The Cyclist's Guideto Vancouver's Downtown Transportation Plan |
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The Cyclist's Guideto Vancouver's Downtown Transportation Plan |
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Approximately 8,000 bike trips daily are made into the downtown according to TransLink's Fall 1999 Trip Diary Survey. Given the past trends, the continuing growth in residents living in and around the downtown and enhancements to cycling facilities in downtown, this number is anticipated to increase substantially in the future.
The Downtown Transportation Plan generally places emphasis on providing separate bike lanes on downtown streets, as opposed to wide curb lanes, because:
- they provide increased comfort levels for cyclists;
- they are more likely to increase the number of people cycling;
- they allow motorists to pass more easily, reducing conflicts and congestion; and
- they are preferred by the majority of cyclists surveyed.
The bike route network developed for the Downtown Transportation Plan [...] was developed with two guiding principles. Firstly, to provide direct connections to existing routes and key destinations in and around the downtown. Secondly, to minimize the impact on the transportation network by avoiding the removal of traffic lanes and, where possible, not significantly affecting the on-street parking inventory. The second principle is especially important in achieving a balanced transportation system whereby all stakeholder needs are considered and from which consensus can be achieved. It should be noted that the accommodation of bicycles was one of the more controversial parts of the Downtown Transportation Plan. The recommended bike network is viewed by some as only providing the basic network and that it could be bolder. Others consider it inappropriate. In any case, the bike route network will need to be assessed as it is being developed and modified or enhanced as conditions dictate to ensure its success.
As requested by Council on July 9, 2002, the implications of the following items requested by the Bicycle Advisory Committee are provided below:
- Robson Street bicycle route between Beatty and Burrard;
- Northbound bicycle connection along the Homer/Richards corridor; and
- Bicycle connections to the Georgia Viaduct.
All three routes are recommended to be presented to downtown stakeholders for input prior to reporting back with recommendations.
[Administrative Report of Transportation and Traffic Commitee, July 8, 2003, CC #5560-1]
Bike lanes in both directions on Robson Street between Beatty and Burrard can be achieved by removing a traffic/parking lane along the entire length or widening the roadway by a maximum of about 3.0 metres. Neither is desirable nor recommended because there are significant impacts to either the traffic/transit operations or pedestrian flow along the street.
However, in keeping with the guiding principles used in the Downtown Transportation Plan, a single, westbound 1.5 metre wide bike lane between Beatty and Richards can be accommodated by narrowing the existing traffic and parking lanes. A westbound bike lane would be useful in accommodating inbound cyclists from across the Cambie Bridge (via Beatty Street). This westbound bike lane would also complement the recommended eastbound bike lane on Nelson Street for cyclists exiting the downtown across the Cambie Bridge. A limitation of the westbound bike lane is that it would end at Richards Street. However, it would be useful in conjunction with a northbound Homer Street bike lane (described below).
[Administrative Report of Transportation and Traffic Commitee, July 8, 2003, CC #5560-1]
Four design options were presented at a city open house on January 24, 2005. Photos are shown below.
This route will be going to city council sometime soon, likely May 2005. I understand that option 2 is likely to be recommended by city staff.
The Downtown Transportation Plan recommends a southbound bike lane on Richards Street. This would serve southbound cyclists well, but there is no corresponding northbound facility in the vicinity. A corresponding northbound bike lane cannot be accommodated on Richards Street. Homer Street provides the best opportunity for a northbound bike facility.
Homer Street is currently a one-way street that is recommended to become two-way in the Downtown Transportation Plan. It can accommodate a northbound 1.5 metre wide bike lane between Pacific Boulevard and Georgia Street if the existing traffic and parking lanes are narrowed and assuming that full-time parking exists on both sides of the street. This bike lane can be further extended one block north to Dunsmuir Street if the West Vancouver bus stops on this block are relocated. With the creation of two-way streets on Cambie and Beatty, this relocation may be practical as additional curb space appropriate for bus stops is created. North of Dunsmuir, Homer Street is narrower and providing a bike lane would be problematic.
The Downtown Transportation Plan recommends that Homer Street become a pedestrian connector (pedestrian arterial) route as part of the downtown pedestrian route network shown in Figure 2. Pedestrian connector routes are intended to be the route of choice for pedestrians by providing an easy, direct, pleasant and safe walking route across the downtown peninsula. They help integrate new neighbourhoods and are to be fully accessible to all pedestrians including those with mobility challenges. Homer Street, in particular, would link the downtown south residential neighbourhoods to the historic districts of Yaletown and Gastown, the Vancouver Public Library and the future port lands development at the northern end. Potential pedestrian enhancements along Homer would include landscaping, public art, corner bulges, pedestrian lighting, etc. One special feature was the ability to widen the sidewalk on the east side of the street by about 1.0 metre to increase pedestrian comfort. However, if a bike lane were to be installed along Homer Street, this widening would not occur. Therefore, the creation of a northbound bike lane along Homer Street between Pacific Boulevard to Dunsmuir requires trading-off potential pedestrian improvements for bike improvements.
[Administrative Report of Transportation and Traffic Commitee, July 8, 2003, CC #5560-1]
Three design options were presented at a city open house on January 24, 2005. Photos are shown below.
Option 2 was approved by council in April 2005. The staff report with the final decisions is available here.
An eastbound bike lane along the Georgia Viaduct, accomplished largely by restriping the existing traffic lane lines, is recommended in the Downtown Transportation Plan to facilitate cyclists travelling out of the downtown peninsula. Currently, only the proposed bike lanes along Beatty Street lead to the bike lanes on the Georgia Viaduct. Additional opportunities for bike lane connections to the viaduct bike lanes were explored along Georgia Street.
Georgia Street is a major arterial street in the downtown and is a part of the regional Major Road Network serving both local and regional traffic. The Downtown Transportation Plan recommends that Georgia Street between the viaduct and Burrard be added to the truck route network to provide direct access across the peninsula and to reduce truck impacts to emerging residential areas in Downtown South. Georgia Street generally consists of three traffic lanes in both the eastbound and westbound direction, with some parking on the curb lanes that is restricted during the rush hours. This configuration changes as it approaches the viaduct to match the four eastbound traffic lanes on the viaduct. Two westbound traffic lanes begin at Cambie Street.
Given the existing width of Georgia Street, it was determined that an eastbound bike lane on Georgia Street may be added if the curb lanes on both sides of the street are converted to full-time parking lanes. Full-time parking lanes require less space than moving traffic lanes and therefore help to create the space required for the bike lane. A preliminary review suggests that it may be possible to create an eastbound bike lane, east of Homer Street. Further review is required to ensure that traffic flow on Georgia Street will not be impacted. Any new full-time on-street parking spaces created would benefit surrounding land uses, including Library Square.
[Administrative Report of Transportation and Traffic Commitee, July 8, 2003, CC #5560-1]
On Georgia St., accommodating a bicycle lane would require very narrow lane widths for cars and buses. From a cyclist's point of view, however, it is important to provide a return route to match the Robson St. lane. The regular vehicle lane on Robson St. does present an alternative, but a bicycle lane would be preferable.
Granville St. has never been intended to include bicycle lanes. However, bicycles are legally allowed to use the "bus mall" sections of the street, and often find those sections comfortable. The Downtown Transportation Plan did not establish a definite direction for Granville St., but instead initiated a consultation process to define a new vision for the street. The framework for the consultation included a requirement to maintain existing transit service (established by the former city council) and a requirement to enhance the pedestrian realm (added by the current city council).
The consultation consisted of stakeholder groups and public open houses. The stakeholder group consisted primarily of local businesses (about 85%), with some participation from police and community groups (local youth shelter, BEST, and the VACC). The first open house took place in Otctober 2004, when staff presented three options to the public: a near-status quo option called "enhance the existing," an "alternating blocks" treatment, and a "one-sided flex" option. In June 2005, discussions with stakeholder and a second open house included two new options: a "two-sided flex" option, and a "one-sided flex north of smithe" option which introduces cars to the existing bus mall.
A summary of the options is available at the city's Granville St. Redesign website.
Staff produced three newsletters that were distributed city-wide through local newspapers and were made available at all neighbourhood community centres, libraries, fire halls as well as Vancouver City Hall (See Figure 3-L). Each newsletter provided the public an opportunity to respond to specific and general issues relating to the plan through an attached questionnaire. Over 1500 people responded to the questionnaires.
In April of 2001, the second newsletter was released which introduced the plan components and invited the public to participate in a series of workshops and "walk-abouts" to identify issues and generate ideas. This newsletter was distributed city-wide to homes and businesses. Over 500 people responded to the questionnaire that was included as part of the newsletter with some of the results highlighted below:
- The majority of respondents strongly agreed that Granville Mall should be maintained as a transit/pedestrian mall;
- [...]
The third newsletter was released in November of 2001 and illustrated the proposed bicycle and pedestrian networks, transit improvements, parking changes, future streetcar routes, and other changes to the downtown road network. These newsletters were distributed city-wide as an insert in a local paper. Canada Post delivered the newsletters directly to homes and businesses throughout the downtown peninsula. A questionnaire was also included as part of the newsletter asking people to respond to specific proposals contained in the newsletter. Some of the general responses are highlighted below:
- [...]
- A vast majority of respondents agreed that the use of sidewalks on Granville Mall should be used for outdoor seating and kiosks should be encouraged.
- The majority of respondents disagreed with introducing general traffic to Granville Mall;
- [...]
[DTP pp. 33-34]
The numbers for the above surveys are interesting:
The later Ipsos-Reid poll didn't show as strong a trend, with 62% of 600 downtown residents/commuters against allowing cars on the Granville Mall and 53% of 300 downtown businesses in favour.
