Did you miss Monday’s meeting at city hall?
Didn’t have time to catch it on television or via your computer?
Well, it’s your lucky day.
I’ve dug out a few more comments from councillors on the controversial plan to upgrade the Cornwall-Point Grey corridor for cyclists and pedestrians.
If you read my story earlier this week, you would know the $6 million Seaside Greenway plan was approved Monday, despite pushback from NPA councillors George Affleck and Elizabeth Ball.
Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr also had some issues with the plan, which I will get to in a few sentences.
But let’s begin with Affleck, who wanted the vote deferred until October to improve upon the plan that he said angered many residents.
“Our job here is to make the city great — not just good, not just mediocre — great,” he said. “And I don’t think this report is doing that for us.”
Ball said she received emails from people who have driven Point Grey Road for 40 years and were worried they no longer could take in “those beautiful views.”
“We have to re-think the possibility of doing a careful look at this road and seeing what safety changes we could make before we take it away and disenfranchise the rest of Vancouver from — as one of our people called it — this sweet and scenic road,” she said.
Carr voted for the overall plan but wanted more consultation on the creation of a York Avenue bikeway, which will be part of the link running from the Burrard Bridge to Jericho Beach.
Carr said the plan, which will include road closures, fewer parking spots and separated bike lanes, was the biggest issue she dealt with since being elected in November 2011.
“What really impressed me was that this was democracy,” she said, referring to hundreds of emails she received and more than 100 speakers showing up to council. “Your engagement on this issue, your bringing forward of your suggestions, your ideas, your concerns, your information — this is democracy, this is what real consultation should be about all the time.”
Vision Coun. Andrea Reimer pointed out 44 per cent of people don’t drive in Vancouver. She is one of them, using transit, her bike and her feet to get around the city.
“Cars have roads, pedestrians have sidewalks, bikes have nothing,” she said, arguing why sharing the Cornwall-Point Grey corridor with vehicles was not an option. “It’s not an issue of sharing the road, it’s an issue of providing appropriate infrastructure for [cyclists] that doesn’t unduly interfere with transit, pedestrians or cars. And that, in my opinion, is what this plan does.”
Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs, as did many of the councillors, thanked city staff for seven months of work committed to the plan.
“This has been a really remarkable effort on the part of our staff — not only in the professional design of it but the tolerance and patience with which they dealt with, frankly, some abusive conduct from time to time,” Meggs said.
Council now heads into a summer break and will return in September, which will mark one year before the 2014 civic election campaign begins in earnest.
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What does the terrible train tragedy in Lac-Megantic, Que. have to do with Vancouver city council?
Two things, according to Mayor Gregor Robertson who mentioned the train disaster at one of the last council meetings of the summer.
First, he got council’s approval to write a letter on council’s behalf to formally express his deepest sympathies to the people of Lac-Megantic.
Second, he wants city staff to provide an update to council on “safety protocols in place” for the shipment of dangerous goods by rail in Vancouver.
In doing that, the mayor wants staff to provide any recommendations for enhancing protocols that would “ensure the highest protection for citizens.”
“We have a lot of rail traffic in our city and around our region,” he said from his desk in the council chambers.
Robertson noted he and councillors have received correspondence from citizens worried about dangerous cargo transported through the city.
“If there are any urgent concerns, we would expect to hear immediately from staff as to actions that we might need to take to ensure that the people of Vancouver have the highest protection from the movement of dangerous goods on our rails,” the mayor said. “This is proactive in some sense but certainly the terrible disaster in Quebec is more than reason to take some urgent action to ensure we’ve identified any risk and we’ve addressed that in our city.”
Vision Coun. Raymond Louie, who represents council on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, noted the national organization has put together a rail safety working group.
“There’s work underway across this nation because it is a federal issue and of great importance for all of our municipalities across our country,” said Louie, adding the goal is to meet with the federal transportation minister to discuss concerns raised my municipal politicians.
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On a lighter and musical note, many readers will know the mayor has a thing for music and his tastes include David Byrne and Rush.
Yes, Rush.
But Kim Mitchell?
Let me explain.
At the same meeting last week, Robertson finally got to talk patios and successfully introduce a motion to extend patio hours and increase space “for establishments with a track record of good behaviour.”
City staff will now develop a report on policy changes that will include relaxing fencing restrictions and improving the efficiency of getting a patio permit.
Apparently, there were 317 large patio permits and 260 permits for smaller ones in the city last year. The larger patios are typically licensed and open until 11 p.m.
“We did increase the hours of operation during the Olympics and that was very well received, as well,” said Robertson, noting the provincial government also plans to update liquor laws in B.C. “So there’s an opportunity to start going a little later and giving the people an opportunity — particularly in the summertime — to be outside enjoying the patios and making more of those possible.”
Which, of course, means more patio lanterns.
Get it?
Patio lanterns?
A song by Kim Mitchell?
Oh, never mind.
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