Councilors in Gibsons ran into some unexpected opposition when they voted Tuesday night to ban on-street parking along most of Shaw Road, and add two bike lanes.
The idea first came to council before their August break, as part of the plan to use a Bike BC grant of $72,945 to create a safer cycling route from Gibsons Way to Glassford Road via Shaw and Stewart. The new low-gradient trail known as Helen’s Way in memory of Helen Alp was also part of the project.
Council asked staff to do some public consultation and come back with options.
Notices were hand-delivered to homes on Shaw, inviting people to fill out an online survey, and links were posted on the Town website and Facebook page.
A total of 111 people responded, and only 40 per cent said they felt keeping the on-street parking was “either very important or moderately important,” while 65 per cent said they “feel that the creation of bike lanes should be a priority in the town.”
Based on that survey, staff brought two options forward at the Sept. 20 committee of the whole meeting: eliminate on-street parking and add two designated bike lanes, or restrict parking to one side of Shaw while reducing the speed limit and adding some traffic calming measures.
Mayor Wayne Rowe said he favoured the second option, but was willing to be convinced. Councillors Charlene SanJenko and Jeremy Valeriote both supported the first option (councillors Silas White and Stafford Lumley were not at the committee meeting).
Valeriote said that given Shaw Road’s status as a primary cycling route in the official community plan, designated bike lanes are a sensible and safe choice.
“I think we’d see more use of it if we provided the infrastructure … I think children will use it to go to school, and I think they deserve to be separated from traffic.”
“I think option two is politically, perhaps, a safer choice, but I think this council is ready for a clear, bold visionary decision,” said SanJenko. “I have driven down that road and I have seen pretty much every single home with a driveway and a garage.”
In the end Rowe voted with the other two to send a unanimous recommendation to that evening’s regular council meeting, where SanJenko’s comments about a politically safe choice turned out to be prophetic.
There were several angry Shaw Road residents in the public gallery for the council meeting, where Valeriote, SanJenko and Lumley all voted to approve the committee recommendation (Rowe and White were absent).
When the meeting was opened for public inquiries, the residents told council a lot of people didn’t get the notice and aren’t regular visitors to the Town website or Facebook page.
Jackie Ostrosky said people in the Shaw Road neighbourhood had also been expecting some sort of public meeting where they could voice their concerns.
Reena Nestman told council that if Shaw Road becomes the only area without on-street parking, it will hurt property values and create other problems.
“I’ve got kids coming up from town with babies and little ones, so where now do they park when they come for a family dinner?” she asked, adding that visitors and staff at Christenson Village would also face that problem.
Valeriote, who was acting mayor in Rowe’s absence, acknowledged that the Facebook and website posts did not reach everyone they should have.
“We are trying to communicate, we are doing our best,” added SanJenko.
The painting of the bike lane markings is expected to start in October with the parking ban to come into force at the same time.
