffic data on volumes, shortcutting traffic, accident statistics, and existing traffic controls in the area. Examples of the information from the initial package are included in Appendix E. Additional data was provided to individual members upon request, with the Chairperson receiving copies of all the data.

The committee reached a majority decision in early 1998. This prompted the distribution of the proposal to the neighbourhood. There were some delays with this distribution so two public gatherings were scheduled at Magee Secondary School and the survey return date was extended to give all residents ample time to respond. The meetings were held on March 11th and March 25th and survey responses were due March 31.

An example of the material distributed to the neighbourhood and the survey is shown in Appendix A. Due to the interaction of the different measures and the strong concerns raised regarding shifting traffic from one street to another, it was decided by the committee to have the neighbourhood survey ask residents whether or not they supported the entire plan rather than individual measures.

There is a strong sentiment opposing traffic calming from some residents in the community. Many of these alternative viewpoints are summarized in Appendix B.

Of the 850 hand delivered surveys, 233 (27%) were returned, which is a high response rate for a survey of this type. Of the respondents from within the South Kerrisdale neighbourhood, totalling 216, 131 (61%) are in favour of the proposed plan. By comparison 69 (32%) were against and an additional 16 (7%) of the responses were spoiled ballots. A total of 17 (7%) surveys were received from residents outside the South Kerrisdale Neighbourhood. A complete summary of the results and comments is provided in Appendix B.

Pedestrian Facilities

Many of the proposed measures are directly intended to aid pedestrian movements or have this secondary benefit. Each of the designated school crossings is proposed to be improved. On 57th Avenue and on West Boulevard existing marked and signed school crosswalks will have bulges added.

Bulges in applications such as this have many benefits including: improved pedestrian visibility, elimination of passing on the right, elimination of illegal parking in the corner clearance, and reduction of the street crossing distance. Bulges also act as visual narrowings while maintaining adequate circulation, and will help reduce vehicle speeds.

Traffic Patterns

Data collected at the onset of this project showed problems of short cutting vehicles and high volumes on certain street segments. Data was collected while UBC was in session, and data around the neighbourhood parks will be collected later this summer. Several months after completion of the project, if approved, follow up data will also be collected. Data collected will include: traffic speed and volumes, pedestrian volumes, and turning movements. This will allow proper assessment of the measures installed. Following data collection and assessment any addition or deletion of measures from the existing plan would require further consultation with neighbourhood representatives.

Currently, the South Kerrisdale neighbourhood intersections are a mixture of stop sign controlled and uncontrolled intersections. Comments received from residents suggested that a stop sign infill be completed as part of this project. This was included as part of the overall plan.

No traffic calming measures have been proposed which directly divert traffic. All the proposed measures are meant to calm traffic and improve pedestrian facilities within the neighbourhood. Some minor design changes may occur during construction in order to facilitate drainage and/or reduce overall project cost.

Details for several of the measures proposed, or street segments, which have received a great deal of attention from both city staff and the committee, are summarized below.

Arbutus Street

Arbutus Street was identified as one of the streets most affected by shortcutting traffic. Concerns regarding vehicle speeds and volumes, accident rates, and pedestrian crossings were also mentioned by residents in the area.

To improve conditions near McKechnie School, located between 59th Avenue and 60th Avenue on Arbutus, several sets of corner bulges are proposed on routes frequently used by students walking to school. Corner bulges are proposed at 49th Avenue, 57th Avenue and 59th Avenue.

A traffic circle is proposed on Arbutus Street at 53rd Avenue. This will help calm traffic on Arbutus and on 53rd Avenue, which links Maple Grove Park and West Boulevard.

At the south end of the Arbutus Diversion, and where Arbutus meets Southwest Marine Drive, squaring off of the intersection is proposed. At both locations the existing intersections are very large. By normalizing, reducing crossing distance and creating a more defined 90 degree intersection, vehicle speeds in the intersection can be reduced and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles improved.

