Council Motion re: Prior St.
FINAL MOTION AS APPROVED
OCT. 9, 2019
A. THAT Council support grade-separating the Burrard Inlet Rail Line with an underpass along the Prior/Venables Street alignment at no cost to the City;
FURTHER THAT Council endorse that the Prior/Venables Street underpass include an all-ages-and-abilities route for the Adanac Bikeway, provide accessible walking connections, facilitate access to local businesses via Raymur Avenue, and be integrated with public spaces and an enjoyable public realm.
B. THAT Council direct staff to work with the neighbourhood to design “great street” treatments (e.g. wider sidewalks, green infrastructure, street trees, curb bulges, etc.) on Prior/Venables Street to reduce vehicle speeds; improve walkability and access to the park; and enhance the public realm, walking, and cycling connections throughout the neighbourhood, as outlined in this report; and that staff report back on a funding and implementation strategy as part of the capital planning process to pursue improvements in the near-term before the Prior/Venables Street underpass is completed.
C. THAT Council recommend any changes to park boundary due to the Prior/Venables Street underpass result in a net increase of permanent park space to Strathcona Park by exchanging portions of existing street right-of-way and park land excluding Malkin Avenue rights-of-way.
D. THAT Prior/Venables Street be downgraded to a collector street, with a 30km/h speed limit near Strathcona Park.
E. THAT staff implement a pilot to reduce traffic volumes and speeds on Prior/Venables Street with low cost initiatives in the near term, such as all-day parking on both sides and temporary curb bulges, with the intent to permanently restrict traffic to one traffic lane in each direction; and that staff monitor travel time and reliability impacts to transit and emergency services, shortcutting on local residential streets, and traffic and safety impacts on other neighbourhoods and nearby road arterials; and that this will inform the future street and underpass design, which is intended to be one general purpose through-traffic lane in each direction.
F. THAT staff work with the Strathcona neighbourhood to prepare a summary of capital investment priorities for the next 10-15 years, including investments in community facilities, and parks and open spaces, and report back to Council in mid-2020.
G. THAT existing City right-of-ways and priority truck routing on Malkin Avenue be retained and enhanced as necessary, to facilitate access to hospital and produce terminals by way of National Avenue at Station Street, and Raymur Avenue at Prior Street respectively, and to explore the opportunity to decommission Hawks Avenue between Prior Street and Malkin Avenue to facilitate a contiguous greenway connection.
H. THAT staff monitor the impacts of street and traffic changes and work with the Strathcona and City-Gate neighbourhoods to minimize negative impacts.
I. THAT Council direct the Mayor to write the Federal and Provincial governments respectively, to encourage them to work with industry to accelerate the adoption of electric commercial and freight trucks and expedite charging station infrastructure to support these vehicles in an effort to address the environmental impact of particulate matter.
J. THAT staff work with all partners to reconnect Strathcona with the ocean with a blue way/greenway from central Strathcona to False Creek following the traditional wetland waterways from Skwahchays/Skwachiice to Khiwah’esks.
K. THAT staff prioritize active transportation upgrades along the corridor and work with the community to identify best options including exploring relocation of a AAA bike route to Prior Street.
L. THAT Council direct staff to work with CN Rail, the Port of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver to mitigate and combat health and environmental impacts on air quality, pollution and diesel particulate matter that would accrue from the anticipated increase in rail traffic on the Burrard Inlet Rail Line as well as related truck activity and volumes.