Central Lonsdale West
Neighbourhood Traffic Residents Association
(This is the actual name they chose)
I applied to join this committee last month and was accepted.
I live at 18th and Mahon and wanted a little input on future traffic calming. My theory on traffic is that you can't stop it. You can only slow it down. It moves like water. If you put up a barrier it will go somewhere else. So seeing as how this is my neighbourhood too, I wanted a say in where that water would flow.
I am sure everyone in the area has by now seen, and given thought to, the number of permanent speed humps peppered throughout the east side.
Transportation Network Road Classification in PDF
138 KB Download
The first meeting will be at City Hall October 11th.
The meeting was an orientation of sorts. We, the eight members on the association, met with the representatives from the City and the company hired by the City to implement any measures. We learned what those measures could consist of as well as the actual mandate of the association which is quite limited due to reasonably small budget. I am waiting to hear when the next meeting will be. There will be an Open House at Carson Graham.
There will then be a neighbourhood walkabout on Sunday, October 15th beginning at 11:00 AM. Everyone living in the area is invited to this according to the letter they sent me.
This occurred and was actually quite fun and informative. The turnout by area residents was slim, however the walkabout took place on one of the wettest Sundays of the fall. I mean wow, it was pouring rain. We also had to compete with the N.S. Girls Soccer photo day at the Armory. Over 3,000 soccer girls and their parents were in attendance (including my daughter Gillian) at various times of the day, and a major televised B.C. Lions game. Anyway, It was interesting. As an example, I had never really noticed that Mahon is significantly narrower than most of the streets crossing it, ie. 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th etc.
The thing is though, I understand, no traffic calming will occur on major, minor or collector roads which make up a great deal of this area. I will clarify this later. Click the classification PDF above to view these roads.
Well, I was right in my above observation. The proposed measures haven't been released yet but this is how it will effectively look:
All streets around the 1400 to 2200 block Mahon get some sort of traffic calming (slowing measures).
Speed humps or bumps go across the 2000 and 2100 blocks Mahon, 1400 block Forbes and 500 block West 19th & 20st.
The 500 block West 21st will recieve two speed humps.
Speed tables, (wide speed humps) will be placed on the 1400 & 1600 blocks Bewicke, 200 & 300 blocks West 19th, 200 & 300 blocks West 17th and 200 & 300 blocks West 15th Streets.
Fairly large traffic circles (not roundabouts but pretty close) will go at 14th & Mahon, 16th & Mahon and 18th & Mahon. (This will be a large disincentive to use Mahon, stick to Jones)
Curb extensions, for pedestrians will be at 21st & Chesterfield and 18th & Chesterfield (yay!).
19th & Westview will get flashing pedestrian lights.
Due to all the new developement at 14th, 13th and Chesterfield the City will be installing new traffic signals (lights) at 14th & Chesterfield and the big one 15th & Chesterfield.
Look for speed limit signs with attached radar to show your current speed on the 200 & 500 blocks west 23rd as well as the 1900 block Larson.
These two PDF's represent the data collected by the City in order to properly implement the plan.
These stats are really fascinating. They North, South, East & Westbound daily traffic speeds and volumes over 1 week periods.
Check them out to see how many cars pass by your home every day and how fast they are going.
Click these thumbnails I've provided to download the PDF's. They are 275kb each with quite fine print.
The City will be mailing out a questionnaire to all homes in this area. Of course everyone is encouraged to fill it out and "hand deliver" it back to City Hall as therde is no self addressed stamped envelope included. Or you may do it on line. They anticipate about 15% of residents to do this. (Pretty low but realistic.) I believe the plan I described above will be implemented in any event and regardless of what comes back in the questionnaire. Unless there is a huge overwhelming issue brought up by a great number of homeowners in a very specific neighbourhood.
They just send out the questionnaire so if they have a future problem with anyone after the plan is put in place they can say that 90% of the area respondents agreed with the plan, so you are out voted! Now go away.
It's funny how the residents of the City of North Van don't really get out for anything. I bet you could propose building a coal burning power plant on the corner of 17th & Lonsdale and now one would care, as long as it didn't block traffic.
Anyway, that's it. I will post the official PDF when it comes available, probably later this month.
Please feel free to e-mail me with anything you would like me to bring up at the meetings.
