Did you miss Mondays meeting at city hall?
Didnt have time to catch it on television or via your computer?
Well, its your lucky day.
Ive dug out a few more comments from councillors on the controversial plan to upgrade the Cornwall-Point Grey corridor for cyclists and pedestrians.
If you read my story earlier this week, you would know the $6 million Seaside Greenway plan was approved Monday, despite pushback from NPA councillors George Affleck and Elizabeth Ball.
Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr also had some issues with the plan, which I will get to in a few sentences.
But lets begin with Affleck, who wanted the vote deferred until October to improve upon the plan that he said angered many residents.
Our job here is to make the city great not just good, not just mediocre great, he said. And I dont think this report is doing that for us.
Ball said she received emails from people who have driven Point Grey Road for 40 years and were worried they no longer could take in those beautiful views.
We have to re-think the possibility of doing a careful look at this road and seeing what safety changes we could make before we take it away and disenfranchise the rest of Vancouver from as one of our people called it this sweet and scenic road, she said.
Carr voted for the overall plan but wanted more consultation on the creation of a York Avenue bikeway, which will be part of the link running from the Burrard Bridge to Jericho Beach.
Carr said the plan, which will include road closures, fewer parking spots and separated bike lanes, was the biggest issue she dealt with since being elected in November 2011.
What really impressed me was that this was democracy, she said, referring to hundreds of emails she received and more than 100 speakers showing up to council. Your engagement on this issue, your bringing forward of your suggestions, your ideas, your concerns, your information this is democracy, this is what real consultation should be about all the time.
Vision Coun. Andrea Reimer pointed out 44 per cent of people dont drive in Vancouver. She is one of them, using transit, her bike and her feet to get around the city.
Cars have roads, pedestrians have sidewalks, bikes have nothing, she said, arguing why sharing the Cornwall-Point Grey corridor with vehicles was not an option. Its not an issue of sharing the road, its an issue of providing appropriate infrastructure for [cyclists] that doesnt unduly interfere with transit, pedestrians or cars. And that, in my opinion, is what this plan does.
Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs, as did many of the councillors, thanked city staff for seven months of work committed to the plan.
This has been a really remarkable effort on the part of our staff not only in the professional design of it but the tolerance and patience with which they dealt with, frankly, some abusive conduct from time to time, Meggs said.
Council now heads into a summer break and will return in September, which will mark one year before the 2014 civic election campaign begins in earnest.
mhowell@vancourier.com
twitter.com/Howellings
