Another one from Ohrn:
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Even though PGR has been transformed from a high-volume, high-speed commuter arterial, some residents still perceive danger from the local traffic that remains. Check out this at PGR and Bayswater – one of four such signs that I saw along the traffic-calmed stretch of PGR.
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Send in your shot to pricetags (at) shaw.ca.
Identical signs have just popped up at Hawtorn Place at UBC. It’s a wave! http://twitpic.com/dy7g00
There are no speed bumps along PGR
This. This is the point. This has nothing to do with cyclists.
I’m sure most of the most vocal opponents to this change — and I’m thinking primarily the wealthy residents of PGR with more time on their hands to pen public tantrums since they no longer travel to the club house because it’s an extra four blocks by car — are also likely to not have children living in their homes.
Streets are where children play. Why should this street be any different?
Now that PGR has been redesignated as a Shared Road and Local Street, speed control measures finally can be implemented if needed. These “Slow Down” signs as available for free through BCAA are one simple, passive way to work towards speed control on residential streets. There is a limit of 2 per member. Discussions are also currently on-going with the City regarding speed control measures, including enforcement, on this road. With more cyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities on Point Grey Road, it is crucial that all motorists keep to the 30K speed limit. In the area where the signs are on Point Grey Road, there are children under the age of 10 residing. These signs are good, quick reminders to reduce speed for drivers who care about their fellow road-users and the need to watch out for children. For others, there will be strict and punitive measures.
Most residents on PGR are very happy with the closure to through traffic. Lost in all the noise on this issue is the unsuitability of using a narrow residential street as an arterial.
I sometimes wonder how much of the opposition is cover for a totally understandable screw-the-rich instinct. What would the reaction to this closure be if the adjacent residents were all lower income? Why aren’t people outside this area happy that disproportionately higher property values along PGR mean higher city taxes for those benefiting from this closure and therefore lower taxes for everyone else?
People overlook the fact that the ridiculously rich people on the north side of PGR are a small minority of beneficiaries of this change. I estimate that a majority of the beneficiaries north of 4th are tenants, not to mention other people from around the city who will now be able to enjoy this street and its five rarely-used waterfront stairways.
Other than the odd angry outburst, there’s no evidence that life is any worse along 4th Ave.
Here’s one PGR resident’s expression of relief, from the West Kitsilano Residents’ Association website:
“Regarding the impact of more traffic on these side streets due to the change of making PGR open to everyone in the city including those of us living on PGR who no longer are kept up at night to 11am with load radios blasting from idling cars backed up at the PGR & Alma traffic light.
“Nor do I have to wait to get into and out of my car when parking or leaving my home because of reckless speeding commuter traffic who had no regards for the fact that we live on the street. Also I can walk my dog on the sidewalk since bikers, who feared for their life riding on PGR (especially between Blenheim and Alma) were riding on the sidewalks!
“My question to those now regrettably having to live with extra ‘local’ traffic on their streets: Are you dealing with 9-10 thousand commuter extra speeding cars? This was the nightmare we were living with for years.
“PGR is now being used by many more people- bikes, seniors parking and visiting the Parks, kids on bikes enjoying riding with their parents. And we now hear birds singing- that’s right with speeding traffic starting at 5:00am every weekday (7:00am on weekends) we actually hear the chirping of birds.
“I understand that change causes inconvenience but if you weigh the facts I think you will find that a commuter highway with 10,000 speeding cars daily prevented us from having a neighborhood.
“Oh one last thing- people can now talk to each other on the sidewalks and now we can hear each other talk in our front yard. It has been really really awful with all the traffic speeding through our neighborhood.
“Please walk or bike or drive slowly enjoying the views, or even park your car on the many many parking spaces available on PGR and enjoy the public parks.
“I am so relieved to have our neighborhood available to us.”
There are several other examples of traffic-calmed streets in Vancouver — and there has been little to no outcry over the changes. Hawks near Union, and Ontario from Marine Drive to Science World both come to mind.