After a detailed public engagement process to address opposition to the original design, City of Powell River Council has approved the Maple Avenue and Sycamore Street safer streets design.
At the July 13 council meeting, staff members were directed to proceed to tendering and construction of the project.
According to a staff report, the consultant for the $510,000 project, ISL Engineering, reviewed the public engagement feedback and substantially revised the concept plan.
At the meeting, city manager of planning services Daniella Fergusson said through the corridor, there will be a 30-kilometres-per-hour speed limit with new signs to indicate the change. There will be new four-way stops at a number of intersections, added Fergusson, plus painted crosswalks, removal of the centre line, and sharrow markings added to Maple and Sycamore indicating cycling use.
Fergusson said the big change will be curb extensions, and all temporary and mid-block curb islands have been removed in the detailed design.
“There will be improved quality curb extensions and we’ve also removed speed cushions and most speed humps,” said Fergusson.
One of the contentious issues for Maple residents in the original design was a reduction of parking. The staff report indicated that the existing parking pattern remains the same as current street conditions. The report stated that there may be the perception that the detailed design removes street parking near some intersections, but the Motor Vehicle Act prohibits parking within six metres of an intersection.
City councillor Trina Isakson said she and fellow councillor Earl Almeida did a drive and a walkthrough and she asked about bus stops. The staff report stated that bus stop locations remain in the current conditions. Fergusson said the grant does not require the city to put in bus stop paint or signs.
City councillor Jim Palm asked if there was any plan to displace any parking for residents with the bus stops. Fergusson said what the engineering drawings show is BC Transit’s standard. Palm also asked if there would be changes to the bus stops and Fergusson said not with this project.
Mayor Ron Woznow made a motion that staff be directed to proceed to tendering and construction of the Maple Avenue and Sycamore Street project, aside from proposed changes shown on the appendix to the staff report to the location and curb painting associated with BC Transit bus stops, except for any change deemed necessary by BC Transit and city transit operators to meet operational needs.
Councillor George Doubt said he wanted to thank the planning department.
“There’s been a long consultation and recently, we had a second consultation with all kinds of people at Dwight Hall,” said Doubt. “I attended all those and talked to many people and you’ve managed to include all the changes people told me that they wanted to see on Maple Street. It makes it a safer and more attractive street to be on.”
Woznow said the motion addresses all the issues people living in the area have provided. He said he wanted to acknowledge the excellent work by city staff in accommodating the suggestions.
Palm said the project had been an ordeal, but he was happy that staff had listened to the residents and that the issues had been sorted out.
Council unanimously endorsed the motion.
Of the $510,000 budget for the project, $357,000 has been allocated from the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program and $153,000 from the Powell River Community Forest Reserve.
