Residents opposed to the pending “temporary” closure of Adanac overpass to private vehicles delivered a petition to city hall Jan. 31 to try and convince the city to reverse course. But the city intends on moving forward with the plan.
The overpass, which is in a residential neighbourhood, allows vehicles to cross Highway 1 without having to use Hastings Street or East First Avenue.
It’s being closed temporarily because this spring Fortis B.C. is upgrading a gas line, which will create temporary lane closures and temporary full-street closures of East First Avenue in sections.
Once that work starts, city staff expect drivers would want to use the Adanac overpass as an alternative, creating further congestion on a route that’s already popular, particularly during rush hours.
The city was already looking at traffic patterns in the neighbourhood, after it says residents raised concerns. As a result, the temporary closure is being treated as a trial for what may become a permanent closure. The city will consider traffic data and resident feedback to determine if it will become permanent.
Some local residents, however, are opposed to both a temporary and a permanent closure because it will make getting out of the neighbourhood difficult.
Once they found out about the plan, they knocked on dozens of doors of homes near the overpass. Sixty-six of 69 people contacted, or 96 per cent, oppose a temporary or permanent closure, according to their results.
They delivered a petition, with names and addresses of those residents, as well as a 10-page letter outlining their concerns, to the City of Vancouver at the end of January. They’re also seeking other changes to traffic regulations due to concerns about having no access to First Avenue from Rupert Street heading south. The wording of the petition includes this request: “We would also like the ‘no entry sign’ removed at First Avenue going south to allow direct access to First Avenue, safe passage to Rupert Street south of First Avenue, and to the Petro Canada Gas Station at First Avenue and Rupert Street. We expect the ‘stop’ sign to stay.”
And, while the city has indicated residents requested the closure of the overpass, the opponents want proof that’s the case because their survey of the neighbourhood provided opposite results.
Nonetheless, the temporary closure will happen, according to the city, although the petition, as well as feedback from residents throughout the neighbourhood, will be taken into consideration during discussions about whether it’s made permanent. The city says the “no entry” sign issue would also be considered as part of longer-term solutions.
Traffic counters, meanwhile, were installed on several roads last week, as part of measurement efforts related to the temporary closure.
“By beginning the count now, we can collect baseline data and measure changes. The data will be input into the collection of information and inform future decisions,” city staff told the Courier in an email.
The date of the temporary closure remains uncertain as the city doesn’t yet have a date on when the Fortis work on East First will begin.
