Pedestrian problems lead to speed limit drop to 30 km/h on Hastings dangerous, department, problems, approved, provided

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Pedestrian problems lead to speed limit drop to 30 km/h on Hastings



VANCOUVER - Despite objections by Vancouver police department, city council has approved a plan to reduce the speed limit along an accident-prone section of Hastings Street to make the area safer for pedestrians.

Data provided to council shows the strip, which runs through the heart of the Downtown Eastside, is the most dangerous place for pedestrians in the city.

The speed limit will be reduced from 50 km/h to 30km/h — the same as school zones — along the six-block stretch between Abbott and Jackson streets, on a trial basis. The duration of the trial is unfixed.

The plan also calls for dozens of new intersection safety cameras, earmarked for several of the most dangerous intersections such as Broadway and Commercial, Burrard and Davie, Kingsway and Joyce, and Kingsway and Victoria.

City staff and speakers also convinced council to roll out more pedestrian countdown timers, longer walk times, and speed-reader boards on Oak Street at 33rd Avenue, the False Creek bridges, and near Main and Hastings, to alert drivers to their speed.

Council were told by city staff, police, Vancouver Coastal Health and several speakers from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) that dangerous incidents between motorists and pedestrians are on the rise, especially centred around the intersection of Main and Hastings. Three pedestrians have died in collisions on the DTES in the last month.

The VPD supported other recommendations from the report to improve city-wide safety for pedestrians, but stopped short of endorsing the 30 km/h speed limit for Hastings.

In the report, the VPD said collision data suggested that the majority of pedestrian fatalities were because of pedestrian error rather than excessive speed.

Stricter laws would only “dilute” the ability of officers to promote safety across the city, the officer said.

“We have less resources than we did last year,” Inspector Ted Schinbein told the council. “We’re doing the best we can with the resources we have.”

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“Walking is the top priority in the city’s transportation plan, and it’s important that we improve the safety and comfort of our streets and sidewalks for pedestrians,” said mayor Gregor Robertson. “This report outlines short and long-term steps the city will take to improve the pedestrian experience in Vancouver, and make our streets safer and more enjoyable for all users.”

Between 2005 and 2009 there were 32 reported collisions between motorists and pedestrians at the intersection of Main and Hastings, making it the most dangerous spot in the city, according to a presentation made by staff.

That location has a dangerous mix of speeding motorists using the street as a route into downtown and many pedestrians who are elderly, or struggle with mental health, addiction and drinking issues, said Coun. Ellen Woodsworth.

“They just cross, and they go as quickly as possible,” she said.

According to a report prepared by the city using VPD statistics, the number of pedestrian fatalities in Vancouver has been trending downward since 2007, a year that saw 14 such deaths. This year to date, police have recorded eight pedestrian fatalities, a number that already surpasses last year’s 20-year low of six.

Mayor Robertson wanted to know if the reduced speed limit would slow down bus service in the Downtown Eastside.

He was told by staff that TransLink was willing to give it a try, and had not complained of complications following an earlier speed limit reduction along Granville.

A speed reduction would be one of the most “important factors” in making pedestrians safer, said Patricia Daly, the Chief Medical Health Officer and VP, Public Health for Vancouver Coastal Health.

She said a 30km/h speed limit would reduce the amount of incidents and would also make accidents “much less likely to be fatal.”

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L Pedestrians cross at the intersection of East Hastings and Main in Vancouver on Thursday. The city's safety plan identified the intersection as the most dangerous for pedestrians