2023-05-04 Agenda

HUB North Shore Committee regular meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm - 8:30pm. Everybody is welcome.

In-person at the North Vancouver City Library (14th/Lonsdale) in the Don Preston Boardroom (2nd floor).

Or Online, using Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/myr-xmnd-iob

or by Phone: +1 587-977-8033‬ PIN: ‪290 663 905‬#

General

• Agenda additions
• Introductions

Public Input/Consultations

• Public input is critical when Council and Staff make trade-offs and decisions. Please make sure your voice is heard!!
• Mountain highway safety improvements - online until May 14th
  • And Open House Thursday, May 4, 6pm-8pm – Karen Magnussen Recreation Centre, Eagle Room.
  • Some points to consider for the question "Did we miss anything when it comes to cycling? Please tell us about it here.” on the 3rd page.
    • Mountain Hwy is a busy arterial street and thus would require protected bikelanes (not just paint, and not in the Door zone) to be comfortable for most.
      • Traffic speeds often exceed the posted limits
      • The existing bikelanes are fragmented and incomplete, especially near intersections (where most collisions occur)
      • Needs good wayfinding signage
    • People may want to mention the alternative route via Arborlynn - Appin - East 20th - Viewlynn - E 27th.
      • This route is a bit less direct, but has gentler grades and is mostly along quiet residential streets
      • It would be fairly easy and quick to implement. Wayfinding signage + crossing improvements + a uphill bikelane for 1 block on E 20th
• Portside Greenway Survey - online until May 25th
  • This is a City of Vancouver project but connects to 2nd Narrows bridge and used by a lot of North Shore cyclists.
  • Portside Greenway, a 7 km route following the city’s northern edge, spanning between Gastown and the city’s eastern boundary.

Goals & Objectives

• Add Phase 2 top priority Bikeways - current Gaps Map
  • Liaisons to select a one or two for their municipality
• Communications - any ideas??
• Recruiting - Fill vacant positions
• Ensure Cycling Priorities are in DWV's Transportation Strategy

Events

• Need a coordinator/organizer for events

• Outdoor Safety and Emergency Preparedness Open House - Saturday, May 13, 11am-2pm, Argyle School
  • Setup 10:30, Derrick??? & Don???

• Spring Go By Bike Week. - May 29th to June 4th
  • Mon, May 29, 4-6 PM - 13th and Argyle - Ambleside park entrance - DWV
    • Learn more about how you can loan cargo bikes from West Vancouver Libraries.
    • need 2 people
  • Tue, May 30, 7-9 AM - Lionsgate Hospital (Hope Centre) - 13th - Vancouver Coastal Health
    • need 2 people
  • Wed, May 31, 7-9 AM - Second Narrows Bridge - NE off ramp - DNV
    • need 2 people
  • Fri, Jun 2, 4-6 PM - Museum of North Vancouver - Esplande - CNV
    • Don, need 1 more person

• Spring Spokes Community Ride - June 4, 2-5

• Blueridge Good Neighbour Day - June 11th, times??
  • need 4 people (2 shifts)

• Cargo Bike Race: Disaster Relief Trial (DRT)
  • Roland Schigas is chairing
  • First organizing meeting was 02-May-2023
  • Date provisionally planned for 26-Aug-2023
  • Volunteers = Duncan + Our Greenway (Sam Starr + Darnell)
  • We need 2 more committee members - who will join us?

BC MVA Update

• BC Government press release
• DriveSmart BC overview
• Bill 23 – Motot Vehicle Amendment Act, 2023
• actions people can take?

City of North Vancouver - Nadia/Sophia

CNV Key Contacts & Staff Meetings

• Completed:

Meeting with Mayor Buchanan, April 28th - Don to update

• Upcoming: May 24th with Nadia/Sophia and the CNV team

Summary of current/upcoming CNV projects - this year & beyond

• Signal timing
  • Please enter intersections of concern here. We will take them to CNV

• NVCL cargo bike initiative
  • currently discussing adding cargo and accessible bikes with the NVCL.

• Marine Main – Eastbound Transit Extension
  • We submitted a letter of endorsement for this project

• Cotton/Main WB
  • City engineers have requested a markup of our suggestions. They believe there is insufficient space between the hydro poles and existing landscaping.

• Casano-Loutet Overpass/Midtown Connector
  • apparently delayed; we will get more information at our next meeting and how this affects the Midtown Connector, which was scheduled to start after the the overpass.

• Upper Levels Greenway
  • lots of interest in the route along 25th; will need spurs to other amenities like schools
  • discussions underway with MOTI to ensure they are on board with the proposed changes
  • need to clarify how this will cross the highway on/off ramps.

• 4th and Chesterfield
  • in line to get a bike light but no timeline

• Forbes
  • larger changes are intended at this intersection but dependent on discussions with the Squamish Nation

ITC - Dana & Jonathan

• May meeting update (held May 3): we received an overview of CNV's zoning bylaw policy (for information purposes only). CNV will be overhauling their zoning bylaws in the coming months, which could have direct and indirect impacts on cycling infrastructure (e.g., bike storage requirements for new builds, encouraging more community amenities to reduce travel distances, etc.). Public engagement on their zoning policy is expected to start in early June.

District of North Vancouver - Duncan/Stephen/Don

• Meeting with Staff - Ingrid has left DNV and we have a meeting May 12th to introduce ourselves to Mac Fitzgerald, who will lead Transportation planning.
• 2023 Budget
  • Liaisons working to find our how the $4.5M + $3M will be allocated and to which Cycling related projects.

• Main St - Harbour Ave - Barrows
  • Sent Project Mgr (Ben) comments on updated design for Harbour Ave & Harbour-Main Intersection
    • Generally design is good, but we are pushing for better protection to be added for bikelane on Harbour.
    • will have quick call with Ben on a couple issue this week.
  • DNV will be gathering Public Input (online) on the design starting in the next week or so

• Marine Drive - Bridge to Tatlow
  • Requested a copy of the design to review
  • Waiting for approval from MoTI

• Kirkstone-Rufus-Brooksbank-SalopTrail
  • 90% drawings reviewed & commented on
    • Trail needs a curb letdown at Whitely
    • Wayfinding signage was included, but missing a couple locations.

• Mountain Hwy from Lynn Valley Road to Arborlynn
  • Public consultation online until May 14th.
  • Get your comments and input in - major route
  • Public consultation in person May 4th 6-8pm at Karen Magnussen
  • Should we provide a formal letter with comments??

• Spirit Trail, East of Seymour planning:
  • Have asked for timeline and a copy of consultants report.

• Mtn-Hwy Arborlynn connector
  • West Side still waiting for Metro Van approval to start construction (over 9m months now!)
  • Sent comments on 2nd draft of East Side design
    • good except dismount to cross arbourlynn - request they change to cross walk+ cross ride. Plan spring 2023
    • Also raises issue of locations for garbage cans
  • Asked for construction timeline

• DNV Library Cargo Bikes at Lynn Valley Library -Duncan (DW)
  • "Report back by staff" underway and expected complete around 01-May-2023
  • DNVPL - Library Board also supported unanimously on 27-Apr. One more hurdle passed.

District of West Vancouver - Paul/Peter/Mike

Meetings with DWV staff on Monday, 6 March

• Paul and Peter met online with Jenn Moller, Director; Sean O’Sullivan, Traffic Operations Engineer; and Andy Kwan, Deputy Director, Engineering & Transportation Services.
• Westmount Road project
  • Work starts during spring break and they plan to remove approach islands to the roundabout and may even remove the roundabout after consulting with Blue Bus.
  • Related project work further down on Thompson Crescent will be delayed until the summer.
• Bike lanes on Marine Drive between 26th and 31st Streets
  • It is currently planned to proceed just with painted bike lanes and a painted buffer, despite our preference to see buffered bike lanes with delineator poles installed. We suggested to at least put in some kind of physical separation at the beginning of the painted bike lanes.
• It is planned to present the project to Council later this month and we are preparing a HUB letter with qualified support for the project.
• Separated bike lane on the south side of Maine Drive between the Lions Gate Bridge and Capilano Road.
  • To accommodate the separated bike lane, the traffic lane nearest to the curb needs to be narrowed so approval is being sought from MoTI.
• Budget approval - The District has approved and reduced the budget for this coming year, but there was no change in the $595,000 set aside for Active Transportation which includes a $50,00o grant from TransLink. Some of this money will go to extending the Hugo Ray MUP west and across Taylor Way.
• Slow Streets Project- will be presented to Council in early May.
• Mobility Plan - a new consultant will be hired to update the District's 2010 Strategic Transportation Plan and Terms of Reference have been prepared.

Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure- Mike/Don

• Blind spot where Orwell trail meets MSP-Keith Rd overpass MUP
  • MoTI has painted stop line & warnings, checking if signage is to follow.
• Phibbs Exchange
  • Phase 1 just started (complete by May-2023?)
    • Detours with signage in place. The connection between Orwell and south side of main is a long ugly detour via Mtn Highway, or ride with traffic on the off-ramp. They will try to improve this in month or so if they can widen the off-ramp once they move some utilities.
  • Phase 2 will start after Phase 1 and finish in late 2024. Detours should be much better for this phase.

Communications & Outreach - Rueben/Paul/Heather

• let us know if there is something we should communicate about - blocked bike lanes, new infrastructure, etc.
• Twitter (Rueben)
  • Tragic news of the person killed on 23rd Street (mostly re-tweets and posting of the discussion on the NS News and CBC).
  • More coverage of the DNV budget.
  • Duncan posted about the mess at Phibbs exchange.
  • Duncan posted about Cargo e-bikes at the DNV library as a pilot.
  • Documenting new and existing bike lanes (and related infrastructure). In February, posted photos of:
    • Before and after photos of Esplanade Construction

• Facebook(Heather)
  • We now have 327 group participants and more joining each week
  • March topics:
    • Person killed at Lonsdale and 23rd
    • St.Andrews
    • DNV Budget
    • Spirit Trail East
    • Injured person on Westmount
    • Broadway bike lanes
    • Library cargo bike loan program

• North Shore News - March
  • Interviews with Stephen Lake (story about Spirit Trail) and Heather Drugge (story about cycling safety on 23rd street)
  • Column about Healthcare costs and active transportation
  • Flurry of letters to the editor about biking
  • Good map from NSNews showing cycling crashes 2017 to 2021 = Our todo list!

Schools - Paul Janzen

• School programs have commenced with a grade 4/5 Learn to Ride at Canyon Heights in DNV April 4th.
• 2 more LTR programs this spring in DNV
• ERG45 has funding for 2 more LTR this spring in DNV and 1 more in DWV.
• RTR program at CNV this spring (4 schools) but ongoing discussions about continuous funding delayed by staff turnover- new TDM planner.

Group Rides - Who?

• Need an Organizer/coordinator
  • also qualified Leads& Sweeps
• Why - Objectives
  • HUB Evaluation rides
    • with Municipal staff & council along to show problems
    • use Lime or bike shop e-bikes loaners
  • Exploration rides
    • group from committee finding possible routes
  • Membership rides
    • familiarization people with safe routes on the north shore
• Destinations:
  • Welch St bridge to Dundarave
  • Maplewoods, Dollarton, Orwell, Lower Mtn Hwy, Brooksbank, Keith, MSP, Riverside loop
  • Spirit Trail east of Seymour route - Will

Developers - Fred, Paul & Peter

• Currently active:
  • West Van
    • ????
  • CNV
    • ????
  • DNV
    • Don to talk to Chard Development about an upcoming project.

Social (Beer!!)

• Jack Lonsdale, after the meeting
  • Any and all are welcome - whether at the Library or online!