Email thread with MOT about concerns 1-19 August 2010
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Original Message ----- From: Thomas, James TRAN:EX To: hpscholefield@telus.net Cc: Choquette, Matt TRAN:EX ; Queen, David TRAN:EX Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 4:57 PM Subject: RE: Cycling Component - Capilano Project Hi Peter, I would like to echo Matt’s thanks for the interest you are taking and the feedback you have provided with regards to this project. I am sure you appreciate that the Ministry is only one of the organizations involved in this busy corridor and where possible any improvements that are made to the cycling routes will be tied into both the District of North Vancouver (DNV)and the District of West Vancouver’s (DWV) existing cycling network and the future expanded Spirit Trail. With that in mind I have addressed each of your points below. 1. The new multi-use pathway leading from the West end of the new Capilano Bridge – connects the Multi-use pathway to the vicinity of 6th Street – this is already in the construction contract for the bridge. 2. 4.3m Westbound shared car/bike lane - this is a continuation of the shared transit/bike lane from Tatlow Ave and is consistent with District of North Vancouver shared lanes within the corridor. 3. Narrowing of the Eastbound shared car/bike lane on Marine Drive – a new lane emerges at that point and the car/bike lane continues in that new lane. Again, this joins with and is consistent with District of North Vancouver shared lanes in this corridor. 4. Southbound pedestrian and cyclist access to the Lions Gate Bridge – this has previously been discussed and added to the project scope. 5. Designating the multi-use pathway from Bridge Road up to the Southbound bridge approach as multi-directional – your suggestion has been passed to the design team for consideration and will be incorporated if possible. 6. Multi-use pathways are multi-directional unless otherwise indicated as per Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) technical guidelines and the BC supplement to TAC. The pathway across the new Capilano Bridge will be multi-directional. 7. Bike capacity within the Cloverleaf itself – has been considered and will not be implemented due to safety concerns. 8. The Lions Gate Bridge pathways designated one-way for bike traffic – design is already well advanced. In addition to the above, the following improvements are also being undertaken: - Improved lighting on the multi-use pathway that follows the cloverleaf and passes under the Capilano Bridge to improve safety. - Improvements to the Northbound exit from the Lions Gate Bridge towards DNV. - Drainage issues at the Southern end of the Lions Gate Bridge are being investigated to prevent pooling of water in the Southbound lanes. An updated drawing that reflects the improvements highlighted above is currently being produced and I will forward a copy to you once I receive it. David Queen (Design and Construction Manager) and I will be happy to meet you on site to discuss these improvements. Once you have returned from your vacation please contact David or myself to arrange this. Please note that I will be on Vacation from Aug 20th, returning on Aug 30th. David is more than happy to meet you on site while I am away, otherwise we can organise this after Aug 30th. I trust this has addressed your concerns. I look forward to meeting you and discussing these issues on site. Kind regards James Thomas Project Management Technician Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Ph: (604) 775-1243 Fax: (604) 660-1826 From: Choquette, Matt TRAN:EX Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:16 AM To: 'Peter Scholefield' Cc: Thomas, James TRAN:EX; Queen, David TRAN:EX Subject: Cycling Component - Capilano Project Hi Peter – thanks very much for your feedback on our posted plan. James Thomas is working with me on the Capilano Project and will be taking a lead role in the cycling component. James will look into the matters addressed in your email and we will have a response ready for you when you return from holidays. Thanks again Matt Choquette Regional Project Manager Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 7818 Sixth Street Burnaby BC V3N 4N8 Phone - 604 660 8235 Fax - 604 660 1826 Matt.Choquette@gov.bc.ca From: Peter Scholefield [1] Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 1:07 AM To: Choquette, Matt TRAN:EX Subject: Re: Old Capilano Bridge Replacement project Matt, As the designated committee member (of the North Shore Committee of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) focusing on the Lions Gate Bridge approaches, I want to thank you for your response which reminded me to check the website where I located the "Updated Drawing with Bike Plan" (http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayprojects/Old_Capilano_Bridge/docs/CapBridge_w_bike_plan.pdf). It shows the multi-use pathway running westward across the new Capilano Bridge then straight ahead and narrower, terminating at the point where the right-hand turn lane curves to take automobile traffic northward up Taylor Way. This is certainly suitable for those pedestrians heading to Park Royal or further into West Vancouver but it is the not best solution for cyclists who would have to contend not only with the narrowing of the multi-use pathway (planned to be 3.5m across the bridge) but also with automobile traffic at the busy intersection of Taylor Way and Marine Drive. At our monthly meeting on 5 August, we discussed this planned exit from the new bridge and agreed that an improved solution for cyclists and pedestrians would be to add a wheelchair accessible ramp down onto 6th Street (or to the paved section of road adjoining 6th Street to the east). This would allow cyclists the option of proceeding to the intersection of Clyde Avenue and Taylor Way which is not as congested as Marine Drive and Taylor Way or of proceeding south underneath the new bridge along the Capilano River Trial to either join the Spirit Trail or to proceed directly into Park Royal South. A wheelchair accessible ramp would be also very convenient for pedestrians using the Capilano River Trail, seniors from the Capilano Care Centre and Amica at West Vancouver on Clyde Avenue and residents in the adjacent Water's Edge condos. I think that I speak for many cyclists when I say how much we have appreciated the continuing efforts of the Ministry to improve bicycle access to and from the Lions Gate Bridge. This would include the widening of the Lions Gate Bridge itself and the bicycle paths and signage at the northern approaches to the bridge and now there is the planned 3.5m wide multi-use pathway on the new Capilano bridge. To help ensure that the planned improvements best meet the needs of cyclists, our committee would like to continue consultations with the Ministry on the whole Lions Gate Bridge approach plan as shown on the drawing. Here are concerns that we would like to discuss: 1. A 4.3m wide shared car/bike lane is shown running westward from Capilano Road to the Lions Gate Bridge cloverleaf. Currently, there is a clearly marked bike lane in addition to a sidewalk which we feel is much safer than a shared car/bike lane. A segregated bike lane would be even safer. 2. On the opposite side of Marine Drive, is shown another shared car/bike lane proceeding eastward from the Lions Gate Bridge to Capilano Road and a sidewalk. The shared lane starts out from the bridge at 4.3m wide then narrows to what looks like less than 1m then finally becomes 3m wide up to Capilano Road. Currently in this stretch there is no sidewalk and only a paved shoulder which provides ample room for cyclists and is separated by a white line from automobile traffic. It is excellent to see a sidewalk planned for this stretch but we don't feel that shared car/bike lanes are desirable or safe on major arterial roads such as Marine Drive. Instead, we would prefer to see a separate or segregated bike lane in this stretch 3. The 3m to 3.5m wide multi-use pathway leading up to the west side of the Lions Gate Bridge is shown to terminate as it does currently at a 2m wide sidewalk which, closer to the bridge, narrows to a 1.2 m wide section before the intersection with the bicycle path coming up from Bridge Road. Approaching the entrance to the multi-use pathway on the bridge is extremely narrow and the concrete dividing the sidewalk and the pedestrian underpass path is grey and not very visible at night (see attached photo). Also, the edge of sidewalk is not clearly marked. Signage and some reflectors and yellow paint would help. Also, a fence would help prevent cyclists and pedestrians from falling onto roadway. It seems that there is enough space to make this sidewalk section wider to become a designated multi-use pathway for both cyclists and pedestrians. This would fill the gap in the multi-use pathway that exists between the one leading up to the west side of the Lions Gate Bridge and the one on the Lions Gate Bridge itself. 