Vancouver residents weigh in on proposed Point Grey Road bike route

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      Proposed cycling and pedestrian upgrades to the Point Grey–Cornwall corridor are stirring debate in Vancouver.

      At the centre of attention is a series of potential bike routes along the more than four-kilometres corridor.

      Pamela McColl, a Point Grey Road resident, said a petition supporting closure of the road between Alma and Macdonald streets to commuter traffic has gathered over 2,000 signatures.

      “The interesting part about Point Grey Road is it is a unique problem because of the multiple users, so you’ve got cyclists on sidewalks, drivers in driveways, you’ve got pedestrians, and you’ve got speeding cars,” she told the Straight.

      “But what makes Point Grey even more unique is the fact that it has a narrow street that has inconsistencies…and that is a particularly dangerous situation.”

      The proposal to divert commuter traffic between Alma and Macdonald streets, which would bring the number of vehicles on the stretch from 10,000 a day down to a few hundred, is one of two options under consideration. The other scenario would see one lane of west-bound vehicle traffic and separated two-way bike lanes.

      The rest of the proposed corridor includes a separated two-way bike lane on Point Grey Road—along with two-way vehicle traffic—between Macdonald and Trafalgar streets, and one-way streets for several blocks along York Avenue.

      Jerry Dobrovolny, Vancouver’s director of transportation, said cyclist and pedestrian safety along the corridor has been “front of mind for many people”.

      “We know that there’s tremendous concerns for safety by both pedestrians and cyclists, some of it reflected directly in collision data, some of it just perceived concerns,” he said in a phone interview. “And perception of safety is actually one of the key issues for us, because as we’re working towards these 2040 goals that require substantial increases in the number of trips by walking, cycling, and transit, perception of safety is what governs choice.”

      A spokesperson for Putting Pedestrians First, Bev Ballantyne, told the Straight that she supports the traffic-calming measures proposed for Point Grey Road. 

      “It’s absolutely imperative that we do something,” she said. “We’re far behind the rest of the world, so if pedestrians and cyclists are truly the top of the heap in the city of Vancouver vis-a-vis transportation, then we need to start putting our money where our mouth is.”

      The cochair of the Vancouver committee for HUB: Your Cycling Connection, Lisa Slakov, called the corridor one of the most unsafe for cyclists.

      “We’re just excited to see this finally happening, and a HUB survey that we conducted last year…showed that our respondents listed the Point Grey corridor as the number-one that they wanted addressed from a list of different routes,” Slakov said. “So it really is a high priority for us.”

      The proposed changes to the corridor have also drawn opponents in the neighbourhood, who are raising concerns about issues including the consultation process, and potential diversion of traffic onto other streets in the area.

      Tomina de Jong believes that the city has not been doing an effective job of notifying residents of the potential implications associated with the bike route.

      De Jong, who lives on Macdonald Street, is particularly concerned about the proposed changes to Point Grey Road west of her street, and the increase in traffic that is expected to occur on Macdonald.

      “It’s adding to a road that’s not exactly got low numbers on it…and is, in my opinion, bound to cause congestion,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me, and, of course, I will personally be affected, but I see my neighbourhood being really affected.”

      McColl disputed the criticism of consultation on the issue, stating that the city has had “tremendous input” from UBC and from stakeholder meetings during the last two years.

      “In the last couple of months, the city has met with pretty well any group that invited them to come out: I think they’ve gone to over 50 meetings, and there has been vigorous and very thorough public consultation,” she said.

      Dobrovolny stated the city has had “lots of feedback” on the proposal during two rounds of consultation, the first of which was launched in January, and the second in May.

      “We’ve had lots of support, we’ve had lots of questions, we had concerns, and so we’re processing all of that,” he said.

      “There’s a group that do not agree with the goals and principles and objectives of the project,” he added. “And that’s often the case with transportation. It becomes a polarizing issue.”

      According to Dobrovolny, there has been “a lot of misinformation” about the plan.

      “So a lot of the fires we’ve been putting out, the meetings we’ve been attending lately, is correcting assumptions that aren’t correct,” he said.

      Cheryl Ziola, executive director of the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce, told the Straight that sixty percent of the organization’s members prefer keeping Point Grey Road open for at least one-way traffic, according to a survey the chamber conducted in June.

      Ziola said local businesses acknowledge that speed and safety are concerns along Point Grey Road, but the organization is advocating for the city to look at some alternative models for the corridor.

      “I know that some of our members have suggested, ‘Well, why not speed bumps or traffic circles or something along those lines rather than something really drastic like closing the road down?’ ” she said. “So we just want city council to consider maybe some alternative views [and] ensure there’s a more fulsome consultation, because we’re still finding out from a lot of people [that] they haven’t heard about it.”

      The proposal is expected to go before city council by the end of July.

