City proposes huge changes to thoroughfare in east Vancouver

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

The city of Vancouver’s plan to turn a major roadway from two lanes of motor vehicle traffic in each direction into one lane has many community members concerned, and leaders of a grassroots group of citizens are warning other neighborhoods to be prepared for similar changes. 

“Our mission is to not change something that is working. There is no way that you can take four lanes, cut it down to two lanes, and have traffic move the same way,” said Rick Ackman, who hosted a group calling itself “Save Our Streets” and “Save McGillivray.”

“This thing is a solution looking for a problem,” he said soon after the meeting ended Wednesday evening at Cascade Park Community Library.

The city has been working on plans to improve safety along SE McGillivray Blvd in east Vancouver. Currently, the McGillivray Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project is considering two proposals, and both eliminate a lane of motor vehicle traffic in each direction.

Citizens who live on McGillivray, or near the boulevard, as well as residents who live near SE 34th Street, where similar action is taking place, say the city did not effectively communicate its goals.

One leader of the group, Laurie Arndt, told the crowd about a survey that was conducted. There were more than 50 people in the meeting room Wednesday night, and none of them were contacted.

Arndt said most of the people she has talked to in her neighborhood had never heard of the McGillivray Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project

One citizen, who has gone door to door to ask opinions from his neighbors, said most are against the city’s plans. Others had no idea it was close to happening.

“Some people thought it was just a rumor,” he said. 

It is not a rumor. The city has posted its proposals online. It can be found here: https://www.beheardvancouver.org/mcgillivray-safety

The goals of the project, according to the city, are to lower vehicle speeds, improve safety and comfort, and improve intersections and crossings.

The proposals, according to Save Our Streets, do not address homes with driveway access on McGillivray, parking, garbage and recycle pick-up, mail delivery, emergency vehicles, school bus routes, safety lights, and increased traffic congestion.

What was left unsaid in the city’s proposals, according to Ackman, is an effort to change people’s behaviors. He said he talked to transportation officials.

“They tried telling me that cutting it down to one lane in each direction is actually going to make traffic move faster,” Ackman said, a statement that was followed by a huge laugh from the crowd.

“I did get someone to finally admit their long-term goal is to get people out of their cars,” Ackman said.

He noticed that most in the crowd were among the older generation.

“For the most part, we’re not going to jump on a bicycle,” he said.

This Save Our Streets organization has met three times. In previous meetings, the group came up with its own ideas for helping to make McGillivray safer, but without eliminating lanes of traffic.

Crosswalks with flashing lights. Bicycle lanes that include painted rumble strips. Better signage, including “Stop Here” at intersections. Improved lighting. High visibility speed limit signs. And increased traffic enforcement along the boulevard.

Ackman and Arndt are looking forward to meeting with city officials on Jan. 22, to express their concerns and give their ideas. They are hoping all who attended Wednesday’s meeting will join them at 6 p.m. Jan. 22, also at the Cascade Park Library, 600 NE 136th Ave.

The city’s proposals, this group believes, will also remove parking space for residents along McGillivray.

“They already did it to Columbia Street,” one citizen noted. “They took away everybody’s parking.”

The renewed Columbia Street is part of what Vancouver calls its Complete Streets project. 

The city describes Complete Streets as “a safe, accessible street system that benefits all users, ages, and abilities, regardless of how they choose to travel; a convenient and interconnected transportation network that improves accessibility to adjacent land uses and fits the dynamics and character of each neighborhood throughout the city; and leveraging local funding for complete streets projects with regional, state, and federal grant funding programs.”

Columbia is listed as a completed project, while McGillivray Blvd, SE 34th Street, 112th Avenue, Upper Main Street, Fourth Plain Blvd./Fort Vancouver Way are listed as current projects.

While Wednesday’s meeting was for those in east Vancouver, there are plenty of other areas in the city where these changes are being considered.

That is why one of the proposals Wednesday was to go through the city’s initiative process.

Justin Wood, who lives near SE 34th Street, said he is engaged in his neighborhood, and he described the city’s communication on the 34th Street project to be “sad.”

“The input they did ask from us: Here’s three options for 34th. Which one do you like best? All three of them said we were taking a lane out. Keeping it four lanes was never an option,” Wood said.

He does not want any other neighborhood to go through this without a say.

“I think the only way we’re going to truly make a difference on stopping this … is to try to run an initiative,” Wood told the crowd. 

The organization is considering an attempt to gather signatures from citizens after having a lawyer draw up the language.

Wood said it would be something along the lines of: “The city shall not take away vehicle traffic lanes on arterials, collectors, or major thoroughfares without taking it to the vote of the people.”

Bart Hansen, a Vancouver City Council member, said he respects what the Save Our Streets group has done in a short time.

“I support the citizens’ initiative process when it comes to city manners,” Hansen said.

Ackman said while the McGillivray Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project is in the works, changes can still be made. It is up to residents to speak up and get the attention of city leaders.

Save Our Streets is expected to hold a town hall style meeting with at least one city employee on Jan. 22. Save Our Streets will also meet again in February.