ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 10, 1999
Author/Local: D. Louie/7915
RTS 1087
CC File No. 5553

T&T Ctte: November 30, 1999

TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:	Cycling Network Program Applications 2000/2001

RECOMMENDATION

THAT submission of the Portside Bikeway Eastern Extension and Ridgeway East Bikeway to the Cycling Network Program be endorsed, and staff report back with further details about the Portside Bikeway Eastern Extension.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council has supported and encouraged the use of bicycles as a mode of transportation in its adoption of the Vancouver Transportation Plan (1997), the Bicycle Network Study (1992), and the Vancouver Comprehensive Bicycle Plan (1988).

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to inform Council about the applications made for the Provincial Cycling Network Program for 2000/2001.

BACKGROUND

Since 1995, the Province has offered a Cycling Network Program (CNP) that provides funding for the construction of cycling infrastructure. The funding is a 50% cost-shared arrangement with municipalities up to a maximum of $200,000 per project. The intent of the program is to encourage municipalities to provide cycling infrastructure, not to replace existing municipal funding. Some conditions of funding approval are the existence of a municipal cycling network plan and that the projects are shelf-ready.

To date, Vancouver has received more than $1 million in funding from the CNP for a variety of projects (Cypress Bikeway, B.C. Parkway Upgrade, S.W. Marine Bike Lanes, Lakewood Bikeway, Heather Bikeway, Midtown/Ridgeway Bikeway, Slocan Bikeway, and Beach Avenue Bikeway). Another $350,000 was approved earlier this year for three projects currently underway (Mosaic Bikeway, Lakewood North Extension, Portside (Wall Street) Bikeway).

For the fiscal year 2000/2001, the B.C. Transportation Finance Authority has allocated $2 million for the CNP program. Applications were due November 1, 1999. Projects selected for funding will be announced in the Spring of 2000 and they must be completed by March 31, 2001.

DISCUSSION

Two projects were considered to be candidates for submission to the CNP program for 2000/2001 based on their shelf readiness and priority within the City. These were the eastern extension of the Portside Bikeway and the eastern extension of the Ridgeway Bikeway. Figure 1 shows the context of the new bikeways in relation to the existing bike network.

Portside Bikeway Eastern Extension

A section of the Portside Bikeway (Wall Street) between Lakewood and Kaslo is currently being constructed to link the Lakewood and Sunrise Bikeway. The Portside Bikeway is a part of the Trans Canada Trail which is a Federal and Provincial millennium project to connect Canada’s three oceans with a shared-use trail by September 2000. It is also a designated City Greenway. An eastern extension of the Portside Bikeway (and Trans Canada Trail) into Burnaby is proposed. This section would complete the Trans Canada Trail through Vancouver and would provide cyclists and pedestrians in Vancouver and Burnaby a convenient access under the Second Narrows Bridge. The routing of the Trans Canada Trail, including this section, has been discussed at two Open Houses in 1998. On February 2, 1999, the proposed routing of the Trans Canada Trail was approved by Council.

This project would see the development of an on-street bikeway along Wall Street from Kaslo Street to New Brighton Park. East of New Brighton Park, an off-street bike and pedestrian path would be constructed through the existing gravel parking lot and adjacent to Bridgeway. At Skeena Street, the pathway would then follow a service road towards the CNR tunnel below the Second Narrows Bridge. At the CNR tunnel, a bridge on fill material would be constructed to go over the tunnel and to link to Burnaby’s Heights Trailand Montrose Park. Detailed plans are being finalized in consultation with stakeholders. A report to Council with details and a request for funding will be submitted early next year. This project is estimated to cost about $373,000. A tentative request for 50% of the cost has been made to the CNP program.

Ridgeway East Bikeway

The Ridgeway East Bikeway is an eastern extension of the existing 37th Avenue Ridgeway Greenway/Bikeway. It was approved and funded by Council in July 1999 after completing a public consultation process with affected residents. Currently the Ridgeway terminates at 38th Avenue and Victoria. This project would extend it east along 38th Avenue to Nanaimo, south along Nanaimo to 45th Avenue, and east along 45th Avenue to Boundary Road. Although the section of 45th Avenue between Earles and Boundary is already designated a bikeway, this project would see the installation of a variety of traffic calming measures along the entire route to enhance the street for pedestrians and cyclists. These include traffic circles, corner bulges, bicycle push buttons, a new signal, raised crosswalks, traffic diverters, medians, speed humps and a chicane. A summary of all the interventions is shown in Appendix A. Construction would begin as soon as the CNP announces the projects selected for funding.

The bikeway portion of this project is estimated to cost $429,400. A tentative request for the maximum share of $200,000 has been made to the CNP program.

CONCLUSION

Subject to Council approval, two projects (Portside Bikeway Eastern Extension and Ridgeway East Bikeway) have been tentatively submitted to the Provincial Cycling Network Program (2000/2001) for cost sharing. Additional details about the Portside Bikeway will be reported to Council early next year. The Ridgeway East Bikeway was approved by Council in July 1999. If both applications are successful, the CNP program would contribute a total of about $386,000. Both projects are scheduled for construction in Spring 2000.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver