The City of Vancouver now wants to permanently close the 1600 block of Comox street!! We did well two years ago, but we didn't quite win. Now we can't afford to let them take over the street permanently as they want to do now. Please go to the new petition started by a resident of the 1600 block of Comox:https://www.change.org/p/stop-city-of-vancouver-permanent-comox-year-round-school-street-closure?recruiter=259200851&recruited_by_id=9db8f200-ce70-11e4-97c8-1f9fa0d3862a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&fbclid=IwAR2gVM09lcgTKKwqpctzwuuiv5VRohk_eqNmAH1844RH58b8KjOjj7n2uJA

 

(description of the old petition from 2021)

The Lord Roberts Parent Advisory Committee petitioned the City of Vancouver last year to close Comox Street to cars (with the eventual goal of continuing the Comox bike lane!) because they feel that the street is not "safe" enough even though the block of Comox street above Cardero is already a one-way street as well as the block below from Bidwell making this small stretch of Comox an already quiet street, but this is apparently not quiet or safe enough for some parents of the Lord Roberts Elementary School! 
This pilot project comes under the name of "School Streets". 

The Lord Roberts PAC have even managed to engage Tracy Wilkins and Laura Jane who are members of the City of Vancouver transportation planning department who also happen to be members of HUB to start a so-called "pilot project" which would essentially close that one block of Comox street on school days for 45 minutes in the morning during school drop off (8:30 to 9:15) for 45 minutes and from (2:30-3:15) at pick up time.  This would also mean that all the West End resident permit parking on that block, which consists of 18 permit parking spots and 2-3 pay parking spots, would NOT be permitted to exit or enter! 

They expect all parents who need to drive their kids to and from school to move over to Pendrell street instead which will just cause way more traffic congestion and inconvenience to parents with cars as well as to the residents who were NOT even consulted about this so-called pilot project! We know from past experience that temporary pilot projects usually become permanent. (Take, for example, the Beach Avenue East bound lane closure where the orange cones have now been replaced by concrete making it a permanent bike lane!)

According to the Lord Roberts school parent advisory committee "parents who have to drive will be encouraged to use Pendrell or park/stop a block or two away." Then they go on to green wash us by saying "most studies show that reducing car options decreases traffic and pollution creating a better, safer, faster drop off experience for parents who have no choice but to drive."

This is not yet a"done deal" according to the Lord Roberts PAC and the city planners involved, and that there is expected be feedback after the pilot project starts, but if it is observed that more people come to school on bike/scooter or foot it will likely remain a permanent fixture. Since this project is not due to begin until April 12th there will surely be more people doing this anyway because of the nicer weather, hence the "unfair" bias of feedback being done during the warmer time of year. 
There is also separate talk and hopes on the part of the PAC and these HUB-oriented city planners that the block of Comox Street adjacent to Lord Roberts Elementary will eventually become a continuation of the separated bike lane that is already in place on the blocks of Comox above and below it! 

We cannot continue to put up with street closures and more loss of parking and access to these streets during certain times of the day just because a few city councillors who are also HUB bicycle members are deciding this WITHOUT proper consultation of the residents surrounding the street in question!!

Please sign this petition to STOP this pilot project form even beginning which is due to start on April 12 and run for 4 weeks until May 7! Keep Comox Street open to vehicles all hours of the day! 

You can also write personal emails to city transportation planners: Tracy Wilkins (Tracy.Wilkins@vancouver.ca), Laura Jane  (Laura.Jane@Vancouver.ca) as well as this City of Vancouver email called Active School Travel (activeschooltravel@Vancouver.ca)

 Vancouver city councillors: Christine Boyle (Christine.Boyle@Vancouver.ca)  Melissa de Genova (Melissa.deGenova@Vancouver.ca), Pete Fry (Pete.Fry@Vancouver.ca), Colleen Hardwick (Colleen.Hardwich@Vancouver.ca) Lisa Dominato (Lisa.Dominato@Vancouver.ca), Rebecca Bligh (Rebecca.Bligh@Vancouver.ca) and Kennedy Stewart (Kennedy.Stewart@Vancouver.ca)

as well as the Parent Advisory Committee: chair@lordrobertspac.ca

 

 

 
 
 
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