Come out and show your support at their community forum on November 3rd from 7-9 pm at Astorinos Hall (1739 Venables St).

Check out Streets for Everyone for more info and details, and on how to get involved!

An informative blog post from our last Park(ing) Day describes a short history of the transformations of underutilized parking spaces into engaging temporary installations.

Back in 2005, a group of bold, creative folks at the Rebar Art and Design Studio in San Francisco transformed selected metered-parking spots into a park for a day. Using ‘guerilla’ tactics, this group started a global movement called PARK(ing) Day to expand and challenge the definition of a parking space. Since then, a number of cities have participated in PARK(ing) Day with a variety of temporary installments to demonstrate the underutilized potential of your average parking space. The Vancouver Public Space Network has been taking advantage of this opportunity to creatively and boldly participate in the public realm since 2008.

Marking the 7th year that the VPSN has held a Park(ing) Day event, this year’s “Bike-in Movie Night” will turn the GOPark parking lot on Hastings Street at Hamilton Street into an open-air theatre. The VPSN hopes to provide a fun night of movie watching under the stars for bike lovers, movie buffs, public space conveners, interventionists, and other fine folk.

GOPark parking lot at 300-block W Hastings. Enter from the north side alleyway between Cambie & Homer

Ride your bicycle, take transit or just put your Feet to the Street – VPSN encourages all to attend! The evening starts with bike-focused short films from Vancouver Cycle Chic before the double-bill feature films: The Triplets of Belleville followed by Premium Rush. Movies will begin at 8PM.

FEATURE FILMS

Triplets of Belleville

When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters–an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire–to rescue him.

Premium Rush

Dodging speeding cars, crazed cabbies, open doors, and eight million cranky pedestrians is all in a day’s work for Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the best of New York’s agile and aggressive bicycle messengers. It takes a special breed to ride the fixie — super lightweight, single-gear bikes with no brakes and riders who are equal part skilled cyclists and suicidal nutcases who risk becoming a smear on the pavement every time they head into traffic.

The Bicycle Valet will be on-hand to babysit your bicycle; brought to you by BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation). Bring blankets, chairs or something comfy to lounge on. VPSN’s Park(ing) Day Bike-In Movie Night is a Rain or Shine event. See the Facebook event page for RSVP details.

Photo by mellbin.

Thanks to the Vancouver Sun for publishing the VPSN’s letter in support of the City of Vancouver’s proposal for cycling and pedestrian enhancements to the Point Grey-Cornwall Corridor today, which are going before Vancouver’s council on Tuesday, July 23rd. (You can find the letter on the Vancouver Sun’s website).

The VPSN supports this proposal for its contributions to the City’s goals of zero pedestrian fatalities, for supporting sustainable modes of travel, and for effectively balancing the needs of mobility with expressed desires for high-quality public spaces, as defined in the City’s Transportation 2040 plan.

See the text of our full letter to the Sun below.

Re: Residents face off over Point Grey Road bike lane

The Vancouver Public Space Network supports the City of Vancouver’s proposal to improve pedestrian and cycling experience by reconfiguring Point Grey Road and Cornwall Street. High-quality public spaces start with safe pedestrian facilities. The corridor has long been identified as problematic for people traveling on foot; enhancements in this regard, including measures to reduce speeds, are overdue. Pedestrian improvements will benefit a large group of residents and commuters — as transit users end their trips as pedestrians. Finally, the close proximity of Kitsilano to both Downtown to the north and the Broadway corridor to the south — important pedestrian areas each in their own right — makes this area ideal for increasing pedestrian traffic to local businesses and improving pedestrian circulation by making walking safer, more enjoyable and more popular.

Additionally, cycling is a convenient, viable, and enjoyable mode of transport. Ever-increasing numbers of Vancouverites are choosing to cycle and realizing its wide range of benefits — for improving and maintaining physical and mental health, and for connecting people to their neighbors, enjoyable places and recreational opportunities in their communities, among numerous others. This plan also makes important strides towards reducing conflicts between travelers using different modes — particularly cyclists and pedestrians, and between cyclists and transit vehicles.

By investing in infrastructure to make our network of cycling and pedestrian routes more attractive and comfortable, we broaden access to these travel options for those of all ages and abilities. We support the Point Grey Road/Cornwall Street proposal for moving Vancouver towards the vision of a public realm supportive of people, not motor vehicles, in keeping with the objectives identified in the City of Vancouver’s Transportation 2040 plan update, including its commitment to zero pedestrian fatalities. We encourage and support these changes for its positive impacts to supportive and inclusive public realm in Vancouver.

Earlier improvements to the Adanac Bikeway

On Wednesday, City Council will be deliberating over a staff report on three ‘active transportation corridor’ improvements:

• Union Street (Gore Street to Carrall Street)
• Cambie Bridge (north end to Beatty Street)
• Canada Line (pedestrian and bicycle connection)

The VPSN has written a letter of support, an excerpt of which can be found below:

We are writing to you to express our support in principle for the proposed upgrades to the Union Street as a part of the Adanac Bikeway. The Adanac Bikeway acts as a type of bicycle artery offering a safe connection appropriate for cyclists of all ages and abilities with relatively little interaction with motor vehicles into the Downtown Peninsula and False Creek from East Vancouver and beyond. However, as it is currently configured, the area on Union Street West of Gore is far less inviting to the cyclist and has a number of potential areas of conflict between cyclists and motorists. Reducing these areas of conflict and creating a more legible streetscape in this relatively small section of a much larger system should be a priority.

Although it would be our preference for the 200 block of Union Street to become one way to vehicles to allow for two separated bicycle lanes as originally proposed, we are willing to support the concept of the shared eastbound lane on a trial basis in order to help alleviate the concerns expressed by some of businesses in the 200 block of Union Street. Given that this intersection is considerably influenced by the viaducts, it would be our suggestion that the shared lane be on a trial basis until a decision has been made regarding the future of the viaducts, at which point it could be reviewed.

Some businesses have voiced their concern over the removal of on-street parking on Union Street as well as the change in traffic patterns. The perception that the installation of bicycle infrastructure creates negative impacts on local businesses has been frequently shown to be inaccurate. For example, a 2009 study in Toronto found that the removal of on-street parking in favour of a bike lane would have few negative effects on businesses and that they may actually benefit from lane re-allocation. In fact, it was determined that only 10% of those businesses’ patrons drove and that those that arrived by foot and bicycle visited more often and spent the most money per month.

Alleviating the fears of businesses will be crucial for the continued success of the Adanac Bikeway and other bicycle infrastructure throughout the City. In addition to the works on the Adanac Bikeway, we are also in support of the proposed Cambie Bridge to Beatty and Canada Line connections which we believe will help to increase bicycle and pedestrian use while improving conditions for transit users, pedestrians and cyclists.

A quick round-up of some public space related items appearing in front of City Council this week.

Viva Vancouver – Temporary Public Space for summertime fun

This week’s regular Council begins with a presentation on the Viva Vancouver program (formerly Open Streets/Summer Spaces). Last year, the program was responsible for supporting a range of interventions – including Parallel Park, Liveable laneways, Picnurbia (at the 800-block of Robson) and a number of other projects… including some of the VPSN’s work with Laser Graffiti and Robson Square.

A Call for Proposals for 2012 projects was rolled out earlier this year… and today we learn about the proposed projects that have been identified for 2012. Exciting!

There’s no report online at the moment, but you can read additional details on the meeting agenda! Go Viva! We love this program.

:: Meeting Agenda

Rezoning application for 1401 Comox

The West End has seen a number of development proposals in recent years, some more controversial than others. The proposed 22-storey tower at 1401 Comox Street is one of these.

Council will be considering a recommendation to refer the rezoning application associated with this project to a public hearing. You can read the overview of the project in the associated staff report.

For your interest, the public space component of the development proposal includes “an 8.7 m by 37 m (28.5 ft. by 121.4 ft.) landscaped public open space, which incorporates a children’s play area, a community garden, and an open lawn area with public seating. These areas are to be accessible to the public, providing a useful addition to the public realm.”

:: Read the 1401 Comox Street Report

Pedestrian Safety and Active Transportation

On Wednesday the Planning, Transportation and Environment Committee of Council will be presented with two transportation-related reports.

The first report covers a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan that was commissioned as part of the City’sGreenestCityinitiative. The report notes:

“… that pedestrian safety in Vancouver has generally been improving and that Vancouver performs well compared to peer cities. However, pedestrians are still vulnerable. While pedestrians are involved in less than 2 percent of all traffic accidents, pedestrians account for 45 percent of all traffic fatalities in Vancouver. Of particular note, 75 percent of collisions involving pedestrians occurred at intersections, largely occurring when vehicles turned left or right. Collisions were also more frequent between 3 and 8 pm, and during hours of darkness in the winter months.”

The report looks at the ‘when, where, what and how’ of pedestrian/car collisions that were reported between 2005-2010 and identifies a dozen key issues (including night-time pedestrian safety, street-crossing supports, age-friendly design) that can be focused on as part of future work to improve pedestrian safety.

:: Read the Pedestrian Safety Report

The second report of interest concerns the 2012 Active Transportation Capital projects. Here, the City staff are looking for Council approval for five key projects: (1) the 45th Avenue Bikeway between Ontario and Nanaimo Streets; (2) the Dumfries Bikeway between 37^th and 59^th Avenue; (3) the Ridgeway Greenway revised plan between Nanaimo and Rupert Streets; (4) the North Arm Trail revised plan between Cambie and Ontario Streets; and (5) improvements to the Adanac Bikeway along Union Street (at Hawks Avenue).

The report also references other potential active transportation projects that might be considered as part of the updated Transportation 2040 plan.

:: Read the Active Transportation 2012 Capital Projects Report.

Given that enforcement is always a challenge with any law or bylaw, it got us wondering about the local situation.

Blocked bike lane – Photo by Lee_Wheel @ MyBikeLane

How often do you find bike lanes blocked in Vancouver? We’d be interested in hearing about the local stories and stats… so if anyone has details they can share, please post them here. In the meantime at least one initiative has resorted to a bit of public shaming. The local chapter of MyBikelane.com profiles some of the city’s better bike lane offenders.

(Who knows, road diet debates being what they are, perhaps we’ll see a MySidewalk.com site springing up soon as well!).

Meanwhile, in San Francisco a new study has quantified the effect of reclaiming parking spots for public space. The City has created over 20 “parklets” in the last couple of years, each of which repurposes 2-3 spaces and transforms them into a place “for people to relax and enjoy the city around them.” There’s some good information in here for Vancouver… particularly given the City’s experimentation with things like Parallel Park and Picnurbia.

Valencia Parklet -Photo by Tim Olsen

The 2011 Parklet Impact Study looks at the before and after effect of parklet creation on three streets: Valencia, Stockton and Polk. Here’s some of what it found:

• Changes to foot traffic were mixed. Average foot traffic on Stockton Street increased after the parklet was installed, but there was no significant change at the Valencia Street and Polk Street local Eons;
• The number of people stopping to engage in stationary activities significantly increased at all three locations, especially on weekdays;
• There was an incremental increase in the number of bikes parked in each location.
• Perceptions of the street areas as a ‘good place for socializing and fun’ increased on two out of three streets and decreased on the third. Perceptions of the area as a ‘place that looks clean’ saw a similar 2/1 split;
• None of the businesses that replied to the business survey had observed a decrease in their customer levels and none reported significant concerns about loss of nearby street parking or other impacts on their business.

You can read the full study here. There’s also a good summary available on the San Franciso Great Streets Blog.

Another good public space related press release from the City of Vancouver… this one on the proposed Hornby Street separated bike lane (designed to provide a connection between the Burrard Bridge and Dunsmuir bike lanes).

At the same time, some interesting numbers on the numbers of riders using the Dunsmuir separated lane.

A good opportunity for folks to provide input and to let Council know about their thoughts on this new cycling infrastructure. There’s a website survey, as well as a public information session taking place mid-August.

City launches consultation on downtown bike lane;
Ridership on Dunsmuir sets new record

The City of Vancouver invites public input on the development of a separated bike lane in the Downtown core to connect existing lanes and provide greater separation between cyclists and vehicles.

Under the proposed plan, a separated bike lane on Hornby Street would connect the existing Burrard Bridge and Dunsmuir Street separated bike lanes and also connect with the seawalls in Coal Harbour and off Beach Ave. on the English Bay end.

An information session will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 11 between 11 am and 7 pm in the rotunda of the Pacific Centre Mall at Howe and Georgia streets. City of Vancouver staff will be on site to provide information, offer survey cards and receive feedback from the public.

Surveys will also be mailed to businesses and residents along Hornby to solicit feedback. For more information on the proposed plan, visit Cycling – City of Vancouver. To fill out a survey on the proposed bike route visit Vancouver.ca/hornbysurvey.

The consultation runs from now until mid-September.

When considering which street to implement a north-south separated bike lane, City staff evaluated factors like safety, truck and transit use, existing bike routes and use, traffic flows as well as the presence of on-street parking and loading zones. Staff evaluated Burrard, Thurlow, and Hornby streets.

Hornby Street is the preferred option for a cross-town separated bike lane because:

• it already has a one-way bike lane;
• there is high bicycle and medium vehicle use of Hornby;
• it has no transit routes; and,
• it is not a designated truck route.

The consultation for the route comes amidst significant growth in the use of the new separated bike lane on Dunsmuir and the Burrard Bridge milestone of one million cyclists across the bridge on July 7, just six days short of the bike lane’s one-year anniversary.

Counters also show 2000 cyclists are using the Dunsmuir lane each day, up from 500 a few months ago, a 250 per cent increase.

About 30,000 bike trips a week are being made across the Burrard Bridge this summer.

The City is committed to becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020 and bike lanes are an important way to help reach that goal. The increased use of separated bike lanes shows cyclists prefer a protective barrier between vehicles and cycling traffic.

As more people get out of their cars and onto a bike or walk, the city will enjoy improved air quality, less traffic congestion and reduced greenhouse gases.

As Erin O’Melinn’s recent post pointed out, cycling in Vancouver has never been easier. The Burrard Bridge no longer threatens a foot-plus drop from the sidewalk into busy traffic, while the Dunsmuir Viaduct lane turns the former slog through Chinatown traffic into an easy jaunt straight into the heart of downtown. While riding along the new car-free route on Dunsmuir, a cyclist will go over several sets of black cables in the road. These are pneumatic hoses used to measure the traffic and provide valuable data for the city – the data collected for the Burrard Bridge bike lane, formerly a trial, certainly played a part in making it permanent.

These hoses (and the “wire loops fixed to the bike lanes which detect the metal wheels passing over the loops” used on the Burrard Bridge), however functional, lack some imagination. Copenhagen, renowned as one of the world’s great cycling cities, has taken an interesting approach to counting its cyclists. It not only measures the traffic for statistical purposes, but displays the numbers along the route using the device pictured above. This makes for more interesting streets, particularly when compared with the utilitarian stainless steel boxes of the current Viaduct setup. It also adds to a sense of civic and cyclist pride, encouraging riders along as their number gets added to the daily tally. Copenhagen even ran a competition: the 500,000th rider got a free bike.

I love all the bike lanes popping up across the city, especially with the interesting barriers along Dunsmuir (plants, mid-street bike parking), but taking a lesson here from the bike-fixated Danes could only make things better.

Bicyclists Count in Copenhagen

- By Adam Gilgoff