Save Vancouver Streets appeals court ruling, still hoping to get initiative on a future ballot

Save Vancouver Streets has appealed a recent court ruling that blocked its initiative requiring voter approval for eliminating traffic lanes. The group hopes a successful appeal will lead to a future citywide ballot measure. — Attorney Jackson Maynard, right, talks to Justin Wood of Save Vancouver Streets earlier this year. Save Vancouver Streets is appealing a court case, still fighting to get its initiative on a future ballot. Photo by Paul Valencia

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.