Agenda Index City of Vancouver

CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON

TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

MARCH 3, 1998

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, March 3, 1998, at approximately 11:34 a.m., 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 Don Bellamy
Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor George Puil
Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:
Councillor Don Lee (civic business)
CLERK TO THE
COUNCIL:

Denise Salmon

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

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 3, 1998

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

Cl.1: Speed Hump Pilot Project

Cl.2: Interurban Rail Service

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clauses 1 and 2 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

SECONDED by Cllr. Chiavario,

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

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 11:36 a.m.

* * * * *

REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL

ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

MARCH 3, 1998

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, February 3, 1998, at approximately 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:
Councillor Gordon Price, Chair
Mayor Philip Owen
Councillor Don Bellamy
Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Don Lee (Item No. 1)
Councillor George Puil
Councillor Sam Sullivan
CLERK TO THE
COMMITTEE:

Denise Salmon

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting of February 3, 1998, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Speed Hump Pilot Project File: 5757

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated February 17, 1998 (on file), in which the General Manager of Engineering Services recommends construction of speed humps on ten selected neighbourhood streets on a trial basis.

cont'd

Clause 1 Cont'd

Jody Andrews, Neighbourhood Transportation Planning Engineer, provided Council with an overview of the report and, with the aid of overheads, illustrated percentiles of motorists travelling below, at, and above the regulated speed on a number of local streets. He advised the recommended trial installation of speed humps on ten street segments identified in the report will assist in determining the suitability of the new speed hump design for Vancouver's streets. Evaluation of results will be reported back to Council late this year.

In response to questions from Council, staff noted:

·a minimum amount of signage will be used in neighbourhoods, with white marks on pavement alerting motorists to approaching speed humps (these will be included in the trial hump program as well)

·comments and feedback from Fire and Rescue Services will be monitored, including effect on their response time

·the ability of street design, including bulges, and traffic circles to impact the speed of motorists

·Council's policy of protecting residential neighbourhoods from intrusion of non-local traffic on local streets

·the need to design criteria to judge which streets warrant speed humps

·speed hoses, radar guns, noise monitors, and neighbourhood resident input will be used to monitor effects of the trial project

·photo radar is currently in use on City streets, but at no permanent locations; no response to date has been received from the Province regarding sharing of revenues

·the proposed humps are curved to provide comfort to those travelling at or below the speed limit

·no speed humps will be installed at intersections

·the option currently exists to allow residents to purchase traffic circles, although no neighbourhood has yet exercised this option and affordability would be an issue in some neighbourhoods; however, once criteria are set this may be an option for speed humps

George Simmers, resident (map circulated, and on file)

·circulated a copy of a letter dated March 2, 1998 (on file), from the Principal of Kitsilano Secondary School, in support of speed humps on the 2400 Block of West 10th Avenue

·advised of the need for traffic calming measures on 10th Avenue, adjacent Kitsilano School, to address increased speed and volume of vehicles using 10th as an alternative to Broadway

cont'd

Clause 1 Cont'd

Engineering staff indicated they would meet with Mr. Simmers to discuss traffic calming options for West 10th in the context of the street itself rather than in relation to the speed hump trial project.

Charles Pitts, resident

·acknowledged Engineering Services' work on the speed hump project

·supported the installation of speed humps in the Dunbar Marine Neighbourhood

·suggested correction of traffic lights at three corners of the Dunbar Marine Triangle to further address the problems associated with non-local through traffic

* * *

Councillor Don Lee left the meeting for Civic Business and did not return.

* * *

Colleen Paterson, resident

·spoke in support of speed humps

Comments from Council members included:

·assurance key neighbourhood contacts are involved in day-by-day journal feedback on trial speed humps

·Engineering staff consider working with the Communications Division on preparation of a brochure advising of speed hump project details

·inclusion, in the report back, of details indicating whether speed humps solve neighbourhood speeding problems, or simply shift the problem to another street

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

RECOMMENDED

A.THAT speed humps be installed on a trial basis on 3 street segments, in one area infill, and as a component of one neighbourhood traffic plan as listed in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated February 17, 1998, if supported by local residents, at an estimated capital cost of $77,000 to be funded from the Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account #13/32/9801/999 (traffic calming).

cont'd

Clause 1 Cont'd

B.THAT $2,800 for maintenance of the trial speed humps be approved as an increase to the Traffic Operations Budget without offset, to be reduced by $100 for each hump that is not made permanent.

C. THAT staff monitor the speed hump trial installations and report back.

D.THAT staff report back on the suitability of speed humps for 59th Avenue after the installation of the new traffic signal at Cambie and after the conclusion of the Speed Hump Trial Project.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Don Lee not present for vote.)

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

RECOMMENDED

E.THAT Council request the new Minister of Municipal Affairs take immediate action on the previous Municipal Affairs' statement that there would be a sharing of revenue from traffic fines generated by photo radar and moving violations.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Don Lee not present for vote.)

2. Interurban Rail Service File: 5558

Before Council, for information, was a video on Interurban Rail Service. The concept, by Siemens Transportation Systems, is for a self-contained, diesel system, rail car that can operate on existing tracks with minimal upgrading.

During discussion, the following points were noted:

·cost would be similar to light rail vehicles

·capacity is 74 seated, 100 standing

·the rail link will be tested between Surrey and Chilliwack

·the system would be beneficial in a regional context, especially west of Abbotsford

cont'd

Clause 2 Cont'd

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

RECOMMENDED

THAT the video presentation by Engineering Services on Interurban Rail Service, be received for information.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Don Lee not present for the vote.)

The Committee adjourned at 11:34 a.m.

* * * * *


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