The city of Vancouver is continuing its plans to make major changes on several roads, while the Save Vancouver Streets campaign is hoping to win an appeal in order to get its initiative on a future ballot, to ask the city to get approval from voters before making those major changes

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

It is a fight for the streets of Vancouver.

OK, more of a legal battle than a fight, but regardless, the conflict is continuing.

More than a year after Save Vancouver Streets lost in Clark County Superior Court in its battle against the city of Vancouver, the Washington State Court of Appeals will hear the appeal on Sept. 11.

“It’s a small victory,” Justin Wood said. “At least we get to make an argument.”

Wood is one of the leaders of Save Vancouver Streets (SVS), an organization that is seeking a change in the way the city changes its streets. SVS had gathered more than 6,500 signatures and had hoped to put its initiative on a ballot.

The initiative was simple: If passed, the city would need to ask voters for approval to remove lanes of traffic on current roads and thoroughfares.

In recent years, the city has removed lanes of vehicle traffic on many roads as part of its Complete Streets project. More lane reductions are in the planning stages. In fact, just this week the city council agreed to a contract that will make significant changes to SE McGillivray Boulevard in east Vancouver.

The city took no action on the initiative and those signatures, leading to legal action from Save Vancouver Streets. Last summer, the Clark County Superior Court ruled in the city’s favor. SVS opted to appeal.

“We were not going to go forward with it, but we had enough people who supported us who said please push this forward,” Wood said. “We had enough people step up to raise the money. Filing something to the appeals court is not cheap.”

Wood said that shows just how passionate people are on this issue.

The city has already transformed several streets through its Complete Streets program, with some residents praising the changes, while others disappointed. Changes were made to Columbia Street and McLoughlin Boulevard some years ago.

Recently, there were big changes to SE 34th Street. That is near Wood’s neighborhood. It is not necessarily a traffic nightmare, but he said going from two lanes to one lane has made it more difficult to cross 34th or enter 34th from a side street due to a lack of gaps in traffic.

Forgetting design, Wood said he got involved because of the lack of public input. When he first learned of the changes coming to 34th, the city asked for input on a few options but every option included the removal of a lane of traffic. That did not seem like much of an option to Wood and many of his neighbors.

Next up for the city is McGillivray Boulevard. On Monday, the city council awarded a construction contract for the changes there.

“I find the timing interesting that this was on the agenda just three weeks before the hearing,” Wood said.

Even if SVS prevails in court and the initiative goes to the ballot and it passes, it would only affect future projects that are not already under contract. It appears that the changes to McGillivray Boulevard will proceed.

“There are people right now saying, ‘It’s McGillivray. Who cares?’ Two years from now, (the city will) do it to Andresen. People are going to lose their mind, and it will be too late.”

There are other future plans listed on the city’s Complete Streets site: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/business/planning-development-and-zoning/transportation-planning/complete-streets/

Wood said he does not understand why the city is so reluctant to send this issue to the voters.

“What are you afraid of?” he said he asked the mayor. “One of two things will happen. It fails, and you can say, ‘See, people want this stuff.’ If it passes, that should be a clue to you that people aren’t happy with this stuff.”

Wood said that maybe the city is worried to find out that 65 percent of the people do not want these huge changes to their neighborhoods that take away lanes of vehicle traffic for a handful of bicyclists.

McGillivray Boulevard, he said as an example, will be interesting with only one lane of traffic, with all those homes. Street parking will become limited. Oh, and where will all the delivery drivers stop to make their rounds? Wood said he sees a lot of double parking and headaches in the near future.

The city, he said, opted to make these lane reduction changes without public input. All he wants is for residents to determine if that is the best process moving forward.

As far as the appeal in September, Wood said he is thrilled that SVS lawyers will be able to make an argument. He said a similar case from citizens against the city of Federal Way went in favor of citizens. He is hopeful the appeals court will see it the same way.