Memorandum

City of Vancouver

Inter-Office Correspondence

October 22, 1998

TO: Mayor Owen and Councillors

COPY TO: K. Dobell, City Manager

U. Watkiss, City Clerk
K. Bayne, Finance
J. Hall, Neighbourhood Transportation Engineer

FROM: J. Forbes-Roberts, Director of Community Planning

D. Brynildsen, Assistant City Engineer, Streets

SUBJECT: Options for the Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway - West Extension

At the October 1st meeting of the Planning and Environment Committee, during discussion of the Administrative Report, Development of the Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway - West Extension (September 15, 1998), Council requested further information from staff on two options. The following options are in addition to the report Recommendations A to D and Consideration items E and F.

OPTION 1 - Proceeding with the Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway

If Council decides to proceed with a route within the route corridor identified in the Vancouver Greenways Plan, adopted in 1995, the following actions could all be undertaken.

1.1 Review of the Route in Sub-area 3

Staff could proceed immediately with a public process to review the six alternative routes through Sub-area 3. If Council decides to proceed with this, staff recommend:

G. "THAT staff conduct a public process on the six alternative routes through Sub-area 3, as presented in the Administrative Report, Development of the Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway - West Extension, and report back. "(This is Consideration item E extracted from the September 15, 1998 Administrative Report.)

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1.2 Review of Additional Traffic Calming in Sub-area 4

Staff could proceed with a public process to review additional traffic calming measures in Sub-area 4 immediately rather than after the proposed 6-month monitoring period. Council recently received a letter from Ms Williams suggesting alternatives to the additional traffic calming measures she described at the Committee meeting. If Council decides to proceed with this, staff recommend:

H. "THAT staff conduct a public process to review additional traffic calming measures in Sub-area 4, and report back."

1.3 Construction of the Ridgeway in Sub-areas 1,2,5,6 and 7

Construction of the Ridgeway in Sub-areas 1,2,5,6 and 7 would allow the greenway to proceed in the Sub-areas where it is supported, and staff could apply for Provincial funding for this portion of the route. If Council decides to proceed with this, staff recommend (modified from Recommendations A and B in the report by omitting reference to Sub-areas 3 and 4):

I. "THAT Council approve the construction of the Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway west extension in Sub-areas 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, as described in the Administrative Report, Development of the Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway - West Extension.

J. THAT funding of $1,098,500 be approved from the following sources:

$863,500 from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account No.12/31/6906/999 (City Greenway) for construction of the Ridgeway west extension sub-areas 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7;

$140,000 from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account No. 13/32/9803/999 (Residential Streets) for the improvement, with curb and gutter, of the southern half of 37th Avenue between East Boulevard and Laburnum Street (adjacent to Point Grey and Quilchena Schools), subject to approval of the 1999 Streets Capital Budget;

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$35,000 from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account No.12/31/9833/999(Bus Bulges) for the development of bus bulges on West 10th Avenue at Discovery Street;

$33,000 from Account No. 20/34/4071/999 (Infill Lighting) for installation of street lights; and

$27,000 from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account No. 12/31/6903/999 (Bicycle Network) for installation of bicycle signage, subject to approval of the 1999 Streets Capital Budget.

K. THAT commencing in 2000, the following budgets be increased (without offset) as listed:

$23,000 - Streets Operating Budget for horticultural maintenance;

$ 9,500 - Traffic Operating Budget for signage and stencil maintenance;

$ 6,600 - Traffic Signal Maintenance Budget; and
$ 1,050 - Street Lighting Maintenance Budget."

OPTION 2 - Rerouting the City Greenway
along West 37th Avenue and Balaclava Street

Council, in response to a resident's suggestion, requested that the routing option along West 37th Avenue and Balaclava Street be included for consideration. The proposed route is generally level and passes through Balaclava Park. This route would remove the Ridgeway from most of Sub-area 2 and all of Sub-area 3, and would change the route location in Sub-area 4. The proposed pedestrian and cyclist activated signal and right-in and right-out diverter at Quesnel Drive and King Edward Avenue would be moved and the signal and diverter would be proposed one block west at Balaclava Street and King Edward Avenue. In addition, all the proposed greenway/bikeway and traffic calming changes proposed in Sub-area 4 would require review and/or revision.

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Council could direct staff to conduct a public process on this proposed route, and report back. However, the Ridgeway Greenway route incorporating the ridge and the views was first identified by the Urban Landscape Task Force, and this scenic route was included in the Vancouver Greenways Plan and the CityPlan public process. The proposed route removes the Ridgeway from the ridge and bypasses the spectacular views available along Narvaez Drive and Quesnel Drive.

Moving away from the ridge and the views has significant impacts on the character of the Ridgeway route. In addition, the portion of the proposed route on Balaclava Street may duplicate a section of the Spirit Trail greenway corridor (please refer to the attached plan of the City Greenways network, the Ridgeway is route 9, Spirit Trail is route 14, and the 37th/Balaclava route option is highlighted in blue). If the Ridgeway is not on the ridge, perhaps there are better locations and other characteristics for the City Greenway in this area of the city.

Therefore, if Council decides to remove the Ridgeway from Sub-area 3, staff recommend stepping back and reviewing the City Greenways network in this area. While the review, including a public process, is underway, the Ridgeway west extension, Sub-areas 1 to 7, would be on hold. After completion of the review, staff would report back on City Greenway routes from the intersection of Granville Street and West 37th Avenue to UBC, and amendments to the Vancouver Greenways Plan. Following this, staff would undertake the public process to develop the City Greenway. This work will be completed concurrent with the development of the Ridgeway East extension which is now underway. Work will generally be completed with existing staff; however, 3 months of temporary help will be required to complete a field inventory, prepare presentation material, ads and information letters at a cost of $9000. Additional funds of $5000 will also be required for mailouts, news paper ads, school rentals, and the public process anticipated to take several months to complete. If Council decides to proceed with this, staff recommend:

L. "THAT staff advise residents of Ridgeway Sub-areas 1 to 7 of the delay and that staff conduct a public process on the City Greenways network to determine alternative routes for the City Greenway from the intersection of Granville Street and West 37th Avenue to UBC, and report back."

M. "THAT funding of $14,000 be approved from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account No. 12/31/6906/999 (City Greenway) for temporary help and public consultation."

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Alternatively, if Council decides to proceed with rerouting the Ridgeway Greenway to West 37th and Balaclava Street without the comprehensive review of the City Greenway network in this area, staff suggest:

N. "THAT staff advise residents of Ridgeway Sub-areas 1 to 7 of the delay and that staff conduct a public process on the alternative route for the Ridgeway Greenway along West 37th Avenue and Balaclava Street, and report back."

Staff will be available at the Council meeting if Council has any further questions on this.

___________________________ __________________________
Jacquie Forbes-Roberts Don Brynildsen, P.Eng.
Director of Community Planning Assistant City Engineer, Streets

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