ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: 17 October, 1997

Dept. File No.

CC File No. 5553

TO: Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:Midtown Bikeway, Ridgeway Bikeway, English Bay Bike Route, and Elliott/Slocan Bikeway

RECOMMENDATION

A.THAT the new bicycle route along 39th Avenue, 37th Avenue, 38th Avenue, Earles Street, 29th Avenue, and 45th Avenue be named (as shown on Figure 2):

•‘Midtown Bikeway’ from Camosun and S.W. Marine to Boundary and Moscrop, and

•'Ridgeway Bikeway' from 37th and Yew to Boundary and 45th, following the Ridgeway Greenway.

B.THAT $42,000 be approved for preliminary work on the English Bay Bike Route ($17,000) and the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway ($25,000), to be funded from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account 12/31/6903/999 (Bicycle Network).

COUNCIL POLICY

On May 27th, 1997, Council approved the Vancouver Transportation Plan which emphasized the need to provide more comfortable cycling and walking environments.

On July 18th, 1995, Council approved a City-wide bicycle route network with priority given to local street integration.

The Vancouver Comprehensive Bicycle Plan (1988) and the Clouds of Change Report (1990) established the City’s policy of promoting and encouraging cycling as a transportation alternative.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide a bike route name to the new east-west bicycle route connecting UBC and Burnaby, inform Council about the award of the 1997/1998Infrastructure Works Program for the English Bay Bike Route and the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway, and to recommend preliminary funding for these two new bike routes.

BACKGROUND

On July 29th, 1997, Council approved the proposed Ridgeway/37th/29th Avenue Bicycle Route with a recommendation that a consistent name for the bicycle route be explored by appropriate staff.

On June 27th, 1997, 77 new projects were approved under the Canada/British Columbia Infrastructure Works Program. Two of the approved City of Vancouver projects are the English Bay Bike Route and the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway.

DISCUSSION

Midtown Bikeway

In the report to Council dated July 10, 1997, staff recommended that the new east/west bikeway connecting the University Endowment Lands to Burnaby be called the Ridgeway Bikeway, 37th Avenue Bikeway, and the 29th Avenue Bikeway for various lengths of the route (see Figure 1). Discussion at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic on July 29th resulted in a recommendation to review the bicycle route name to reduce confusion.

The original route name was recommended in an attempt to unify the Greenway and Bikeway route with one name - the "Ridgeway" Greenway and Bikeway. Because the two routes do not overlap from end to end, our initial naming efforts resulted in naming parts of the new bikeway as the 37th Avenue Bikeway and the 29th Avenue Bikeway and treating them as an extension of the Ridgeway Bikeway.

In response to Council's direction, we consulted with Greenways staff and the Greenways sign consultant, and concluded that the desire for a similar bikeway and greenway route name along 37th Avenue should be maintained where practical. Therefore it is recommended that the bikeway along the Ridgeway Greenway be named the Ridgeway Bikeway. The western and eastern section of the bikeway that do not overlap with the Ridgeway Greenway will be named the Midtown Bikeway. To create a continuous Midtown Bikeway, this new bikeway will overlap with the Ridgeway Greenway between Yew and Earles. Figure 2 illustrates the current route name recommendations.

The name "Midtown" was selected because the bikeway is located close to the geographic middle of the City. The name "Midtown" was previously envisioned for a future Greenway located along 7th Avenue, 10th Avenue, and Woodland Drive. Greenways staff have agreedthat the new bikeway should be named Midtown and will select a different name for the "Midtown" Greenway when it is constructed.

English Bay Bike Route and Elliott/Slocan Bikeway

In 1996, four bike route projects (English Bay Bike Route, Elliott/Slocan Bikeway, Dunbar Bikeway and extension of the Off-Broadway Bikeway east) were submitted for funding in the 1997/98 Provincial Cycling Network Program (CNP). It should be noted that for 1997/98 only, the CNP has been incorporated into the Canada/British Columbia Infrastructure Works Program.

On June 27th, 1997, two of the four CNP submissions, the English Bay Bike Route and Elliott/Slocan Bikeway, were approved for funding under the Canada/British Columbia Infrastructure Works Program. The federal/provincial contribution totals $559,998, of which $206,666 was allocated for the English Bay Bike Route and $353,332 was allocated for the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway. The funding contribution requires both projects to be complete by March 31, 1998. Because of the civic strike we have requested an extension to September 30, 1998.

The English Bay Bike Route proposal has undergone three years of planning and public consultation. The final designs and estimates are now being prepared for a report to City Council and the Park Board in December. Preliminary funding of $17,000 is requested for public consultation, consultants hired to further develop the design, and temporary help. If the project is approved, construction is scheduled for March next year.

A preliminary design for the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway has been completed and public consultation is underway. A report to Council will be submitted in January 1998 and, if approved, construction will also begin in March next year. Preliminary funding of $25,000 is requested for public consultation, bicycle-actuation at existing signals, and temporary help.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There is no new financial implication for the Ridgeway and Midtown Bikeway name as funding for the construction of the bikeway, including signage costs, was previously approved by Council on July 29, 1997.

Preliminary funding for the English Bay Bike Route and the Elliott/Slocan Bikeway is available from the Basic Street Unappropriated Account #12/31/6903/999 (Bicycle Network). Approval of these funds will allow us to finalize designs and bring forward a report, which will include details of the final budget requirements, to Council.

The details of the request are listed below:

English Bay Bike Route: Consultations $ 12,000

Temporary Help $ 5,000

Sub-Total $ 17,000

Elliott/Slocan Bikeway: Consultations $ 10,000

Bike Actuation at

existing signal $ 10,000

Temporary Help $ 5,000

Sub-Total $ 25,000

Grand Total $ 42,000

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver