U/B-1(a)
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: November 23, 1995
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: Blenheim Street Traffic Measures
Report Back Following Special Council Meeting
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the traffic calming plan for Blenheim Street north of
16th Avenue, illustrated on Figure 1, proceed largely as
previously approved, with the clear understanding that this
is for a 6-month trial period only.
B. THAT the area for the follow-up survey be the same as the
notification area for the Special Meeting of Council,
illustrated on Figure 2.
C. THAT staff report back to Council on the results of the trial
period and follow-up survey, with further opportunity for
public input.
CONSIDERATION
Since the two traffic circles south of Broadway were the most
contentious items at the public meeting, Council may wish to
consider a staged trial with one or no traffic circles.
PURPOSE
This report examines the public comments received at the Special
Meeting of Council and prescribes a slightly modified plan to deal with
the proposed traffic measures along Blenheim, for consideration by
Council.
BACKGROUND - PROCESS
The recent planning history of the subject portion of Blenheim Street
is as follows:
* In the mid-1970's, as part of the Kitsilano Plan, the status of
Blenheim Street was changed from a major arterial to a minor
arterial south of Broadway, and from a minor arterial to a
collector between Broadway and 4th Avenue.
* In 1992, after two years of discussion, the Kitsilano Traffic,
Cycling, and Parking Plan was approved whereby Blenheim Street was
designated a collector from Broadway to 16th Avenue and a local
street from Broadway to 4th Avenue. Staff were to report on ways
to ensure that Blenheim Street functioned according to its new
status.
* At about the same time new signals were installed on Blenheim
Street at 10th and 16th, and traffic volumes increased. These are
beyond the levels typically expected on a collector in a single-
family area.
* A working group was formed in 1994 to develop measures to
reinforce Blenheim's collector status.
* In April 1995, an Open House was held to gather input from nearby
residents (notices distributed to approximately 1000 households
and businesses), including balloting and proposed measures.
* Staff reported to the Vancouver Traffic Commission on June 20,
1995, after the date had been rescheduled at the request of the
residents, and the traffic mitigation measures illustrated in
Figure 1 (see Appendix A) were approved at that meeting.
* In August 1995, when staff began to install them, a large number
of objections to the measures were received from residents. While
some of these residents had been included in the consultation
process, it was clear that many had not. As a result, Council
agreed to suspend installation of the measures until the residents
of the larger community had an opportunity to discuss the plan.
* A Special Meeting of Council was held on September 26, 1995, at
Carnarvon Community School following notification of approximately
4,400 local residences, businesses, and absentee property owners
(see Figure 2, Appendix A). As a result of the large number of
delegations, the Special Meeting was extended to a second evening,
October 17, 1995, at City Hall.
PUBLIC MEETING
During the period from June through September of 1995, the Mayor,
members of Council, and staff received many letters and signatures on
petitions urging either that the City halt the Blenheim measures, or
that the measures be installed without further delay.
The newsletter delivered to 4,400 addresses outlined three options for
proceeding, and discussion at the public meetings focused on these.
Option A: Proceed with all traffic measures as approved by the Traffic
Commission. This would include a trial period of six months,
with the traffic circles at 12th and 14th built according to
a temporary design standard, followed by a survey of the
community.
Option B: Implement all traffic measures north of Broadway, and south
of Broadway without the traffic circles. This would delete
the most contentious items from the plan.
Option C: Leave all streets as they are. This would leave Blenheim
Street as an arterial south of Broadway, and as a busy local
street north of Broadway.
At the Special Meeting of Council, the two nights' 48 speakers were
divided as follows:
FOR ALL MEASURES (Option A): 20 speakers
FOR ALL OR MOST MEASURES EXCEPT TRAFFIC
CIRCLES AT 12TH AND 14TH (Option B): 6 speakers
OPPOSED TO ALL THE MEASURES (Option C)
OR FAVOURED BLENHEIM AS AN ARTERIAL: 12 speakers
NO ACTION UNTIL A COMPREHENSIVE
TRAFFIC PLAN IS PREPARED: 10 speakers
Most of the speakers advocating that nothing be done without a
comprehensive traffic plan were opposed to the traffic circles at 12th
and 14th Avenues; thus, a majority of all speakers could be considered
"against". However, a clear majority would support some measures to
calm traffic in the area.
DISCUSSION OF ISSUES
The proposals for Blenheim Street are clearly contentious, and the
community is deeply split on the options. However, through the
Kitsilano Plan, Council has committed to a course that provides some
relief to Blenheim residents; furthermore, a majority of speakers did
recognize this need. It is suggested that the Traffic Commission's
proposals proceed on a trial basis as intended, with full follow-up
survey and report back after 6 months.
Indeed, many of the specific measures included in the plan were opposed
by very few of the speakers. Probably the greatest amount of public
discussion centred around these measures:
* The circles on Blenheim at 12th and 14th - 20 of 48 speakers
supported these circles. However, at least another 10 speakers
felt inadequate information was available. Clearly a more
informed conclusion could be reached after a trial period.* T h e
left-turn
prohibition
f r o m
northbound
Blenheim to
westbound
10th Avenue
in the peak
periods -
Concerns
w e r e
expressed
that this
w o u l d
d i r e c t
turns to
o t h e r
streets
l i k e
Waterloo,
which are
less safe
by virtue
o f n o t
having a
traffic
signal.
However,
the intent
o f t h e
prohibition
w a s t o
encourage
p e o p l e
destined to
UBC to turn
at 16th
rather than
1 0 t h .
Staff will
monitor
this aspect
particularl
y closely,
and take
a c t i o n
sooner than
6 months if
an accident
problem is
detected.
* Several speakers asked about the finality or inevitability of the
measures. It should be noted that the proposed measures are to be
installed on a trial basis, with follow-up survey and report back
in 6 months.
* Also raised was the need for a "comprehensive traffic plan" .
There are several routes by which such a plan would be approached.
One is a classic area-wide traffic management plan, which has been
prepared in this area since 1990 (see process outlined above), but
which did not resolve the treatment of Blenheim Street.
Alternatively, there are new Council initiatives that could
provide opportunities for the broader area in the future. For
example, one approach could be to prepare a street landscaping
plan under the neighbourhood greenways program, which could be
pursued in coordination with an area-wide residents group.
Although this would deal primarily with landscaping, elements such
as bulges and curvy streets could have a traffic calming effect.
Another alternative would be for smaller groups of residents to
pursue installation of measures on a local improvement basis, such
as circles and bulges on local streets.
PROPOSED COURSE OF ACTION
With some modification, addressing most of the concerns expressed by
area residents, a Blenheim traffic measures plan should now proceed.
This modified plan includes:
* Installation of traffic measures along Blenheim, largely as
approved by the Traffic Commission on June 20, 1995, for a 6-month
trial period.
* Initially, at least, no stop signs would be installed at local
street intersections, because of objections that were raised.
* Curbing and bulges on Blenheim Street would be via the local
improvement process, and therefore may follow a different schedule
of implementation.
* Staff would monitor the impacts to traffic from the measures, and
meet with residents as necessary during the trial to resolve any
problems that may develop on nearby local streets. Stop sign
infill during the trial is possible.
At the conclusion of the 6-month trial period, staff would prepare a
newsletter including documentation of the impacts of the measures and a
preference survey on the measures, and distribute the newsletter to
residents, non-resident owners, and businesses within the extended
notification area used for the Special Meeting of Council. Once survey
results are tabulated, results would be reported to City Council for a
final decision on the measures.
CONCLUSION
Following the extensive process of development of the Kitsilano Plan, a
Traffic Measures Plan for Blenheim Street, and public consultation
regarding treatment of Blenheim Street, 4th Avenue to 16th Avenue, a
plan to calm traffic on Blenheim has been approved by the Vancouver
Traffic Commission for a trial period. After an extended period of
public consultation, this plan should now proceed on the clear
understanding that it is a temporary trial only. Following a 6-month
trial, a follow-up survey should be distributed to the same survey area
of 4400 addresses, with report back to Council and a further
opportunity for public input.
* * * * *