CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

MARCH 14, 2000

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at approximately 12:00 noon, 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 Fred Bass Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Leave of Absence)
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Denise Salmon, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. McCormick,
SECONDED by Cllr. Don Lee,

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
March 14, 2000

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

Cl.1: Freight Transportation in Lower Mainland
Cl.2: Draft Regional Strategic Transportation Plan
Cl.3: Regional Transportation Program Plan 2000
Cl.4: Grandview Highway North - Greenway/Bikeway Traffic Plan

MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

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

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. McCormick,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,

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

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Leave of Absence - Councillor Clarke File No. 1254

MOVED by Cllr. Price,
SECONDED by Cllr. Don Lee,
THAT Councillor Clarke be granted Leave of Absence for the week of March 27, 2000.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Leave of Absence - Councillor Kennedy File No. 1254

MOVED by Cllr. Puil,
SECONDED by Cllr. McCormick,
THAT Councillor Kennedy be granted Leave of Absence for March 14 and 16, 2000.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 12:05 p.m.

- - - - -

REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

MARCH 14, 2000

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at approximately 9:30 a.m. in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor Jennifer Clarke, Chair Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price, Vice-Chair Councillor George Puil* Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Leave of Absence)
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Denise Salmon, Meeting Coordinator

*denotes presence for portion of the meeting.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Freight Transportation in the Lower Mainland File: 1253

Paul Landry, President, BC Trucking Association, provided a PowerPoint presentation highlighting freight transportation issues in the Lower Mainland. Also, circulated was hard copy of the presentation, and two brochures entitled "The Lifeblood ofour Communities" and "Ready for the New Millennium" prepared by the BC Trucking Association (on file).

Mr. Landry responded to questions related to:

· cost of congestion to trucking in the Lower Mainland;
· truck noise and safety issues;
· vehicles registration charges, and concerns with charges being applied to both discretionary and non-discretionary users of the highway system

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

RECOMMENDED

THAT the verbal presentation from Paul Landry, British Columbia Trucking Association, regarding freight transportation in the Lower Mainland, be received for information

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2. Draft Regional Strategic Transportation Plan File: 5560
3. Regional Transportation Program Plan 2000 File: 5560

The Committee had before it two Administrative Reports dated February 28, 2000, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services, in consultation with the Director of City Plans, provided a brief outline of planned actions, costs and revenues and discussed certain key issues and implications for TransLink's draft Regional Strategic Transportation Plan (STP). The Plan sets forth planned improvements for the regional transportation system to be undertaken in the next 3 to 5 years. The planned actions set out in the Regional Transportation Program Plan 2000 report are generally intended to implement the first year of the proposed longer term Strategic Transportation Plan.

Wayne Pledger, Strategic Transportation Planning Engineer, Rapid Transit Office, introduced TransLink representatives Clive Rock, Manager, Strategic Planning and Glen Leicester, Manager, Implementation Planning. Messrs. Rock and Leicester provided a PowerPoint presentation which highlighted key portions of the Plan, and responded to questions from Council.

Due to lack of time, Council agreed to hear delegations on this matter, and postpone further discussion to the afternoon meeting, under Unfinished Business.

The following delegations raised concerns with respect to the recommendations contained in the Administrative Reports:

Bev Ballantyne (brief filed)
Don Buchanan (brief filed)
A Council member requested staff respond, to requests for additional information as set out in Mr. Buchanan's brief
Diane King (re: Richmond UBC Express)
Liz Haan (brief filed re Richmond UBC Express)

Points raised included:

· expanding and improving road capacity will not reduce congestion, but rather create space for more vehicles
· industrial land and jobs must be maintained in the city and density and diversified housing stock increased
· the plan may not go far enough to address environmental, transportation, and liveability challenges, or reflect the wishes of Vancouverites, or get the best return on money invested
· running the Richmond UBC Express bus as a one way, no stop service is not financially justified
· local impacts resulting from an express bus service on 41st Avenue
· service improvements to the #10 bus are not proposed, yet would benefit city residents and UBC bound transit riders
· concern with increased trip capacity on the major road network, with no recommendation related to decreasing car trip capacity into Vancouver

Staff advised Richmond/UBC bus service is currently under review, with a consultation process planned regarding routing via either Marine Dive or 41st Avenue.

Blake Hudema, President, Downtown Vancouver Association (brief filed), offered general support for the recommendations contained in the Administrative Report, and submitted the brief of Brian Lees, Parking Corporation of Vancouver, which also voiced general support of the recommendations.

Points raised included:

· support for TransLink's objectives, through a sound fiscal and financial program, of:

- protecting green zones
- building complete communities
- achieving a compact metropolitan area
- increasing transportation choices

· support for Recommendation C of the Administrative report, related to parking charges as an effective TDM measure
· concerns related to TransLink's Strategic Plan calling for two forms of taxation on parking -- a property surtax on non-residential parking by area or number of stalls; and a 14 percent increase in the existing 7 percent PST on pay parking gross revenues

The following motion by Mayor Owen was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED
THAT further discussion on this matter be postponed to the afternoon's Regular Meeting of Council, under unfinished business.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Puil not present for the vote)

4. Grandview Highway North - Greenway/Bikeway Traffic Plan File: 5767

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated February 22, 2000, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the Manager, Rapid Transit Office, recommended a traffic calming plan for Grandview Highway North that will be integral to the new Greenway/Bikeway that will be developed as part of the new SkyTrain line.

Lon LaClaire, Rapid Transit Office, provided a brief overview of the Administrative Report, and advised nearby schools have been contacted regarding access issues during construction. Naming the route will be undertaken by the Greenways Group.

Sam Fillipoff, Project Teacher, Grandview/?Uuqinak'uuh Elementary (brief filed) requested, as part of the traffic calming plan for Grandview Highway North, there be a one block road closure of Grandview Highway North form Woodland Drive to McLean Drive. He further requested land secured by this closure be added as park land and integrated into the Grandview/?Uuqinak'uuk Elementary School's School Grounds Revitalization project.

Staff noted the area referenced by Mr. Fillipoff was further to the west of the area under discussion today, and suggested issues outlined in his brief be referred to staff for evaluation and report back.

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

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT the traffic calming plan for Grandview Highway North be constructed permanently as part of the SkyTrain extension as outlined in the Administrative Report dated February 22, 2000.

B. THAT staff work with residents and Rapid Transit Project 2000 (and their consultants) to refine the detailed designs for the new Greenway/Bikeway, and report back.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

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

RECOMMENDED

C. THAT staff report back on issues contained in a brief dated March 14, 2000, and brought forward this day by Mr. Fillipoff, Project Teacher at Grandview/?Uuqinak'uuh Elementary School.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Committee adjourned at 12:00 noon

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver