Sometimes the law gets in the way of a satisfying decision. That appeared to be the case this week, when the Vancouver City Council took no action on a citizens petition which, if approved, would have required voter approval before the city could remove traffic lanes from city streets.
Acting on the advice of City Attorney Jonathan Young and City Manager Lon Pluckhahn, councilors set aside the petition. Young had said as long ago as last April, when the petition drive began, that it was probably invalid, because it oversteps the city council’s authority and wades into the city’s administrative function. In most Washington cities, including Vancouver, the role of the city council is limited to setting policies and hiring, evaluating and firing the city manager. It’s the city manager’s job to oversee the city’s operations.
“Allowing an ordinance that we believe to be illegal to proceed to a public vote not only sets a precedent for potential future initiatives in Vancouver, but for other cities in Washington,” Pluckhahn told an overflowing crowd at Monday’s city council meeting. The Columbian’s Editorial Board is no expert on municipal law, but loosely translated it means if you have a beef, take it to city hall. The public isn’t entitled to vote on what color to paint the fire trucks, whether the city shop has LED or fluorescent lighting, or how many traffic lanes will grace McGillivray Boulevard.
That’s not likely to soothe the masses. About 6,500 people had signed the petition, which was organized by a grassroots group called Save Vancouver Streets. The group felt citizens hadn’t been adequately heard in the past when city officials made decisions about roads and traffic. They wanted the public to have a formal say.
Here’s how it all started: In 2017, the city adopted a complete streets program, which recognizes that transportation means different things to different people. Many of us like to drive. Others bicycle, walk or ride transit. Even skateboards and scooters can be considered transportation, and this ordinance makes it the city’s job to accommodate as many different users as it reasonably can.
One of the first projects, along Columbia Street, didn’t sit well with westside drivers and residents when nearly 400 parking spaces were removed in favor of bike lanes. That was four years ago. Since then, there have been other projects, including one last year along Southeast 34th Street that east Vancouver residents complained backed up automobile traffic for blocks.
On the other hand, cyclists have complained that city streets are dangerous to travelers who aren’t driving cars. They point to the many benefits of cycling, including reduced air pollution and better health for riders. And it’s not hard to find city streets where motorists habitually exceed the posted speed limit or drive recklessly.
So what should the city do? Better communication early could be one strategy. City officials say they’ve reached out when changes to streets are contemplated, holding open houses, conducting online surveys and engaging with residents and businesses. But neighbors say they have felt left out of the decision-making process.
Following up is another key takeaway. Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle pledged Monday that city staff will monitor reconfigured roads and correct problems. When they do, transparency and communication will be crucial.
Questioning whether city streets work for everyone is important. So is listening to multiple answers and communicating results.
