TRANSPORTATION REVIEW - PROPOSED MIX OF LAND USES IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY S UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE POLICIES THAT AIM TO MEET NEIGHBOURING RESIDENTS SHOPPING NEEDS AND REDUCE RELIANCE ON AUTOMOBILE TRIPS. - EFFICIENT UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ON-STREET AND OFF-STREET PARKING. - PROVISION OF LOADING SPACES CONSISTENT WITH EXPECTED DEMAND. - NEW SIGNALIZED LEFT-TURN OPPORTUNITY ON PACIFIC STREET WILL BETTER SERVE THE UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE AND NEIGHBOURING AREAS. - STREET DESIGN CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY S PACIFIC STREET AS A GREAT STREET DESIGN CONCEPT AND THE REMOVAL OF GRANVILLE BRIDGE LOOPS POLICIES. 85 of 93
INTRODUCTION THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS LOCATED IN AN AREA INDENTIFIED BY THE CITY OF VANCOUVER AS THE UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTRE (NCC). THE DEVELOPMENT SCHEME PROPOSED BY WESTBANK CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICIES AND GUIDELINES OUTLINED BY THE CITY CONCERNING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE NCC OF WHICH A GROCERY STORE, A DRUG STORE, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL / RETAIL SERVICES AND OFFICES ARE PLANNED. A MARKET RESIDENTIAL TOWER AND RENTAL APARTMENT USES ARE ALSO PLANNED ON THE WESTERN BLOCK OF THE PROPERTY. FIGURE 1 SHOWS THE SITE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE SURROUNDING AREA. CAMBIE BRIDGE YALETOWN-ROUNDHOUSE CANADA LINE STATION DAVIE ST 400M 5 MIN WALK HOWE ST GRNAVILLE ST SEYMOUR ST 800M 10 MIN WALK ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE PACIFIC ST BEACH AVE SITE BURRARD BRIDGE GRANVILLE BRIDGE FALSE CREEK GRANVILLE ISLAND W 6TH AVE W BROADWAY FIGURE 1. THE SITE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE SURROUNDING AREA THE CITY OF VANCOUVER HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF TRIPS TO THE RETAIL AND OFFICE USES IN THE NCC WOULD BE WALK TRIPS. THE PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL TOWER WILL FURTHER REDUCE THE RELIANCE OF AUTOMOBILE TRIPS TO ATTRACT EMPLOYEES OR CUSTOMERS TO THE OFFICES / RETAIL USES IN THE NCC. FROM CITY OF VANCOUVER S NCC POLICIES: THE NCC LANDS ARE SURROUNDED PRIMARILY BY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, WITH A PROJECTED FUTURE POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 6,500 RESIDENTS LIVING SOUTH OF PACIFIC STREET, BETWEEN THE BURRARD STREET BRIDGE AND HOMER STREET. THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE GRANVILLE SLOPES NEIGHBOURHOOD TO THE WEST OF THE NCC LANDS. RESIDENTS IN THE GRANVILLE SLOPES AND BEACH NEIGHBOURHOODS ARE A CONSIDERABLE WALKING DISTANCE FROM GROCERY SHOPPING AND OTHER CONVENIENCE RETAIL. THE NCC LANDS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTRE TO IMPROVE THE AMENITY OF THE AREA AND MEET THE NEIGHBOURHOODS SHOPPING NEEDS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER OF THE CUSTOMERS OF RETAIL UNITS IN THE NCC LANDS WILL ARRIVE BY MOTOR VEHICLE AND REQUIRE PARKING..ON-STREET PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE ON STREETS IN THE VICINITY OF THE NCC ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE COUNTED TOWARDS THE PARKING. THIS RECOGNIZES THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNIQUE TO THIS LOCATION, NAMELY THE AVAILABILITY OF PARKING SPACES ON GRANVILLE STREET, AND UNDER THE ON- AND OFF-RAMPS OF THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE, AS WELL AS STREET PARKING ON BEACH AVENUE AND PACIFIC STREET, AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY, WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, OF SEVERAL THOUSAND RESIDENTS. THERE ARE ALSO OTHER POLICIES IN THE AREA THAT INFLUENCE THE DEVELOPMENT SCHEME INCLUDING THE PACIFIC GREAT STREET DESIGN CONCEPT AS WELL AS THE REMOVAL OF THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE LOOPS. BOTH OF THESE ELEMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE DESIGN. 86 of 93
PARKING SUPPLY AND MANAGEMENT THE CITY OF VANCOUVER S PARKING BY-LAW OUTLINES THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR VARIOUS USES FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, AS PART OF THE NCC POLICIES, IT WAS ADVISED THAT ON-STREET PARKING SPACES IN THE VICINITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT COULD BE COUNTED TOWARDS THE PARKING REQUIRED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. PROVISION OF PARKING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT HAS THEREFORE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE GUIDANCE OUTLINED IN THE CITY S PARKING BY-LAW, AS WELL AS THE EXPECTED DEMAND FROM THE VARIOUS USER GROUPS. FURTHERMORE, GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT SITE, AND AS PER THE NCC POLICIES, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ON-STREET PARKING SUPPLY ON THE AREA STREETS BE WELL MANAGED TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT SPACES ARE BEING PROVIDED FOR THE FUTURE EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS TO THE NON-RESIDENTIAL USES. THE NEXT TABLE SUMMARIZES THE PROPOSED PARKING SUPPLY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. PROPOSED PARKING SUPPLY PROPOSED USE GROSS FLOOR AREA (SQ M) NO. OF SPACES PROPOSED SUPPLY RATE RESIDENTIAL (WESTERN BLOCK/GROCERY STORE ANCHOR) MARKET RESIDENTIAL (420 UNITS) 39,464 SQ M 446 1.16 SPACES PER UNIT RENTAL APARTMENT (180 UNITS) 6,340 SQ M 54 0.30 SPACES PER UNIT RESIDENTIAL SUB-TOTAL 45,804 SQ M 500 N/A NON-RESIDENTIAL WESTERN BLOCK OFF-STREET 7,028 SQ M 35 CENTRAL BLOCK OFF-STREET 3,695 SQ M 37 1.42 PER 100 SQ M EASTERN BLOCK NON-RESIDENTIAL 4,793 SQ M 41 ON-STREET N/A 100 NON-RESIDENTIAL SUB-TOTAL 15,516 SQ M 213 N/A DEVELOPMENT TOTAL 61,320 SQ M 713 N/A A TOTAL OF 613 OFF-STREET AND 100 ON-STREET PARKING SPACES ARE PLANNED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. ON-STREET PARKING SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY BUNT & ASSOCIATES IN EARLY DECEMBER 2011 (WEEKDAY AND SATURDAY) INDICATED EXISTING ON-STREET PARKING ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA ARE RELATIVELY HIGH DESPITE THERE ONLY BEING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF ACTIVE LAND USE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA (MOST OF THE PARCELS ON THE DEVELOPMENT SITE ARE EITHER VACANT OR BEING USED FOR LOW VEHICLE TRIP GENERATING USES SUCH AS AUTO REPAIR/DETAILING OR MINI-STORAGE, ETC.) THE AREAS TO THE EAST OF GRANVILLE STREET (UNDER BRIDGE) APPEAR TO BE USED DURING THE WEEKDAY WORKING HOURS, SUGGESTING WORKERS IN THE AREA MAY BE USING THESE SPACES; THE HIGH LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN THE AREA MAY ALSO EXPLAIN MANY OF THESE PARKED VEHICLES. WITH THIS EXISTING LEVEL OF STREET PARKING ACTIVITY IN THE AREA, FURTHER CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY WILL BE REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A PARKING MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR THE STREET PARKING (PARKING DURATION RESTRICTIONS, PARKING METER PRICING, ETC.) THAT BEST ENSURES THE MOST EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF THE PARKING SPACES. LOADING THE CITY OF VANCOUVER S PARKING BY-LAW ALSO OUTLINES THE LOADING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE VARIOUS USES OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT. THESE REQUIREMENTS, HOWEVER, DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ABILITY TO SHARE LOADING SPACES AMONG THE DIFFERENT USES WHICH COULD HAVE DIFFERENT PERIODS OF PEAK LOADING ACTIVITY. FURTHERMORE, DATA COLLECTED BY BUNT & ASSOCIATES PREVIOUSLY FOR VARIOUS COMMERCIAL USES IN DOWNTOWN INDICATED THAT ACTUAL COMMERCIAL LOADING DEMAND IS IN FACT CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THE BY-LAW REQUIRED AMOUNTS. LOADING