West Boulevard and Angus Drive

West Boulevard south of 51st Avenue and Angus Drive were identified in the Transportation Plan as Roads to be reviewed for Redesignation from arterial to collector. The Transportation Plan also identified these two streets as having the potential for increased priority for Pedestrians, Cycling and Transit. West Boulevard currently serves as a BC Transit route from 49th Avenue to 64th Avenue.

On West Boulevard and Angus Drive two pairs of medians are proposed and three intersections will have corner bulges added to them. The corner bulges are located at key locations: near existing BC Transit bus stops; at Riverview Park; at an existing marked school crossing; and two of them link up with heavily used pedestrian pathways linking the neighbourhood east of the CPR right-of-way. The squaring off of the corner at the intersection of Angus Drive and Southwest Marine Drive is also proposed.

The medians are designed not to impact access to streets and lanes. Trees would be added to these medians to break up the visual corridor (described as a "landing strip" by many residents). Landscaping would be installed so as not to impact sight lines at intersections or at pedestrian crossings. The installation of the proposed corner bulges in conjunction with the medians would help to reduce speeds on West Boulevard without affecting access. The proposed measures are acceptable to BC Transit.

Laburnum Street

A modification to the existing intersection is proposed on Laburnum Street at Angus Drive. The existing island would be enlarged to allow one-way southbound movements on the south side of the island. This is proposed to address concerns regarding vehicle speeds Northbound on Laburnum travelling from Angus Drive. Vehicles wanting to travel Northbound on Laburnum would need to slow down and turn on the north side of the existing island. This would then be similar to many intersections throughout the City having right angle channelization.

All intersections along Laburnum Street south of 57th Avenue would have stop signs installed. Alternating two-way stops along Laburnum would be included as part of the stop sign infill previously discussed.

Yew Street

Offset bulges are proposed for Yew Street south of 49th Avenue. This would be the first installation of this type of measure in the City of Vancouver.

Data would be collected before and following the installation of the bulges to monitor their effectiveness. Emergency services will also be asked to provide input prior to any permanent installation. Installation of this measure will initially be on a temporary basis allowing any necessary alterations to be made during the evaluation period.

The existing traffic circle will be reviewed for effectiveness. More recent traffic circles are larger in diameter. It is proposed that, rather than reconstructing the existing traffic circle, several options be reviewed in order to retrofit the existing traffic circle. These may include adding a paint band around the circle to visually enlarge it, or adding raised pavement markers around the circle.

Several comments were received regarding vehicle congestion and speeding near Maple Grove Park. Additional data will be collected on streets adjacent to the park. Due to the proximity of the parking lot and the need for continued access, the use of traffic calming devices was a concern. Through the analysis of the data collected in the area, it will be determined if additional measures are needed.

Additional potential impacts were identified by members of the committee. Many of these recommendations and concerns include street segments and neighbourhoods outside the South Kerrisdale area. These external recommendations are noted in Appendix C. It is recommended that these concerns and ideas be included for review in existing and upcoming programs where applicable.

TRANSPORTATION PLAN

The South Kerrisdale plan addresses several recommendations of the Transportation Plan. The improved pedestrian facilities recommended as part of this traffic calming plan directly relate to recommendation NP8 of the Transportation Plan (Improve pedestrian spaces).

Initiating traffic calming on West Boulevard and Angus Drive will address recommendation NP7 (Initiate traffic calming on selected collector streets with less than 10,000 vehicles a day. These would include low volume secondary arterials proposed for redesignation ascollector streets.) This portion of West Boulevard and Angus Drive has been identified as a road to be reviewed for possible redesignation as a neighbourhood collector (recommendation R9). The proposed traffic calming will help reinforce the proposed improved pedestrian and cyclist nature of this suggested neighbourhood collector.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The estimated capital cost for the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Plan is $342,000 and would be funded from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account #13/32/9801/999 (Local Area Plans & Other Improvements). This cost includes construction of the traffic calming measures, and related signs, road markings, public consultation, and before and after traffic data collection (see Appendix D for details).

