The City of Vancouver will be hosting two Open Houses on improvements to the Union-Adanac Corridor. Of particular interest to Grandview-Woodland residents is the event scheduled for January 21 (11am-3pm) at the Wise Hall (1882 Adanac Street). For reference, the full text of the City’s invitation is reproduced below:
We want to hear from you! The City of Vancouver is planning improvements along the Union-Adanac Corridor to make it safer and more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to walk and cycle. Changes are being considered at key locations between Gore Avenue and Kamloops Street. Join us at an open house to learn about the recommended designs and provide feedback. City staff will be available to answer questions and discuss the project.
Saturday, January 21, 11 am – 3 pm Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street
Monday, January 23, 4 – 7:30 pm Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street A Cantonese and Mandarin speaking interpreter will be available at this session. View display boards and complete a feedback form online at: vancouver.ca/union-adanac.
Guest speaker Lon LaClaire from the City of Vancouver provided many updates to upcoming transportation changes in and around Grandview-Woodland at the GWAC meeting on Monday, May 2nd, 2016. Mr. LaClaire was also able to answer many questions from the audience during a wide-ranging question and answer session. Detailed minutes of the meeting are posted below for future reference. Thanks to all who attended and joined the discussion!
Notes from GWAC Public Meeting on May 2, 2016
Transportation in Grandview Woodland
Presentation by Lon LaClaire: Director of Transportation, City of Vancouver
A lot is going on in transportation at the City, and a lot that potentially affects GW. Some projects, are in the implementation phase; on others, the City is still developing plans.
The Transportation 2040 plan (http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/transportation-2040.aspxis) is linked to the Healthy City Strategy, Economic Action Plan, and Greenest City Action Plan. Transportation is a big part of achieving those other objectives. Transportation 2040 targets include having 1/2 of all trips be by foot, bike, or transit by 2020. By 2040, 2/3 of all trips will be by bike, transit, or on foot. The City needs to reduce the proportion and total number of motor vehicle trips, and has to accommodate more trips every single year as more people move here. Our road network is largely built out, so we cannot double or really increase at all the number of car trips. Therefore we need to move people by other modes, and to reduce the number of vehicles in total by 2040. We need to reallocate a bit of the road space toward walking, cycling and transit.
Our roads are generally becoming safer. We want to make sure this continues and have a zero fatality safety target.
TransLink is undertaking a major transit network consultation and would like your input and feedback: “Starting on Tuesday, October 13, TransLink is inviting customers and neighbours across the region to have their say on potential changes to the transit network across Metro Vancouver. An online survey will be available until November 6. We’re considering more than 85 proposed changes and asking for feedback now, as we plan for the future. Proposed transit network changes across the network aim to: • Deliver on our plans • Integrate bus service to better connect to the Evergreen Extension • Decrease travel time on busy routes • Extend service to areas with high commuter demand • Take advantage of road and infrastructure changes • Make our system more efficient Get Involved We invite you to take the survey from October 13 – November 6 and have your say on transit in your community. Your feedback will help inform future transit changes. Stay up-to-date on the progress of this project by signing up for our General TransLink Updates Newsletter.
Please forward this email to any friends, family, or contacts in your organization who would like to have their say on the proposed service changes. Let us know if you’d like to receive hard copy information about where people can find the Transit Network Consultation survey. Contact TransLink If you have any questions regarding the Transit Network Consultation please feel free to email, or call. Angela Madaski, Community Relations Coordinator, tnc@translink.ca, 778.375.7587 www.translink.ca/tnc“
Larry Beasley led a very instructive and inspiring conversation about neighbourhoods and the planning process in Vancouver and elsewhere. He has co-authored a book which is available from Island Press. Barnett and Beasley show how ecodesign helps adapt the design of our built environment to both a changing climate and a rapidly growing world, creating more desirable places in the process. In six comprehensively illustrated chapters, the authors explain ways to: · Preserve and restore natural systems while also adapting to climate change; · Minimize congestion on highways and at airports by balancing the transportation system with transit, particularly BRT and improved passenger rail, by making it easier and safer to walk and cycle, and by making places more compact; · Craft and manage regulations to create more desirable places and full-fill consumer preferences, while meeting economic constraints and creating development incentives; · Make an inviting and environmentally responsible public realm from parks to streets to forgotten spaces; and – most importantly – · The authors then explain, in their final chapter, how to implement these concepts.