      Residents opposed to the proposed bike route are holding two days of rallies on Point Grey Road at Macdonald Street to call for more community consultation on the issue. The second rally is planned for Thursday (July 11) at 4:30 p.m.

      Comments

      30 Comments

      Forest

      Jul 10, 2013 at 7:07pm

      I am a long term resident of the area west of Kits and, while I usually travel by bus or bike to work, I also frequently use the Pt. Grey Road to travel through downtown to the North Shore. There are a number of facts that should be addressed as relevant to this issue. 1). There is a bike route just 2 blocks south on West 3rd for east-west travel. 2). There are very few pedestrians on Pt. Grey Rd. on week-days and no pedestrians are in danger: crosswalks are clearly marked and both sides of the street are side-walked. 3) This is nothing less than a bid by wealthy occupants of Pt. Grey Rd. west-bound from McDonald to Alma St. to have their own gated community. 4) The biggest threat to pedestrians, bikes and motor vehicles on Pt. Grey Rd. is posed by the humungous concrete bunker (occupying 3 city lots) currently being built for Chip Wilson (aka Mr. Lululemon). For the past two years, traffic is frequently stopped and backed up while his construction crews do one thing or the other, causing dangerous circumstances for all involved. But he's rich, right?

      Kim

      Jul 10, 2013 at 7:43pm

      I'm concerned about the possible additional traffic along 4th for those of us that live west of Macdonald on an already very busy/noisy street - currently with already 4 bus routes going through here. In the 5yrs I've lived here it's gotten even busier.

      Richard Campbell.

      Jul 10, 2013 at 9:08pm

      The current Seaside Route along 3rd Avenue is less than ideal. It is narrow with parked cars on both sides creating a risk of dooming. There is little room for cyclists to get by on-coming vehicles making riding more stressful and less comfortable. Cyclists also have to cross busy Macdonald and Alma Streets. The access to 3rd Ave from the east is hilly, indirect and not obvious so people are less likely to chose it or even find it at all.

      From Macdonald to Jericho during 2007-2011 according to ICBC stats compiled by the city, there where two cycling collisions on Pt Grey Rd and four on 3rd Ave. So, even with the higher levels of automobile traffic, Pt Grey had fewer collisions. With the planned traffic diversion, traffic calming measures and separated bike lanes from Alma west, Pt Grey should be pretty safe for people of all ages to cycle on.

      SPY vs SPY

      Jul 10, 2013 at 9:40pm

      To really speak to "THOSE CONCERNED WITH THIS ROAD",
      close the road for 2-3 weeks starting around October 1.

      Then poll all the folks who are diverted onto West 4, Ave, West Broadway, West 10/12 Ave and Burrard Street from West 4 ave to West 16 ave.

      Then watch the traffic jams, the extra hour it takes to drive to downtown every day, then see what Voters / Drivers think.

      This will probably be a main issue that get Mayor Moonbeam and the Pie in the Skyers, voted out of office.

      Richard Campbell.

      Jul 10, 2013 at 11:26pm

      The proposed Point Grey Cornwall Greenway improvements for Point Grey Road from Balsam to Jericho Beach will be much safer for everyone including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, children and residents.

      Although it is popular with some, on-street parking is dangerous especially for children. Removing parking, as proposed for some sections of Point Grey, can reduce all collisions by around 25%.

      By providing safe space for people of all ages to ride bicycles, the planned improvements will reduce conflicts between people cycling, walking and driving making Point Grey safer, more enjoyable and less stressful for all.

      Ralph

      Jul 10, 2013 at 11:34pm

      How about extending the seawall from Kits to Spanish Banks?

      Heather

      Jul 11, 2013 at 12:10am

      We need safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists if we want to be sure we can continue to support our growing city. We need more room for people, not cars. Please support the improvements planned for Point Grey, and encourage more to be done for the people of our city. We should all be able to get around safely no matter what means of transportation we use and slowing down cars, making things easier for people walking and biking, has been shown time and again to help build more liveable, healthier and happier communities.

      Alan Layton

      Jul 11, 2013 at 8:46am

      I believe there already is a bike route that runs a long 3rd Ave. It joins the Kits Beach bike route at Trafalgar, but the problem is that you have a very steep hill to go up to get to it and that puts some people off. Perhaps a better connector to 3rd Ave from Pt. Grey Road, or Cornwall could be constructed. A light at McDonald and 3rd Ave would also help.

      re: Richard Cambell

      Jul 11, 2013 at 9:02am

      There is tonnes of room on 3rd! I ride this route everyday. A little common sense and focus and it's the safest place in the world :)

      If you are worried people won't find it (far out man) a sign could do the trick.

      Cyclist Entitlement Issues

      Jul 11, 2013 at 9:03am

      There is a bike route just 2 blocks south on West 3rd for east-west travel