Donnelly: City must rethink plan to remove Columbia parking

New Urbanism, a global movement that countered post-World War II sprawl, expanded in the U.S. in the early 1980s. The U.S. Congress of New Urbanism, founded in 1993, advocates “schools, stores and other nearby destinations reachable by walking, bicycling, or transit service.” Ideally “parking lots and garage doors rarely front the street. Parking is relegated to the rear of building, usually accessed by alleys.”

The vision of the New Urbanists is that city dwellers living in higher-density spaces will adapt to walking, bikes, scooters, skateboards and public transit. Vancouver’s Westside Mobility Project exemplifies the drive toward “Complete Streets.” In thoughtful remarks at a meeting on Feb. 24, several city council members emphasized that “micromobility is the objective,” combined with necessities within walkable distances.

Vancouver’s controversial change raises questions. Can micromobility be pushed too far, too fast, and over current residents’ objections? Is it realistic to depend upon an aging population giving up the safety, convenience and timeliness of a car for public transit, much less an electric scooter?

Wisely, the city paused the Bike Mobility Project in March 2019, in response to public outcry against the loss of parking. But on Feb. 24, after outreach spanning months, five of seven city council members gave the go-ahead to new bike lanes and removal of parking from Columbia Street.

One major rationale for the bike lanes is bike and pedestrian safety. Vancouver has a startlingly poor record on this point, but on Columbia Street, only a handful of bike-car accidents have occurred, according to Hansen. In his remarks, Hansen criticized the council’s lack of transparency and pre-determined outcomes in rushing into a selection of a few final alternatives. He opposed the selection of Columbia Street bike lanes, observing the plan received the worst response in the community surveys.

Hansen supports repaving Columbia and then returning to neighborhoods for another discussion. Hansen is increasingly emerging as a thoughtful leader for neighborhoods.

Councilor Ty Stober suggested that businesses and homeowners must sacrifice, framing the decision as “very tangible losses for few in exchange for … gains for many” and contrasted “parking versus safety.” But it appears “the many” in the area disagree.

One pro-safety proposal gaining consensus — a lower speed limit — could be adopted without removing parking.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a dose of reality, raising questions about the practicality of the New Urbanism in a setting — Columbia Street, for example — where humans are dependent on cars, single-family dwellings, and parking at their homes.