To the City of Vancouver, City Planning

regarding: Development Application 1360 Napier Street (DP-2022-00247)

Traffic Impact Study

This is to ask the City of Vancouver, B.C. to commission a study, with computer simulation, of the changes and thus the impact that the above mentioned development application  DP-2022-00247 could have on traffic, noise and parking within the adjacent residential neighbourhood. The application's current incarnation features almost 90 parking spots for cars, compared to around 20 that usually park within the adjacent block of Odlum Drive. Additionally to this there might be a multifold increase in truck traffic, resulting from the massive increase in industrial floor space.

The focus of the study should be on the 1100 block of Odlum Drive, as a specific feature of this section has had a historic, and ongoing, negative impact on the entire neighbourhood. The feature is a result of improper decisions made by the city, decades ago.

The feature in question is a laneway that exclusively services a block of industrial and commercial buildings. However, its east facing end is connected to, and empties into, Odlum Drive.  

This is unique, and remarkable for a number of reasons. One, this block of Odlum Drive is the one with the highest density of residential units. Two, there is no other block on Odlum with industrial laneways routed like that, meaning: emptying into residential blocks. All other industrial laneways are properly connected: into industrial-only blocks, reducing negative side effects on residents. Three, terminating an industrial-only laneway mid-block into a street with predominantly residential character is unique along the entire perimeter of the i-2 zoned areas of Vancouver.

Odlum residents have lived for decades with drawbacks that are a result of this. Frequent requests for speed bumps or other traffic calming measures are denied with reference to commercial truck traffic on residential Odlum. However, that laneway is the main cause of regular truck traffic on that part of Odlum. Industrial trucks can regularly be found driving on Odlum as early as 4 a.m. in the morning, entering into and exiting from that laneway.

One solution to this would be a so-called dog-leg laneway. This is how the city should have originally designed the layout. Instead of connecting mid-block to Odlum, it would turn south, emptying onto William which is all-industrial in that block. Such a right-angle laneway is implemented just two blocks to the south, demonstrating that dog leg laneways are nothing unusual.

Currently, there is an empty lot for sale (1343 William St) that the city could purchase to correct the laneway's faulty routing, potentially investment-neutral if implemented well.

The second option is a closing of the laneway on its eastern end. Comparable dead-end industrial laneways do exist in Vancouver, an example can be found five blocks to the north of 1360 Napier.

The third solution would be to limit the size of new developments in this block. 

The zoning bylaw was specifically designed to filter for cases like this. 

Solid data is needed to allow for a good decision to be made. This can be gained from the impact study that is the objective of this request.

The study should include the four cases as outlined: status quo, no changes to laneway, laneway closed at Odlum, and laneway dog legged to William.  

It should look at traffic flows of trucks and passenger vehicles, parking behaviour, and most importantly resulting noise levels. 

If you are on Nextdoor (like Facebook, but local), you can read more about this here.

Here is the link to the development application posted by the City of Vancouver.