The estimated annual maintenance cost for the traffic calming measures proposed as part of the South Kerrisdale Plan is $6,000, without offset. This includes maintenance of safety measures and landscaping on the large boulevard areas, signage, and landscaping in three traffic circles.

CONCLUSION

Based on the majority support from the community, it is recommended that the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Plan be approved as detailed in this report. With the exception of the proposed measure on Yew Street, all measures included in this plan have been used elsewhere in the City. Traffic calming measures in use throughout the City have been found to improve safety. Construction would be scheduled for later this summer and continue into the fall. This would reduce the impact of shortcutting traffic on the South Kerrisdale area when UBC begins its fall session.

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Appendix A

Summary of Proposed Measures

Measure # Location Description

1 Marine Crescent @ 49th Avenue square off intersection

2 Marine Crescent @ 49th Avenue No Left Turn 7 - 9:30

3 Marine Crescent @ SW Marine Dr. square off intersection

4 Balsam Street @ 51st Avenue traffic circle

5 Balsam Street @ SW Marine Dr. No Left Turn

6 Yew Street @ ~50th Avenue midblock bulges

7 49th Avenue @ Arbutus Street corner bulge (south leg west side)

8 Beechwood Street @ 51st Avenue square off intersection

9 51st Avenue @ Arbutus Street corner bulge (west leg north side)

10 Arbutus Street @ ~52nd Avenue midblock bulges

11 West Boulevard @ 53rd Avenue island

12 West Boulevard @ 54th Avenue corner bulges

13 57th Avenue @ Maple Street corner bulges

14 57th Avenue @ West Boulevard corner bulges

15 West Boulevard @ 58th Avenue island

16 West Boulevard @ 60th Avenue corner bulges

17 Arbutus Street @ 57th Avenue corner bulges

18 Arbutus Street @ 59th Avenue corner bulges

19 Arbutus Street @ 53rd Avenue traffic circle

20 Beechwood Street @ 54th Avenue traffic circle

21 Arbutus Street @ Arbutus Div. square off intersection

22 Arbutus Street @ SW Marine Dr. square off intersection

23 Angus Drive @ 64th Avenue corner bulges

24 Laburnum Street @ Angus Drive square off intersection

25 Angus Drive @ SW Marine Dr. square off intersection

26 Laburnum - 60th to 63rd Avenue stop sign infill

See Figure 1 & 2 in package of material distributed to residents.

ELECTRONIC COPIES NOT AVAILABLE FOR REST OF APPENDIX A. COMPLETE COPIES OF APPENDICES ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

Appendix B

Summary of Survey Results

Total number distributed (hand delivered) 850 (100%)

Total number of responses 233 (27.4%)

Responses from residents living within the South Kerrisdale Neighbourhood 216 (25.1%)

Responses from outside of South Kerrisdale 17 (2.0%)

Breakdown of results from within South Kerrisdale

Total in neighbourhood (92.7% of total responses) 216 (100%)

In favour 131 (60.7%)

Opposed 69 (31.9%)

spoiled - no name or address, did not answer question, etc. 16 (7.4%)

Breakdown of results from outside of South Kerrisdale

Total outside of neighbourhood (7.3% of total responses) 17(100%)

In favour 8 (47.1%)

Opposed 9 (52.9%)

spoiled - no name or address, did not answer question, etc. 0 (0.0%)

ELECTRONIC COPIES NOT AVAILABLE FOR REST OF APPENDIX B. COMPLETED COPIES OF APPENDICES ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

Appendix C

Additional Recommendations

The recommendations listed below are a summary of concerns and ideas that either were discussed by the South Kerrisdale Traffic Calming Committee or were forwarded by residents of the area.

School related - these concerns will be forwarded to the School Board and to the principal of McKechnie School.

-review a ‘walking bus’ program to reduce numbers of vehicles dropping off students in the morning and afternoon.

-promote a greater involvement of parents in programs such as car pooling, safe walk, walking bus.

