It may be small, but it’s a big problem for any politician or candidate who promises to remove it:
.
George Affleck for one. The NPA councillor has already made a commitment to restore Point Grey Road to traffic if the party gains a majority on Council.
Which means he had committed the party to chopping up this:
.
This patch of grass, sodded in the last few days, is just west of MacDonald – the point where PGR has been closed to through traffic. It connects Tatlow and Volunteer Parks (map here), once separated by a flow of speeding vehicles that made it a challenge to safely cross the street. The remaining pavement is now the bike lane.
I doubt there has ever been a point in Vancouver’s history where a political party has made it a major plank in their platform to eliminate a critical piece of green space, to pave it over sufficiently so that vehicles can be returned to a traffic-calmed street.
I confess: I was astonished that Affleck would make such a commitment even before the transformation of PGR was complete – but knowing what would come. There was no need to do it. If the PGR controversy was still hot by September, then that would be the appropriate time to assess the trade-off and promise action.
But now the NPA and the Cedar Parties are locked in. TEAM hasn’t made its position clear (except that it’s in favour of better process). And Vision has a potential defensive strategy.
It won’t take many pictures of picnics on this lawn, of cute dogs and kids gamboling on the grass, of some “Save Our Parkland” signs appropriately placed, for the price of pre-emptive politics to become abundantly clear.
A “critical piece of green space”? Well, I guess there is nothing like a little bit of over the top hyperbole when you are trying to make your case. Of course bumping out the sidewalks making just one lane in each direction, installing a landscaped median and adding more pedestrian control to the light would have accomplished the same thing.
The assumption is that the barely used Volunteer Park will be any better patronized now. I certainly cannot see anyone making use of the new patch of grass, unless Susan has a some capering and cavorting planned for it.
However, you have at least added to the collection of photos which show not a cyclist in sight on the mayor’s expensive pet project.
Bob: Just to clarify, the so-called “mayor’s expensive pet project” has been on the city’s traffic plan agenda since Mike Harcourt was mayor. It was passionately supported for decades by residents of PGR who feared for their safety, long before Chip Wilson dreamed of living there.
Hmm, then why did the NPA never act on it?
It took a while to work its way to the top of the list, ahead of 10th Ave., Adanac, Woodlands, Nanton, English Bay seawall bike path etc etc. As a holding action, they agreed to reduce the speed along PGR to 30 km/hr., a first step to shift it away from being an arterial. No other arterial in the city has a 30 km/hr. limit.
And no, in spite of the mini-parks along the road, the lower speed limit wasn’t because there are playgrounds all along it. It was all about the safety of the street for neighbours, residents and pedestrians. PGR was always a compromised arterial.
I thought the same thing.
It’s only critical to the pooch who has to relieve him/herself.
As a Landscape Architect I would transform that grass area into a community garden. Cool spot to grow vegetables and meet up with the commnuity
Yes, I had the same thought when Affleck made his comments.
Committing yourself to campaigning on running an arterial road through a park and one of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods? I think Sir Humphrey would have characterized that as a ‘courageous’ decision.
Can’t actually see picnics happening on this little slice of lawn between a sidewalk and the occasional fast-moving cyclist, can you?
Anyone promising to re-open Point Grey Road would have no problem finding pretty dramatic photos to support their position, including streams of cars and buses as far as the eye can see lined up along 4th Avenue, rain or shine, during many hours of the day. Or a deserted Point Grey Road devoid of cyclists, walkers or cars pretty much most hours of the day – and most certainly on any day of inclement weather.
Linda
Linda: can you provide just one picture of “streams of cars and buses as far as the eye can see lined up along PGR… during many hours of the day”? I drive 4th Ave. almost every day at various times and I’ve never seen such a thing.
Peter, Do you live on any of the side streets south of 4th? I live on 5th Ave, was nearly run over yesterday — a quiet Sunday — by a speeding car (and one of many) that now use our side street as a cut through. Our block is devastated, especially since it is populated with pet owners and children and our street is now a thoroughfare. Last I looked it wasn’t illegal to have outdoor cats, and at least one has been run over — signs on every lamp post on our street. Plus, yes there are line ups now every rush hour from Alma back at least two blocks of cars trying to turn left on 4th.
The alleyway between 3rd and 4th is now used as a cut through and residents are fed up with this.
I’m sorry to hear of problems in side streets. Have you notified the city? They can fix these things.
“homefor100years,” drivers do seem keen on avoiding using arterial streets, like 4th Avenue, because of the traffic lights; speeding commuters just don’t want to have to stop for any reason. The residents of Point Grey Road know this only too well, having been the go-to route for far too long. It will take a little time for commuters to realize that 4th, 9th, 12th, 16th and 25th Avenues are, indeed, the commuter routes they must take. They will not continue to snake through the side streets, such as 5th Avenue, looking for an alternative once they realize that there aren’t any. However, if you have a problem with continued speeding or high volumes of cars in your one block of 5th Avenue, contact the City with supporting data to have speed bumps, stop signs or other speed control measures implemented. The City has had counters out on the side streets to monitor displacement of traffic, so if there is excessive traffic on a side street, the City will mitigate the situation by making adjustments.
I was out there today in the rain. Still people walking, cycling and jogging along Pt Grey
Linda, all BS!
The intersection of PGR and MacDonald is not yet open to cyclists. Also no “streams of cars” on 4th as I live there! Why don’t you include some photos to prove your point? Nothing but lies.
Linda, your arguments are too light on facts!
Yes, we need to shed a little light on Linda.
Traffic will distribute and won’t all take 4th Ave.
I for one, instead of Burrard Bridge, Cornwall and Point Grey, would now take Granville Bridge, Fir St. off-ramp to Broadway, 12th or 16th Ave. and then westwards. That route avoids the backlog of traffic on Burrard between Cornwall and Broadway (which is also seen on Cambie).
The Fir St. ramp sails over the smaller intersections (past left turns and non-synchronized traffic lights) right to Broadway.
Londa, “a deserted Point Grey Road devoid of cyclists, walkers or cars pretty much most hours of the day – and most certainly on any day of inclement weather” — clearly, you do not live anywhere near Point Grey Road, have never stepped foot on Point Grey Road, and simply are feeling sour grapes over an increase in green space in an area of the City that has a very few wealthy properties near it. Your statement that Point Grey Road is “deserted” is fallacious and mean-spirited. I challenge you, Linda, to videotape the closed section of Point Grey Road for a minimum of thirty minutes, even in “inclement weather” to attempt to prove your point that it is “deserted.” What utter nonsense you are spouting.
“Or a deserted Point Grey Road devoid of cyclists, walkers or cars pretty much most hours of the day”
Seems unlikely, if nothing else you’d see Nelson driving to his tennis club.
At any rate, you seem to be suggesting that showing pictures of a long line up of cars and buses vs. a quiet residential street and using them to make the case that the long line up of cars and buses should be moved onto the quiet residential street is a political winner.
If true, you could use that approach in many places – there must be a lot of busy arterial streets that could be slightly less busy if nearby residential streets and parks were turned into arterials.
For example, Granville and Oak get pretty busy, why not turn Hudson St. into an arterial and run it through Van Dusen gardens and Shaughnessy Park to link up with Hemlock? Show a picture of lots of traffic on Granville and Oak, a picture of how quiet Hudson St. is, and there’s another quick political win, repeat as necessary.
Good one Declan!
Yes, good one Declan!
The opponents of change rallied to stop PGR traffic calming, but once it’s in they will rally to keep it there.
Politics is all about inertia and entitlement.
“…it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.”
Machiavelli, ‘The Prince’
Shockingly apt.
One of my most favourite resources: thanks Declan.
Opening this road ie reducing this green space makes no sense whatsoever. We need far more green streets in Vancouver, not less. Car use is still far too cheap and far too convenient in Vancouver. Broadway and 4th Ave need a dedicated bus lane and wider sidewalks , for example; Granville ought to be closed to cars from Stadium to Stanley Park, and most residential streets ought to be green or cul de sacs, with a goal to remove every second one for cars. Even Vision Vancouver has no vision here.
This is what I think is going to happen: once the beautiful summer weather comes and a lot of people have enjoyed riding along it to Jericho and Locarno Beaches, no one will want to go back. It was dumb of Affleck to have made this knee-jerk reaction so early.
Exactly. We need more green streets and non-through streets in every residential neighborhood, and people will soon realize that less car traffic is good for house values, kids safety and community building.
A sound step after that, or in parallel, is to charge for parking on public roads, say $250/month as there is currently little incentive to eliminate cars or to park on your own land today. Parking for free is ok, but tenting is not ? They are essentially the same thing, namely offloading one’s private demand for space onto the public realm, for free. Why do we allow it for car owners, but not tent or sleeping bag owners ?