ACTIVITIES WERE OBSERVED AT TWO COMPARABLE COMMERCIAL/ RETAIL LOCATIONS FROM 7:00AM TO 10:00PM DURING BOTH A WEEKDAY AND SATURDAY TO DOCUMENT THE LOADING ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH A COMPARABLE FACILITY, IN PARTICULAR THE GROCERY STORE AND DRUG STORE COMPONENTS. BASED ON THE SURVEY RESULTS, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE AVERAGE LOADING TIME FOR EACH VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES, WITH THE 85TH PERCENTILE DURATION BEING APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. IN TERMS OF THE TYPE OF VEHICLE USED FOR LOADING, DURING THE TIME OF THE SURVEY, ABOUT 2% OF ALL THE LOADING VEHICLES WERE LARGE TRACTOR-TRAILERS (WB-12), 50% WERE SINGLE UNIT TRUCKS (MSU), AND APPROXIMATELY 48% WERE SMALL VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS, OR PASSENGER CARS. THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO LOAD CONCURRENTLY FOR THE 15,000 SQ M COMMERCIAL FLOOR SPACE PROPOSED WOULD BE 8 VEHICLES (DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE THREE BUILDINGS). SUMMARIZED IN THE NEXT TABLE IS THE NUMBER OF OFF-STREET LOADING SPACES PROPOSED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT SITE, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL OF SHARING LOADING SPACES AMONG OTHER USES. PROPOSED LOADING SUPPLY USE GROSS FLOOR AREA (SQ M) CLASS B CLASS C WESTERN BLOCK (GROCERY STORE ANCHOR) RESIDENTIAL (MARKET & RENTAL) 45,804 SQ M RETAIL / RESTAURANT / STORAGE 5,500 SQ M 2 2 FITNESS CENTRE 1,526 SQ M WESTERN BLOCK TOTAL 52,830 SQ M CENTRAL BLOCK (LIQUOR STORE ANCHOR) OFFICE 2,6,95 SQ M RETAIL/RESTAURANT /LIQUOR STORE 1,000 SQ M 2 - CENTRAL BLOCK TOTAL 3,695 SQ M EASTERN BLOCK (DRUG STORE ANCHOR) OFFICE 3,240 SQ M RETAIL/RESTAURANT /DRUG STORE 1,552 SQ M - 2 EASTERN BLOCK TOTAL 4,792 SQ M DEVELOPMENT TOTAL 61,320 SQ M 4 4 A TOTAL OF 4 CLASS B AND 4 CLASS C LOADING SPACES ARE PLANNED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, AS PART OF THE POLICIES ADOPTED FOR THE UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT, THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY ON-STREET LOADING SPACES ON THE STREETS FRONTING THE BUILDINGS. THE CLASS C SPACES PROPOSED ARE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE OCCASIONAL LARGE TRUCK (WB-12) LOADING DEMAND FROM THE GROCERY STORE AND THE DRUG STORE. EACH CLASS C SPACE COULD ALSO BE USED TO ACCOMMODATE 2 CLASS B VEHICLES (A COMBINATION OF SINGLE UNIT TRUCK AND/OR DELIVERY VAN) AND THEREFORE IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE PLANNED NUMBER OF SPACES IS EXPECTED TO BE SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE THE MAXIMUM EXPECTED LOADING DEMAND. THE PROPOSED CLASS B AND CLASS C LOADING SPACES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THE INTENDED DESIGN VEHICLES USING THESE SPACES (I.E. MSU FOR CLASS B AND WB-12 FOR CLASS C, EXCEPT AT CENTRAL BLOCK, WHERE A HSU DESIGN VEHICLE IS USED TO TEST THE CLASS B SPACES FOR THE LIQUOR STORE). FIGURE 2 SHOWS THE ACCESS ROUTES FOR THE LOADING VEHICLES TO EACH BUILDING, ALONG WITH THE LOADING SPACES HIGHLIGHTED. 87 of 93 TRANSPORTATION STUDY
EASTERN BLOCK CENTRAL BLOCK WESTERN BLOCK TIME RESTRICTED ON-STREET LOADING FIGURE 2: ACCESS ROUTES FOR THE LOADING VEHICLES TO EACH BUILDING, ALONG WITH THE LOADING SPACES VEHICLE ACCESS THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT AT BEACH AND HOWE IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE APPROXIMATELY 350 TO 400 NEW VEHICLE TRIPS PER HOUR (6 TO 7 VEHICLE TRIPS PER MINUTE) DURING THE WEEKDAY AFTERNOON PEAK PERIOD. OF THESE, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THESE VEHICLES TRIPS ARE EXPECTED TO TRAVEL TO/FROM THE EAST ALONG PACIFIC STREET. CURRENTLY, THE INTERSECTION OF PACIFIC STREET AT HOWE STREET IS THE ONLY INTERSECTION THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE THE WESTBOUND LEFT-TURN MOVEMENT FROM PACIFIC STREET TO THE UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE AREA. CAPACITY ANALYSIS INDICATED THE WESTBOUND LEFT TO SOUTHBOUND MOVEMENT AT THE HOWE & PACIFIC INTERSECTION IS CURRENTLY OPERATING AT CAPACITY DURING THE AFTERNOON PEAK PERIOD EVEN WITHOUT THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IN PLACE. GIVEN THIS, A NEW SIGNALIZED, FULL-MOVEMENT INTERSECTION IS PROPOSED ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT SITE TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE PROPOSED EAST DIAGONAL STREET (SOUTH OF PACIFIC STREET) AND THE REALIGNED ONE-WAY, SOUTHBOUND ROAD (ROLSTON STREET) WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE EAST GRANVILLE STREET BRIDGE LOOP. THIS NEW INTERSECTION WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LEFT-TURN OPPORTUNITIES FOR VEHICLES TO ACCESS THE UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE AREA. OPERATION AT THE PACIFIC STREET / HOWE STREET COULD BE IMPROVED THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ADVANCED WESTBOUND LEFT-TURN PHASING AT THE INTERSECTION. TURNING RESTRICTION AT THE INTERSECTION OF BEACH AVENUE AND GRANVILLE STREET IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE TO RESTRICT EASTBOUND VEHICLE MOVEMENTS EAST OF GRANVILLE STREET. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT MAY PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE CURRENT TURNING RESTRICTION AT THE INTERSECTION. FIGURE 3 SHOWS OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS OF THE STREET NETWORK ADJACENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT SITE. STREET DESIGN THE PACIFIC STREET AS A GREAT STREET DESIGN CONCEPT ENVISIONS A TREE-LINED MEDIAN SEPARATING THE EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC ON PACIFIC STREET. THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STREET PARKING AND BICYCLES IS MANAGED THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF PARKING POCKETS WITH RAISED CURBS TO SEPARATE BIKE LANES (LOCATED ADJACENT TO TRAVEL LANES) AND THE PARKING LANE. CURRENTLY ONLY TWO SHORT SECTIONS OF PACIFIC STREET (SOUTH SIDE BETWEEN SEYMOUR AND RICHARDS; RICHARDS AND HOMER) WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH THIS PARTICULAR CROSS-SECTION. FIGURE 4 SHOWS THE PROPOSED LAYOUT OF PACIFIC STREET ALONG THE DEVELOPMENT S FRONTAGE THAT BEST PRESERVES THE CITY S GREAT STREET DESIGN CONCEPT, WHILE MAXIMIZING THE NUMBER OF ON-STREET PARKING SPACES AND MAINTAINING EFFICIENT MOVEMENTS OF PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES. THE CURRENT UNDER THE GRANVILLE BRIDGE POLICY CALLS FOR ANGLE PARKING ALONG GRANVILLE STREET AND THE TWO DIAGONAL STREETS (ROLSTON AND CONTINENTAL). HOWEVER, AS INDICATED PREVIOUSLY,, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT TO PROVIDE AS MANY ON-STREET PARKING SPACES AS POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA TO MANAGE EXISTING AND FUTURE PARKING DEMAND, AND 90 DEGREE PARKING WOULD BE THE BEST WAY IN ACHIEVING THIS OBJECTIVE. THERE IS SUFFICIENT WIDTH ON THESE LANES AND STREETS TO ACCOMMODATE THE REQUIRED TRAVEL LANES AND THE 90 DEGREE PARKING SPACES. IN ADDITION TO THE 90 DEGREE ON-STREET PARKING, THE SECTION OF GRANVILLE STREET AT THE DEVELOPMENT ARE WILL ALSO FEATURE A SHARED PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICLE TRAVEL SURFACE WITH ON-STREET PARKING, THEREFORE MAKING IT A MORE ATTRACTIVE PUBLIC REALM UNDERNEATH THE GRANVILLE STREET BRIDGE. 88 of 93
20 VPH / 10% 10 VPH / 5% 90 VPH / 45% 90 VPH / 45% 70 VPH / 35% * 110 VPH / 55% IN OUT 10 VPH /5% UNDERGROUND PARKING ENTRY * NEW SIGNALIZED LEFT-TURN FROM PACIFIC ST TO UNDER THE BRIDGE AREA 10 VPH / 5% VPH: VEHICLE PER HOUR (WEEKDAY PM PEAK) FIGURE 3: SITE TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND VEHICLE ACCESS BIKE LANE WESTBOUND LEFT-TURN LANE TWO NORTHBOUND LANES AT INTERSECTION FIGURE 4: PROPOSED LAYOUT OF PACIFIC STREET ALONG THE DEVELOPMENT S FRONTAGE 89 of 93 TRANSPORTATION STUDY