City of Vancouver

Review of potential future traffic signal locations along Southwest Marine Drive, 49th Avenue and other locations mentioned in the surveys and by the Committee. Proposals for installations of future traffic signals in this area should not be inconsistent with the intent of this report.

Review existing signal timing and function,

- review signals along the Granville Corridor in order to provide additional left turn alternatives for vehicles travelling from the south to westerly destinations such as UBC.

Consideration of the adjacent neighbourhoods

-the neighbourhoods to the east (Marpole West) and to the north (West Kerrisdale) were brought into the discussion several times. These two neighbourhoods should be reviewed by engineering staff to ensure that any adverse traffic impacts, that may in part be attributed to the South Kerrisdale Plan, are addressed in future work programs by Engineering. Upon completion of the South Kerrisdale plan staff will begin discussions with residents of the West Kerrisdale area.

Southwest Marine Drive

-improve pedestrian crossings and add sidewalks to improve access to and from neighbourhood parks and schools north and south of Southwest Marine Drive.

- address the issues of vehicle volumes and truck traffic on Marine Drive.

-In any upcoming reviews of Southwest Marine Drive, include in this review: building lines, access onto Marine Drive including the existing traffic signals at Granville & 70th and Granville & SW Marine Drive, pedestrian facilities on Marine Drive such as sidewalks and pedestrian actuated signals.

Appendix D

Summary of Capital Costs

Measure #	Location	Description	Cost Est.
1	Marine Crescent @ 49th Avenue	square off intersection	$12,000
2	Marine Crescent @ 49th Avenue	No Left Turn 7 - 9:30	$300
3	Marine Crescent @ SW Marine Dr.	square off intersection	$22,000
4	Balsam Street @ 51st Avenue	traffic circle	$5,850
5	Balsam Street @ SW Marine Dr.	No Left Turn	$200
6	Yew Street @ ~50th Avenue	midblock bulges	$16,000
7	49th Avenue @ Arbutus Street	corner bulge (S. leg W. side)	$13,000
8	Beechwood Street @ 51st Avenue	square off intersection	$25,000
9	51st Avenue @ Arbutus Street	corner bulge (W. leg N. side)	$6,000
10	Arbutus Street @ ~52nd Avenue	midblock bulges	$3,500
11	West Boulevard @ 53rd Avenue	island	$23,000
12	West Boulevard @ 54th Avenue	corner bulges	$13,000
13	57th Avenue @ Maple Street	corner bulges	$7,000
14	57th Avenue @ West Boulevard	corner bulges	$7,000
15	West Boulevard @ 58th Avenue	island	$20,000
16	West Boulevard @ 60th Avenue	corner bulges	$14,500
17	Arbutus Street @ 57th Avenue	corner bulges	$13,000
18	Arbutus Street @ 59th Avenue	corner bulges	$7,000
19	Arbutus Street @ 53rd Avenue	traffic circle	$5,800
20	Beechwood Street @ 54th Avenue	traffic circle	$6,500
21	Arbutus Street @ Arbutus Div.	square off intersection	$21,000
22	Arbutus Street @ SW Marine Dr.	square off intersection	$12,000
23	Angus Drive @ 64th Avenue	corner bulges	$12,000
24	Laburnum Street @ Angus Drive	square off intersection	$17,000
25	Angus Drive @ SW Marine Dr.	square off intersection	$15,000
26	Laburnum - 60th to 63rd Avenue & neighbourhood stop sign infill	stop sign infill	$7,000
27	Various - additional signage, road markings and landscaping		$10,500
28	Data collection		$7,500
	- before and after studies including traffic counts, speed studies, and pedestrian studies
29	Neighbourhood survey		$2,500
	- room rental, photocopying, distribution
Contingency (10%)			$32,000
TOTAL			$357,150

Appendix E

Initial information provided to Committee

ELECTRONIC COPY NOT AVAILABLE FOR APPENDIX E. COMPLETE COPIES OF APPENDICES ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver