SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1
VTC AGENDA - JAN.11/96
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: November 28, 1995
Dept. File No.810 156
TO: Vancouver Traffic Commission
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: 57th Avenue - Oak to Granville
RECOMMENDATION
A) THAT the Local Improvement for curbing and widening 57th Avenue,
between Oak and Granville, to an arterial standard of 13 metres not
proceed; and
B) THAT 57th Avenue between Oak and Granville be reconstructed with
one lane each way, plus bicycle shoulders, for a 10.0 metre-wide
pavement, with no curbs, with the estimated cost of $350,000 funded
by the Streets Basic Capital Accounts 13/32/1011/999 ($250,000) and
12/31/9801/999 ($100,000).
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to obtain Council approval for
reconstructing 57th Avenue, from Oak to Granville.
BACKGROUND
57th Avenue is a designated east-west arterial located between 49th
Avenue and 70th Avenue. Its existing pavement width is 7 metres. It is
neither a designated bike route nor a greenway, though it is a potential
bus and bike route. As a designated arterial, its functions are to (a)
distribute eastbound and westbound traffic between South West Marine
Drive and Cambie Street, and (b) protect the local neighbourhood streets
from shortcutting. The existing volume between Oak and Granville is
4,200 vehicles per day, which is relatively low for an arterial. See
Appendix I for an area map with 24 hour traffic volumes.
In April, 1994, a local improvement proposal to construct curbing and
roadway to an arterial width of 13 metres on 57th Avenue, between Oak
and Granville, was initiated. This proposed construction is similar to
the existing conditions of 57th Avenue at east of Oak and west of
Granville.
The existing road conditions were so poor that regular maintenance, such
as localized patching, was no longer practical. Furthermore, the
pavement has constantly been deteriorating, particularly due to winter
frost and heavy rain periods. The intent of this proposal was to
provide upgraded pavement.
The above local improvement proposal was defeated by objections from the
property owners fronting 57th Avenue, between Oak and Granville. At a
Court of Revision on June 16, 1994, Council was requested to consider
proceeding with the proposal on Special Grounds, or alternatively
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approve the proposal to construct a 10 metre-wide strip pavement.
However, upon hearing some of the residents' concerns, Council decided:
"THAT Project No. 562/2 be defeated at this time, and that the
Engineering Department be requested to circulate the Administrative
Report dated May 31, 1994, to the affected property owners and
report back to the Vancouver Traffic Commission regarding owners
support for the alternative proposals."
The May 31, 1994 report has been provided to the neighbourhood
residents.
DISCUSSION
Based on the need for some form of pavement upgrade on that section of
57th Avenue, staff proposed three options for consideration by the
public: (See Appendix II for illustrations)
Option A : Construct concrete curbing and roadway to the standard
arterial width of 13 metres.
Total Cost: $750,000
City's Share: $600,000
Property Owners' Share: $150,000
If Council selects this option, then the 65 property owners fronting
57th Avenue, between Oak and Granville, will be requested to contribute
in total $150,000. The contribution amount of each owner will vary with
the property frontage. This proposal has already been defeated by the
owners. Council would need to authorize staff to proceed with the
project on Special Grounds if this option were to proceed.
Option B : Reconstruct existing roadway without curbs, and add
bicycle lanes (total width of 10 metres consisting of two
3.5 metre-wide travelling lanes plus two 1.5 metre-wide
shoulders for bicycles). This would be less desirable
from a pavement structural perspective, as increased
maintenance would be needed.
Total Cost: $350,000
City's Share: $350,000
Property Owners' Share: $0
Option C : Reconstruct existing roadway, no bicycle lanes or curbs
(total width of 7.4 metres. This is the narrowest
roadway that will accommodate bicycles per the
Comprehensive Bicycle Plan.) This option would be less
desirable from a structural and maintenance perspective.
Total Cost: $340,000
City's Share: $340,000
Property Owners' Share: $0
Other Suggested Options
The following suggestions were made by some of the 57th Avenue residents
in 1994:
1) leave the street "as is" and maintain as required;
2) construct traffic circles at 57th/Cartier and 57th/Hudson; and
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3) declassify 57th Avenue from a secondary arterial to a local street.
Staff did not support these suggestions because:
1) The existing pavement is so full of dips and cracks that it is
becoming hazardous to drive on, particularly to drivers who are not
familiar with that section of the road. Standard maintenance
procedures such as localized patching are not effective because the
base pavement is in too deteriorated a condition to support them
and they would soon break up. Thus leaving the street "as is and
maintain as required" is not a viable option.
2) Traffic circles on 57th Avenue would not be consistent with its
roles as a secondary arterial, which are to distribute eastbound
and westbound traffic between South West Marine Drive and Cambie
Street, and to protect local neighbourhood streets from
shortcutting. To date, all traffic circles have been installed
only on local streets.
3) Declassifying 57th Avenue from a secondary arterial to a local
street would leave a gap from 49th Avenue to 70th Avenue with no
arterial, a distance of 21 blocks. The inevitable result would be
redistribution of 57th Avenue traffic onto adjacent local streets.
Furthermore, the long-range plan calls for a north-south LRT line
in this corridor, which will require east-west neighbourhood bus
service. A 21-block gap with no bus service would be seriously
deficient.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Questionnaire
Three options were listed in a questionnaire which was sent on October
27, 1995 to 1,500 residents of the area and 300 non-resident owners for
their opinions and selections. The survey area was broadened to beyond
57th Avenue in order to provide an opportunity for the general
neighbourhood to review the proposals and comment. See Appendices I to
IV for the send-out package and the area of invitation. The residents
were requested to return these questionnaires by November 8, 1995.
Subsequently, the distribution area was expanded to include two
apartment buildings fronting Cambie Street north of 57th Avenue Another
200 questionnaires were delivered to those residents on November 8,
1995, and the return date was extended to November 17, 1995. However,
they were not able to attend the Open House. The results of the
questionnaire are analyzed on the next page.
Open House
An invitation to an Open House was also included in the questionnaire
package. It was held on November 1, 1995, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
at the Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School at 7055 Heather Street.
In total, nineteen residents came to this Open House. Twelve (6
households fronting 57th Avenue) stated Option A with traffic circles
would be the only acceptable option. Seven (7 households of the general
area) had agreed that some form of pavement improvement is required and
subsequently selected an option.
All nineteen residents were advised that a) the questionnaire provides
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for every household of the area to comment on the proposed options, b)
the results of the questionnaire will be tabulated and analyzed in a
report to the Traffic Commission, and c) they will be advised when this
report will be submitted to the Traffic Commission for discussion.
Questionnaire Result Analysis
In total, 2,000 questionnaires were sent out, and 374 were returned.
This resulted in a 19% return rate, which is a typical return rate for
City surveys. The results are tabulated in Appendix V. Some of the
residents' comments are listed in Appendix VI.
In Summary:
1) Option A had 197 votes as the most preferred, 30 votes as the mid-
preferred and 113 votes as the least preferred option.
2) Option B had 103 votes as the most preferred, 210 votes as the mid-
preferred and 14 votes and the least preferred option.
3) Option C had 51 votes as the most preferred, 81 votes as the mid-
preferred and 193 votes as the least preferred option.
4) The residents' suggestion of installing traffic circles had 22
votes.
5) The residents' suggestion of leaving 57th Avenue "as is" had 47
votes.
In general, many residents fronting 57th Avenue do not want any street
improvements. They feel any pavement upgrading will increase traffic
volume and induce speeding. However, residents of local streets near
57th Avenue feel some form of pavement upgrading is necessary to improve
the existing condition of the road.
Given its severe deterioration, some form of pavement repair is
necessary for that section of 57th Avenue. The purpose of the survey is
to find a reasonable compromise which would be acceptable to the
residents.
Option A had the largest number of votes (197) as the most preferred
option. However, it also had a significant number of votes (113) as the
least preferred option. Furthermore, this option was not favoured by
the 57th Avenue residents at the Court of Revision in June, 1994. Thus,
Option A is not a widely acceptable option to the residents.
Option C is clearly the least preferred option with 193 votes to
indicate it as such, and only 51 votes as the most preferred option.
While Option B has a smaller number of votes (103) than Option A (197)
as the most preferred option, it has only 14 votes as the least
preferred option. It also has the highest number of votes (210) as the
mid-preferred option. In conclusion, Option B appears to be the most
acceptable compromise to the overall neighbourhood; it also does not
impose any burden of widening or cost on the abutting residents.
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FOLLOW UP
An information letter outlining these findings and indicating they would
be submitted to the Traffic Commission has been sent to the same 2000
addresses. See Appendix I for the area of send-outs.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Funding for this work is to be provided from unallocated funding for
Unimproved Arterial Streets Account 12/31/9801/999 ($100,000) and from
the February 1994 Higher Zoned Curbs and Pavement work which has been
completed under budget, Account 13/32/1011/999 ($250,000)
CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
Once approved and funded, construction would take place in the Summer of
1996.
CONCLUSION
It is necessary that some form of pavement repair occur on this street.
It is recommended that Option B - reconstruct existing roadway, add 2
bicycle lanes for a total width of 10.0 metres, no concrete curbing - be
approved, representing a middle view of the neighbourhood.
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