Ecodesign for Cities and Suburbs By Jonathan Barnett and Larry Beasley Paperback and E-book 304 pages | Price: $45.00 ISBN: 9781610913423 Publication Date: June 23, 2015 www.islandpress.org/ecodesign-for-cities-and-suburbs Feel free to include the discount code, 4ECOD.
We hope to hold several meetings in July/August to clarify issues and deepen our understanding of the affordability crisis & housing, CACs & pro forma development and building massing & density. Stay tuned for details! Look for a review of Citizens’ Assembly recommendations for our September meeting and a federal election forum in early October.
If you were unable to attend our last meeting on June 1st, we would welcome your input via email to info@gwac.ca These proposals come from a committee of GWAC. We need to know from you what meets the community’s needs and what needs adjustment.
1] Removal of Peak Hour Parking Restrictions from Commercial Drive, between First Avenue and Venables Street Understanding that both the Grandview Woodland Area Council and the Commercial Drive Business Society have passed motions requesting that the City of Vancouver remove peak hour parking restrictions from Commercial Drive, between First Avenue and Venables Street, the Grandview Woodland Area Council requests a plan from the City for implementing the change, as soon as possible.
2] Addressing Residual Weaknesses in the Traffic Diversion Strategy Implemented in the Area Bounded by First Avenue, Hastings Street, Nanaimo Street and Clark Drive It has been noted that substantial peak hour traffic is using Parker Street and Venables Street as an eastbound route between Commercial Drive and Nanaimo Street. This is a residual weakness in the traffic diversion strategy implemented in that area. The Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City provide a plan for addressing the issue.
3] Cycling Safety Improvements to Commercial Drive The Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City provide a plan for applying cycling sharrows to Commercial Drive between 14th Avenue and Adanac Street. The Grandview Woodland Area Council also requests that the City provide a plan for the implementation of a separated cycling lane between 14th Avenue and Graveley Street with connection to Salsbury Avenue as a marked cycling route to Adanac Street, including a marked and controlled crossing at Venables Street.
4] Traffic Calming for Victoria Drive The Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City provide a plan for traffic calming for Victoria Drive in keeping with its status as a neighbourhood collector and including marking Victoria Drive as a cycling route between 14th Avenue and Adanac Street.
5] Pedestrian Improvements for Commercial Drive Recognizing that the majority of trips along Commercial Drive are undertaken on foot and in the interest of the safety of those pedestrians, the Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City paint crosswalks at all crossings between 12th Avenue and Hastings Street. The Grandview Woodland Area Council also requests that the City study the feasibility of implementing a scramble crossing at Commercial Drive and First Avenue. 6] Addressing Transit Deficiencies for Commercial Drive Recognizing that bunching of two and often three 20 Victoria buses is still a consistent problem causing unreliable service delivery on Commercial Drive, the Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City press Translink for a comprehensive solution to the bus spacing problem, articulated as a written plan. 7] Cycling Improvements to Hastings Street and Powell Street Recognizing the need for improved cycling infrastructure on both Hastings Street and Powell Street, the Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City provide details of plans for improvement to cycling infrastructure along both streets. 8] Putting In Place Actionable Elements of the Prior-Venables Greenway Project With the knowledge that the Prior-Venables Greenway Project has received formal recognition on numerous occasions by senior municipal officials, the Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City provide a plan for the implementation of actionable elements of the Project, with details regarding the redevelopment and calming of the route following removal of the Georgia Viaduct. 9] Restoration of Off Peak Parking on First Avenue Recognizing that First Avenue is very unwelcoming to pedestrians, the Grandview Woodland Area Council requests that the City restore off peak parking to the street.”
Grandview-Woodland Area Council 