4. Also, currently on this sidewalk stretch, there is a directional sign indicating that cyclists should proceed straight ahead to get to Vancouver or turn right to go to North Vancouver (see attached photo). It seems logical that only those cycling from West Vancouver would want to follow the sign to North Vancouver. One option to get to North Vancouver from this sidewalk section would be to follow down the currently designated bicycle path signed for cyclists proceeding up to Lions Gate Bridge from Bridge Road. However the signage currently indicates no entry to cyclists on this path (see attached photo). The other option is proceed further on toward the bridge and follow the underpass pathway. However it is signed as a pedestrian underpass (see photo attached). The most bicycle friendly option would be the existing designated one-way bicycle path. Perhaps it could be re-designated as a two-way, multi-use pathway and replace the existing sign with another directional sign to North Vancouver at the junction of the current sidewalk section and the multi-use pathway connecting to Bridge Road. This would also permit its usage by pedestrians and wheelchair users as well. 5. The last point raises the question as to whether these multi-use pathways should be used for two-way bicycle traffic? Once the new Capilano Bridge is complete, it seems likely that pedestrians will be using the multi-use pathways in two directions. Cyclists may also wish to ride from West Vancouver to North Vancouver across the new Capilano Bridge bridge and along the multi-use pathway. A precedent has already been established on the recently completed Spirit Trail from the Capilano Bridge at Park Royal South to Ambleside which is a multi-use pathway that is 4.0m wide and accommodates two-way traffic. 6. A number of commuter cyclists approaching the Lions Gate Bridge from North Vancouver stay in the traffic lanes through the cloverleaf then, after crossing the Marine Drive overpass, merge through other West Vancouver traffic going onto Lions Gate Bridge to get onto the multi-use pathway on the bridge. I have heard that the main reason cyclists do this is not in the interest of speed (although this is certainly the motivation for some), but rather that the long path, around and under, is dangerous with cyclists and pedestrians heading in both directions around blind corners, but most importantly the road surface gets very slippery when it is wet and especially in the Fall when there are leaves all over it that are not cleaned up, so wipe-outs around the corners are not uncommon. I wonder if there could be a safer way to accommodate these commuter cyclists such as including a bike lane in the cloverleaf and perhaps coloured elephant lines and/or signage indicating that cyclists may be converging with other traffic going onto the bridge? 7. Finally, I wonder why there is signage on the east side of the bridge (see photo attached) but not on the west side on the north end advising users that there is two-way bike traffic and that cyclists should dismount when approaching others? My observation has been that cyclists proceed south across the bridge on the west side and northward on the east side of the bridge. Seeing that there are two multi-use pathways on the bridge and underpasses at each end of the bridge it would make sense, for safety reasons, that each pathway on the bridge should be one way only for cyclists. I wondered what you thought of the possibility of a few of us from the North Shore Committee of the VACC meeting with you and/or another Ministry official on site to discuss these concerns further I will be on holidays for the next two weeks but hope to be in contact with you on my return. Regards, Peter Peter Scholefield, Vice-Chair, North Shore Committee, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition C/O 1288 Esquimalt Avenue, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V7T 1K3 Tel: (604) 913-9090 Cell: (604) 762-6224; E-mail: hpscholefield@telus.net On 01/08/2010 3:19 PM, Choquette, Matt TRAN:EX wrote: Isn't that what's in our plan now? From: Peter Scholefield <hpscholefield@telus.net> To: Choquette, Matt TRAN:EX; yahoo >> VACC-NS Yahoogroups <VACC-NShore@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sun Aug 01 14:26:02 2010 Subject: Old Capilano Bridge Replacement project Hi Matt, We are holding our next monthly meeting next Thursday and I would like to report on the status of planning for the approaches to and from the new bridge. At our last meeting on 8 July, it was suggested that a wheelchair accessible ramp off the bridge onto 6th Street in would be a possible solution. Regards, Peter Peter Scholefield, Vice-Chair, North Shore Committee, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition C/O 1288 Esquimalt Avenue, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V7T 1K3 Tel: (604) 913-9090 Cell: (604) 762-6224; E-mail: hpscholefield@telus.net