Save Vancouver Streets wants the public to have bigger input on future projects, and a vote by the people whenever the city wants to eliminate a current lane of traffic on Vancouver’s major streets
Paul Valencia
Clark County Today
Save Vancouver Streets is still fighting the City of Vancouver.
The group filed a notice of appeal of a trial court decision that led to its initiative not being allowed to move forward and be placed on a ballot for a future election.
The initiative would have required a popular vote for any project that closed an existing lane of traffic for use by transit, pedestrians and/or bicycles. The city’s Complete Streets campaign has taken away several lanes of vehicle traffic in a number of locations in recent years and there are plans for the elimination of more lanes of traffic in the future.
Save Vancouver Streets collected more than 6,500 signatures in support of the initiative and presented the certified initiative to the City Council, as required in the Vancouver City Charter.
The city then claimed the initiative was legally invalid, and took no action on the initiative.
Save Vancouver Streets sued. The case was heard in May, and in late June, the judge ruled in the city’s favor.
According to a press release from Save Vancouver Streets, those who support the initiative believe there is precedence in their favor. In Rental Housing Association v. Federal Way, a court of appeals stated that only a judicial body, not a city attorney, could review legal validity.
“Save Vancouver Streets, respecting the will of over 6,500 residents of the City of Vancouver, has decided that the City Council has left us no choice but to proceed with this appeal,” the release noted. “It is fundamentally wrong for the City Council to choose to ignore the voices of residents and their desire to have a say.”
The appeal will be filed in the Washington State Court of Appeals Division II. If successful, the initiative could be placed on the ballot at a future election.
The appeal is being handled for Save Vancouver Streets by Jackson Maynard with Maynard Law PLLC.
Also read:
- WATCH – Detransitioner to providers: ‘Please just stop’ gender surgeries on minors
Detransitioner Soren Aldaco shared her experience and urged providers to stop encouraging gender surgeries on minors as HHS moves to restrict federal funding for such procedures. - Without pennies, should retailers round up or down?
As the penny disappears from circulation, states and retailers are grappling with how cash purchases should be rounded and who should benefit from those decisions. - Opinion: IBR promotes ‘giving away’ historic interstate bridges while withholding cost estimate for replacement
Neighbors for a Better Crossing argues the IBR program is promoting demolition of the historic Interstate Bridges without releasing updated cost estimates or current seismic data to justify replacement. - Opinion: Solving Washington’s deficit without tax increases
Ryan Frost argues Washington’s budget shortfall is driven by rapid spending growth rather than insufficient tax revenue, calling for slower spending and program reductions instead of new taxes. - Washington State Patrol loses 34th trooper in the line of duty
Washington State Patrol Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting was killed while investigating a crash on State Route 509 in Tacoma, marking the 34th line-of-duty death in the agency’s history. - Opinion: Bikes in crosswalks
Doug Dahl explains how Washington law treats bicycles as both vehicles and pedestrians, depending on where and how they are being ridden. - County seeks volunteers to serve on Railroad Advisory Board
Clark County is accepting applications to fill up to two positions on a citizen advisory board focused on oversight and guidance for the county-owned Chelatchie Prairie Railroad.
