Squamish Nation Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study i Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 2 Transportation Objectives for the Capilano Lands ............................................................ 4 2.1 Create a Safe, Walkable Community ............................................................................. 4 2.2 Provide Access for Members, Residents, and Businesses on the Capilano Lands ....... 8 2.3 Manage the Impact of Regional Traffic on the Local Network ...................................... 14 3 Ideas for the Transportation Network Today .................................................................... 20 3.1 Ideas for Creating a Safe, Walkable Community .......................................................... 20 3.2 Ideas for Providing Access for Members, Residents and Businesses ......................... 29 3.3 Ideas for Managing the Impact of Regional Traffic ....................................................... 34 4 Considerations for the Future Network Improvements ................................................... 37 4.1 Developing New Connections Across the North Shore ................................................ 37 4.2 Transit Services to Connect Capilano Lands ............................................................... 40 5 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 42 D-21404.00 | 2018-03-19 Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study ii D-21404.00 | 2018-03-19 Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study 1 1 Introduction The Squamish Nation’s Capilano IR No.5 (the Capilano lands) is bisected by the Capilano River. These lands are used by the Nation for several residential, commercial, and community uses. The Capilano lands are one of the three main community areas for the Nation that are located on the North Shore that include the reserves named Capilano, Mission, and Seymour Creek. The Capilano lands are intersected by several municipalities and major regional transportation links. The limited number of transportation links across the North Shore and across the harbour puts the Capilano lands in the middle of significant regional transportation movements and local North Shore community links. These North Shore and regional movements have noticeable impacts on the traffic in and around the Nation’s lands. Figure 1 – Capilano IR and the Regional Transportation Network Context There are only three crossings of the Capilano River that provide connections for east – west transportation movements on the North Shore. Two of these crossings are on routes that pass through the Capilano lands. When there is congestion on Marine Drive or the Lions Gate Bridge, D-21404.00 | 2018-03-19 Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study 2 many commuters will use the collector or the local residential roads in the Capilano lands to short cut or to bypass congestion on the major regional routes and highways. Within the Capilano lands, the Squamish Nation has developed several areas for community, residential and commercial uses. There are also long-term plans to develop the area fronting Marine Drive and the area south of the railway tracks. Several of the Nation’s community facilities are in the centre-east area of the Capilano lands and are centred around the intersections of Welch Road, Mathias Road, and “Lower Capilano Road” (“Lower Capilano Road” is located on a Metro Vancouver utility right of way and is not a designated road although it is paved and is used as a road). Most of the residential areas are located between the Capilano River and the Nation’s boundary with the District of North Vancouver to the east. Legend Residential Commercial (Leased) Community Services Future Developments Figure 2 – Land Uses within the Capilano Lands (draft map) For the Squamish Nation’s members, accessing community facilities and their homes are key priorities that the local transportation network must provide for the community. The network must also provide safe and effective connections for members to neighbouring communities and services, particularly for D-21404.00 | 2018-03-19 Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study 3 those who may not drive, including youth, elders, and those who walk, cycle, or use public transportation. The network must support the businesses that benefit the Nation to succeed. The Nation has several properties that are used or leased for commercial activities, including the Park Royal Mall lands, the RV Park, and the CAPREIT buildings on Marine Drive. Members also operate several businesses within the Capilano Lands that also need access from the transportation network. The needs of these users and the benefits the Nation receives from these commercial areas and activities must be considered as part of the plan for the transportation network in this area. As part of the development of this plan, we met with members to hear their concerns, questions, and ideas to improve the network and enable their mobility. The meetings included: Community Meeting on the evening of Feb 20, 2017 with approximately 15 members attending a presentation and providing comments on key transportation concerns and ideas Community Walkabout on the afternoon of June 13, 2017, with approximately 12 members attending a walk through the Welch Road, Whonoak, and “Lower Capilano Road” areas Elders Meeting on the morning July 7, 2017, with approximately 15 members attending a meeting and providing comments on key transportation concerns and ideas. These meetings provided members an opportunity to tell us their concerns and ideas for improving the transportation network. Key themes that we heard included: Concerned about vehicle traffic, particularly the volume and speed of vehicles in the residential areas and regional traffic short cutting through the Capilano lands. Safety of pedestrians, including condition of crosswalks, lack of pedestrian routes, conflicts with cyclists, and lack of lighting on key connections within the community The impacts that regional roads have on the Capilano lands. These meetings helped identify how the network currently works and how the network can be improved now and in the future. This report has been structured to identify the Nation’s Objectives for the transportation network on the Capilano lands, to discuss Ideas to improve the network today, and identify items that could be Considered for future long-term changes to the network. D-21404.00 | 2018-03-19 Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study 4 2 Transportation Objectives for the Capilano Lands As part of developing this plan, a key component is to identify the goals and objectives for transportation within the Capilano Lands. Developing the key goals for the transportation network will allow the Nation to identify, plan, and prioritize changes that will help achieve the goals of the members. Throughout our consultation with the members, we repeatedly heard many comments that related to members safety, traffic, and external impacts on the local roads. Based on these comments, we have developed the following as key goals the community has expressed for the transportation network within the Capilano Lands: Create a safe, walkable community Provide access for members, residents and businesses on the Capilano Lands Manage the impact of regional traffic on the local Capilano network These goals summarize most of the concerns and improvement ideas expressed by the members during our consultations, meetings, and discussions. Using these goals to evaluate how projects and external changes impact the ability of the transportation network to provide a better mobility experience to those who travel in the Capilano Lands. 2.1 Create a Safe, Walkable Community Members identified concerns about the ability to walk safely throughout the Capilano Lands. While the Nation has been installing sidewalks as part of recent road improvements and developments, there are still several areas where formal pedestrian connections are limited. For members who do not drive, particularly youth and elders, walking is a critical component for their mobility. Many concerns were raised regarding the need for more sidewalks, crosswalks, and reducing vehicle speeds throughout the residential areas. D-21404.00 | 2018-03-19 Opus International Consultants (Canada) Limited Squamish Nation - Capilano IR No. 5 Transportation Study 5 Destinations Schools Shopping and Services Nation Community Services Transit Figure 3 – Key Pedestrian Paths, Desired Connections, and Destinations Looking at the key destinations within the area, the following are locations where pedestrian access is important for members: The bus stops on Marine Drive and Capilano Road are the closest transit stops to most of the residential areas and community facilities on the Capilano Lands. The Nation’s community facilities (community centre, elders centre, and school) are centered at “Lower Capilano Road”/Mathias Road and Welch Road. Many youth attend school in the Norgate neighbourhood, and members also access businesses