Opinion

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News / Opinion / Columns

Donnelly: Let voters weigh in on street transformations

By Ann Donnelly

Published: September 7, 2024, 6:01am

A grass-roots movement spearheaded by east Vancouver residents, Save Vancouver Streets, is sending a message to the city: Consider voters’ views when transforming streets.

The group is circulating an initiative requiring majority voter approval before city planners can remove traffic lanes, such as to benefit bikes and pedestrians. Eleven businesses are supporting the initiative, increasing chances the measure will attract the 4,500 signatures required for the November 2025 ballot.

Save Vancouver Streets and Keep McGillivray 4 Lanes have taken to Facebook to argue also that the city should improve transparency and actual response to residents’ concerns.

In 2017, the city adopted its Complete Streets ordinance, aimed at creating “a safe, accessible street system that benefits all users, and abilities, regardless of how they choose to travel.” The resulting Westside Bike Mobility Project on Columbia Street created a “comfortable bike route,” as well as ADA ramps and restriping.

The city held hours of informational meetings but ultimately proceeded with its plans. Residents’ and businesses’ parking spaces and vehicle access on Columbia were impacted.

Now, the city plans to remove lanes while improving access and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians on S.E. 34th Street and McGillivray Boulevard. These are crucial east-west alternatives to Mill Plain Boulevard for cars heading through east Vancouver.

As residents took stock of the city’s intent to reduce lanes, they organized, enlisting passing motorists with yard signs urging “Save This Street.”

Keep McGillivray 4 Lanes explains: “Vancouver City Council wants to remove two lanes and remove street parking on McGillivray in an effort to create a ‘15-minute city.’ They want us out of our cars to walk, bike, or take public transportation. By making McGillivray more cumbersome to drive down, it will congest other streets … ”

Justin Wood, one of the founders of Save Vancouver Streets, has credibility as a volunteer organizer. In high school, he became active in Walk & Knock, the nation’s largest one-day all-volunteer food drive, and has been active ever since. Now, with Save Vancouver Streets, Wood and fellow member Rick Ackman explain on their website “this is not anti-bike, pedestrian or mobility lanes. This is asking our city council and staff to truly provide options and to listen to residents.” They support alternatives that do not remove lanes while providing enhanced mobility options such as reduction of center medians.

Wood and allies argue the city doesn’t communicate effectively. “Vancouver is one of the only cities in the region that does not allow for open public testimony at city council meetings and does not provide e-mail addresses to talk to our city members directly.” The city website provides instead for the public to connect with individual council members only through its website to a general council email.

Ryan Lopossa, Vancouver’s Transportation Manager, admits lane reconfiguration is “the new normal,” but stresses that “we do different treatments in different locations.” A McLoughlin Boulevard project, for example, retained resident on-street parking and shared lanes for bikes and cars.

The Save Our Vancouver Streets initiative would counter the city’s we-know-best approach, requiring voter approval for “the conversion of a lane or lanes of vehicle travel on any existing principal arterial … ” The initiative does not prohibit bike lanes, but asks voters to approve them. Let voters weigh in.

Businesses where supporters may sign the initiative include John L. Scott, Kray’s Coffee, Floor City Vancouver, Kris Greene Insurance Agency, City Bark, Parr Lumber and The Plainsman.

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