Grandview Highway North - Removal from Truck Routes

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: September 21, 1999
Author/Local: Lon LaClaire/6690
RTS No. 951

CC File No. 5559
T & T Date: October 5, 1999

TO: Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the Manager, Rapid Transit Office

SUBJECT: Grandview Highway North - Removal from Truck Routes

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council recommend to TransLink that Grandview Highway North from Grandview Highway to Clark Drive and Commercial Drive from Broadway to Grandview Highway North be removed from the City of Vancouver truck route network, as shown in Appendix A.

B. THAT Council authorize the Director of Legal Services to amend the Street and Traffic Bylaw No. 2849 to reflect the changes in recommendation A subsequent to approval by TransLink.

C. THAT staff, in consultation with area residents and other affected stakeholders, develop a traffic calming plan for Grandview Highway North that will accommodate the development of the Central Valley Greenway/Bikeway as part of the SkyTrain extension.

D. THAT staff report back on the design and cost implications of recommendation C.

COUNCIL POLICY

Staff will work with the Province on planning for the Phase 1 SkyTrain route, alignment, station locations and station area planning.

On July 18, 1995, Council adopted the Vancouver Greenways Plan, comprising 14 routes. This Plan identified the Grandview Cut corridor for future Greenway development.

The City of Vancouver Transportation Plan, approved by Council on May 27, 1997, identified Grandview Highway North from Clark Drive to Broadway as having potential for increased priority for pedestrians, cycling and transit.

Under Provincial legislation, the truck route system is co-managed by the City and TransLink. It also states that “the existing truck network will be largely maintained”.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to recommend that Grandview Highway North be removed from the City’s Truck Route network to accommodate the development of the new SkyTrain guideway, the new SkyTrain station at Commercial Drive, and the development of the Central Valley Greenway/Bikeway.

BACKGROUND

Grandview Highway North is predominately a wide two lane road with relatively low traffic volumes, ranging from 1,000 vehicles per day eastbound between Nanaimo and Slocan to 3,600 vehicles per day eastbound between Clark and Commercial. Grandview Highway North is presently classified as a Truck route allowing use by trucks with three or more axles and a Gross Vehicle Weight over 4500 kg, (Appendix A). Trucks of this category represent between one and four percent of the total vehicle traffic on Grandview Highway North (40 to 155 trucks per day).

City staff have been working with the Provincial Rapid Transit Project 2000 staff to plan and design the SkyTrain extension in the City of Vancouver. Phase 1 of the new SkyTrain line will run parallel to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway from Clark Drive in Vancouver to Gilmore Street in Burnaby. The entire length of Grandview Highway North will be next to the new SkyTrain guideway.

Changes to the regional truck network, including Vancouver truck routes, must be approved by the TransLink board.

DISCUSSION

Grandview Highway North was, at one time, expected to evolve into a major east-west road with regional connections. However, its odd geometry at intersections and the predominant use of 12th Avenue/Grandview Highway and Broadway as parallel major roads have resultedin the development of Grandview Highway North as a discontinuous local access route, serving a small volume of truck traffic and a relatively low volume of general traffic.

In the planning and design of the SkyTrain extension, staff have identified the truck route on Grandview Highway North as incompatible with the development of the SkyTrain guideway and the new Commercial Station. In addition, the Central Valley Greenway/Bikeway could be better integrated into the community if truck traffic were removed from Grandview Highway North.

1. SkyTrain Guideway; Grandview Highway North Realignment at Slocan Street
Staff and RTP2000 proposed realigning Grandview Highway North west of Slocan in order to avoid the use of large engineering structures (‘bents’) that are necessary to support the SkyTrain guideway over the existing streets. Bents, rather than columns, at this location would create a significantly greater visual impact and would restrict the space available for the Central Valley Greenway/Bikeway path(s) (Appendix B ). The realignment would allow the use of simple columns, rather than bents, but would make it difficult to accommodate large trucks manoeuvring through this intersection.

2. Constricted width and increased activity near the new Commercial Station
The new Commercial SkyTrain Station and the new Central Valley Greenway/Bikeway will be parallel to Grandview Highway North between Commercial Drive and Victoria Drive. All of the #99 B-Line buses and up to half of the #9 eastbound buses will be turning at Commercial Drive and using Grandview Highway North to lay over before heading westbound on Broadway. This means an increased transit presence within the restricted width of Grandview Highway North. The removal of large trucks westbound on Grandview Highway North would permit more of the street width to be allocated to transit activities and the Greenway/Bikeway, and for the local residents would offset the impacts of increase transit activity.

3. Development of Central Valley Greenway/Bikeway
City Greenways and Bikeways tend to follow quiet streets for maximum comfort for pedestrians and cyclists. Large trucks using Grandview Highway North add an undesirable element. On some blocks of Grandview Highway North there is also a need to reduce speeds and volumes. The traffic calming street geometry required to slow the majority of the smaller vehicles is not compatible with large trucks.

The existing truck routes on Clark Drive, Nanaimo Street, Renfrew Street, Broadway and Grandview Highway South are easily capable of handling the minor increase in truck trafficthat would be generated as a result of deleting Grandview Highway North as a truck route. The Broadway and Clark Drive intersection is presently congested, but can accommodate the increase of 130 trucks in the peak direction on an average day (13 trucks per hour in the peak period, peak direction increasing to a maximum of 20 trucks in the off peak) with a minor increase in congestion. This increase in congestion could be considered a disadvantage for the students at Queen Alexandra Elementary School. However, Grandview Elementary, Laura Secord Elementary, and Vancouver Technical High School are located along or near Grandview Highway North and would benefit from traffic calming on this route.

The existing restricted geometry at the intersection of Grandview Highway South and Nanaimo Street encourages trucks to use Grandview Highway North when travelling westbound on Grandview Highway to northbound on Nanaimo Street. The Lakewood and Nanaimo bridges over the Grandview Cut will be replaced as part of the SkyTrain project and will be the subject of a separate report. The Nanaimo bridge replacement will include changes to the geometry of the Grandview Highway South / Nanaimo Street intersection to better facilitate truck manoeuvres. The changes to the geometry at this intersection are necessary to accommodate the additional 230 trucks per day (14 per hour in peak period peak direction).

CONSULTATION

The removal of Grandview Highway North from the truck route system has been a long standing request from the community and is consistent with the Kensington / Cedar Cottage Community Vision. This request has been repeated at the various SkyTrain related open houses and at the special streets design workshop held on July 6, 1999. Staff have consulted the trucking industry on this proposed closure. They have indicated that it will have very little impact.

CONCLUSION

The development of the Broadway-Lougheed SkyTrain extension provides a unique opportunity to transform Grandview Highway North into a Greenway/Bikeway that will follow the SkyTrain corridor. Removal of Grandview Highway North from the truck route system is a key element of the Greenway/Bikeway. It will also facilitate the development of the new SkyTrain guideway, and the new Commercial Station. This would also make the section of Commercial Drive from Broadway to Grandview Highway North redundant as a truck route and allow its removal.

The removal of Grandview Highway North from the truck routes will have a minimal impact on adjacent truck routes. Removal is, however, dependent on improvements to the Grandview Highway South intersection at Nanaimo Street to better facilitate truck manoeuvres.

Further traffic calming on Grandview Highway North would be required to create an attractive Greenway/Bikeway. This would be pursued in consultation with area residents and other stakeholders.

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TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the Manager, Rapid Transit Office
SUBJECT:	Grandview Highway North - Removal from Truck Routes