Questions about the Nanaimo/McGill route
Eileen Mosca
Hi all,
There have been a number of questions and concerns raised about trucks continuing to take Nanaimo/McGill north of Hastings to the Port during the Pilot Project. Yesterday I had a chance to speak to Carolyn Timmins from the Port and asked her to clarify.
She stated that the Port has been very clear that all container trucks entering the Port MUST use the Clark/Hastings/Cassiar/ Bridgeway route as a condition of their license to enter and conduct business in the Port. They are not permitted to deviate from this route onto Nanaimo and McGill. All trucks entering from Bridgeway will be coming in a westbound direction, so trucks coming from the opposite direction (ie, Nanaimo/McGill) will be fairly easy to identify. Trucks doing this will be violating the newly imposed clause in their license and the ultimate penalty for that, after a warning, will be revocation of their license. Container truck drivers who lose their license to enter Port Metro Vancouver facilities will have very restricted employment opportunities.
At this point, no one can guarantee that every truck will comply, but the Pilot Project has been designed to insure that container trucks stay on Clark/Hastings/Cassiar/McGill.
I do realize that this has implications for East Hastings, and I think the community needs to keep monitoring the new route to see how it will work. If after the 90 day trial the community, the City or the Port itself is not satisfied that this strategy is sustainable, I think the reopening of the Clark entrance (with improvements to be made by the Port to allow trucks to queue on Port roadways rather than backing up on City streets) has to be revisited.
In any case, my feeling is that we should give this immediate solution a chance to work. I think the Port and the City staff have heard the complaints from Nanaimo/McGill residents loud and clear and they have tried to find a solution as quickly as possible. Traffic bylaw or Motor Vehicle Act enforcement by the police might be effective but there simply isn’t enough VPD manpower available to devote blanket coverage to Nanaimo /McGill. The Port’s ability to use its own licensing system as an enforcement tool will likely be far more effective.
This may not be the final solution, but I think it does answer the serious concerns of parents whose kids will be crossing Nanaimo when schools open in 5 weeks (yikes!). I realize that others on this Google group don’t share my opinions on this, and I welcome the exchange of ideas this forum provides.
Cheers,
Eileen
Dave A. Pasin
Hi All:
I read Eileen's reply with interest and can understand and appreciate her thoughts on this matter.
However, I must take exception with many of the suppositions, as I suspect the flaws (in this yet again non consultative plan) will become rather obvious, rather quickly.
1) The section of Nanaimo Street north of Hastings to McGill to the 2nd narrows and Commissioner Street IS included as part of the MRN Route network.
(translink MRN Map link - dark lines in BLUE are MRN routes
http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Documents/bpotp/projects/roads_bridges/Major%20Road%20Network%20Map.ashx).
The Port announcement is contradictory, as this section of Nanaimo is clearly indeed part of the MRN and thus would be eligible for use.
(see: http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/en/about/news/11-07-25/Port_Announces_Truck_Traffic_Pilot_Program.aspx) for confirmation of the contradictory nature of the statement.
Note that the statement from the Port states trucks must use the MRN routes but does not specifically prohibit the use of the northern part of Nanaimo Street and McGill as it it clearly is a MRN route.
2) Should the Port wish to strictly enforce this policy for the trial period they would have to have monitors on all sections of Nanaimo Street (particularly from Broadway to McGill). There has been NO mention of where or when they will be monitoring.
3) The Port, by virtue of it's own announcement (trying to ensure trucks follow MRN routes only) WILL allow for trucks to turn left off Hastings onto Nanaimo northbound (this section alone has several schools and parks which continue to be impacted) as well as the option of carrying on eastbound on Hastings to Cassiar, left on the connector and over to the Commissioner Street entrance.
4) This announcement does NOTHING to correct or remedy the root of the original problem, that being the claimed back up and staging of trucks on Clark Drive waiting to enter the port and in fact adds over 5.5 Km's to their routes, further exacerbating the pollution they create over a wider area.
5) There has been NO discussion or mention as to the re-opening of the Clark Drive Port entrance.
6) Anyone can drive the new route and notice 2 fatal flaws right off the bat.
i) It can take a minimum 2 lights to get 3 -5 trucks through that intersection (at 15:15) which leads to the question of how many trucks will back up on Clark to attempt to turn right at any point during the day (especially during heavy traffic periods on Hastings and times of inclement weather).
ii) It also becomes readily apparent the back up eastbound on East Hastings will be exacerbated and extensive, as the trucks travel eastbound on Hastings from Templeton to Renfrew portion of the street. That section of Hastings was already jammed with cars and various trucks at 15:30 yesterday afternoon.
7) While this "solution" might remove the trucks from using the Broadway - Hastings portion of Nanaimo, it still doesn't address the Northern portion of Nanaimo and McGill Street residents safety and concerns as it IS part of the MRN route.
8) This is a trial timed to conveniently end AFTER the City of Vancouver Election. The next question would be, is this an attemnpt to remove the problem as a possible election issue.
9) This begs the question, why did it take only a 2 week trial of closing the Clark entrance by the Port ( as per Tony Benicasa's statements and port press releases) to determine it was a supposed solution to the issue of back ups and now it takes a 90 day trial to determine another possible "solution".
10) Which leads us to what happens after the 90 days to the monitoring and enforcement?
11) There are also legal questions involved (as per the Port's legal department) as to how legal this type of enforcement may be in court, as the Port has no authority over the actions of trucks on City streets.
12) City Engineering, by it's own admission, does not know how it can enforce this plan of action other than enforce it's own bylaws and regulations (which many of you will note, has been lacking despite assurances to the contrary).
13) The merchants along Hastings and the residents of Nanaimo & McGill have not, nor will be, consulted on this 'solution" or its impact and its efficacy on Hastings, Nanaimo and McGill. It appears to be a solution that has been cobbled together rather quickly, with not alot of forethought or.... yet again, consideration of the impact and consequences on the neighbourhood.
and finally,
14) As admitted, this "plan", shifts traffic, to another location and does nothing to alleviate back ups, pedestrian, resident and street users safety and quality of life for residents, shoppers or visitors to the area.
Food for thought
Regards
Dave Pasin
Nanaimo Street Resident
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Carol Rosset
Hello,
Does anyone know what if any information will be provided by the Port to residents, regarding implementation and enforcement? I suggest residents be provided with the following:
1. A copy of any notice or other communication to the truck operators about the new clause in their licence and in any event, a copy of the new licence terms.
2. A daily report of the numbers of warnings issued
3. A daily report of the number of licence suspensions.
Container trucks continue to use non MRN Nanaimo, I am on Kitchener Street and see/hear them and would find information about enforcement efforts helpful.
Carol Rosset
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