CITY OF VANCOUVER
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

M E M O R A N D U M

DATE: June 8, 1999 FILE: 3252

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: Gail Johnson, Administrative Assistant

SUBJECT: UBCM Resolutions

Each year the City of Vancouver submits resolutions for consideration at the UBCM Annual Convention. The following resolutions are now submitted for Council’s consideration:

Resolution Submitted by

(a) Enabling Legislation to Allow Incorporated General Manager,
Municipalities to Create Blanket Speed Zones Engineering Services

(b) Application to CRTC General Manager,

Engineering Services

:GJ

ENABLING LEGISLATION TO ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES
TO CREATE BLANKET SPEED ZONES

WHEREAS the speed limit in cities and municipalities in BC, is “50 km/h unless otherwise posted”;

AND WHEREAS no differentiation is made between arterial and local streets with respect to speed limit, (except for 30 km/h adjacent to schools and parks);

AND WHEREAS the severity and incidence of car crashes decreases significantly at lower speeds;

AND WHEREAS lower speeds can offer significant benefits to the livability and safety of neighbourhoods;

AND WHEREAS a reduced speed limit sends a positive message that driver behaviour needs to be respectful of neighbourhood life;

AND WHEREAS many bike routes rely on local streets and a lowering of speed would improve cyclist safety;

AND WHEREAS in May, 1997 Vancouver City Council endorsed a City-wide Transportation Plan, which included an action “ to reduce speed limits on residential streets to 40 km/h”;

AND WHEREAS many municipalities in other provinces and states have already implemented a blanket 40 km/h zone for residential areas:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Minister of Transportation and Highways be asked to consider an amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act that would allow incorporated municipalities to institute blanket speed zones in residential areas.

- submitted by the City of Vancouver

ENABLING LEGISLATION TO ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES
TO CREATE BLANKET SPEED ZONES - BACKGROUND

At present, the speed limit in the City of Vancouver, like other municipalities in BC, is “50 km/h unless otherwise posted”. As a consequence no differentiation is made between arterial and local streets with respect to speed limit, except in special circumstances such as near schools and parks.

In May, 1997 Vancouver City Council endorsed a City-wide Transportation Plan. Among the initiatives in the plan was an action "to reduce speed limits on residential streets to 40 km/h". Many municipalities in other provinces and states have already implemented a blanket 40 km/h zone for residential areas. While speed limits do not necessarily result in lower speeds travelled by all motorists, the limits can offer significant benefits to the livability and safety of neighbourhoods, including the following:

1) A large proportion of motorists will obey the posted speed limits;

2) Traffic calming devices, such as speed humps etc., can be designed to function at 40km/h rather than 50 kmph;

3) Increasing pedestrian safety;

4) Improving cyclist safety where much of the City’s bike network relies on local streets and a lower speed;

5) Sending a positive message out that driver behaviour needs to be respectful of neighbourhood life; and,

6) Decreasing air pollution and noise through lower speed limits.

The preferred implementation plan for the City is to post signs at the entrances to the municipality that state “ The speed limit is 40 km/h unless otherwise posted and 20 km/h in lanes “. Signs would be posted on the arterials to continue to allow 50km/h. However, it was the conclusion of the City’s Police Department and Legal Department that an amendment to British Columbia’s Motor Vehicle Act would be needed, as the Act does not allow incorporated municipalities to set blanket speed zones of less than 50 km/h.

APPLICATION TO CRTC

WHEREAS the CRTC deregulated the telecommunications industry starting in 1993;

AND WHEREAS in that process, the CRTC stated that there was wide support for the operating principle that fair and substantial competition is in the best interest of consumers;

AND WHEREAS the affect of deregulation on municipalities has been to consume scarce and valuable street right-of-way space and impose additional costs on municipalities;

AND WHEREAS some new telecommunications companies have voluntarily entered into agreements that minimize municipal impacts and provide a reasonable return on valuable street right-of-way;

AND WHEREAS most existing telecommunications companies have refused to negotiate similar reasonable agreements thus creating an unfair competitive situation:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM support the City of Vancouver’s application to the CRTC asking that the CRTC impose reasonable terms and conditions for telecommunications access to street right-of-way in a fashion that minimizes the impact to municipal taxpayers and provides a reasonable return on scarce right-of-way space.

- submitted by the City of Vancouver

APPLICATION TO CRTC BACKGROUND

In March, Ledcor Industries, after trespassing on City property, filed an application asking the CRTC to require the City to accept the trespassing fibre optic cable without reasonable compensation or other reasonable legal provisions.

On May 18, City staff filed the required response. In addition, City staff also filed an application with the CRTC raising the broader issues of telecommunications access and asking that companies such as Telus be required to enter into reasonable agreements.

This is a broad national issue that has been taken up by the FCM and other cities, large and small. The CRTC has already indicated that they will open up the proceeding through a Public Notice process so that all interested parties may participate. It is expected that submissions to the public notice will be required probably in September 1999 with a final decision not expected until mid 2000.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver