East Mall Redesign - Preliminary Design Report
Creators: name: Biela, Kristian
name: Galovich, Dylan
name: Grier, Dylan
name: Gu, Rossi
name: Maquignaz, Ben
name: Martin, Steve
name: McCowan, Braeden
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2021

description: Team 11 was engaged by UBC SEEDS Sustainability Program for the East Mall Redesign Project to improve and accommodate all modes safely and effectively along the corridor. Throughout the past 8 months, Team 11 has created a comprehensive detailed design to suit the needs of East Mall users. The current layout is tailored for vehicle traffic and parking, while mostly neglecting the need for active mode infrastructure and sports field access. Some of the primary corridor users identified are pedestrian and cyclist commuters, sports field users, vehicle commuters, and maintenance and delivery vehicles. Starting with the preliminary design, the first step was identifying the project goals and background. Three design options were generated, each being focused on a key client objective, including a multi-use path option, traffic calming option, and enhancing the existing configuration. Once these were conceptualized, a weighted decision matrix was used to organize the client objectives into ranking criteria used to select the optimal design, which was evaluated separately for the transportation and structural components. Acceptance of this procedure and the proposed design by the client in December 2020 led to the finalization of a drawing package and the detailed design elements, which is summarized in this detailed design report. The final design features primarily shifted corridor space from vehicle traffic to sustainable modes, while minimizing the effect on vehicle traffic and business operations. With a key design constraint being the width of the corridor; the final design removes the existing median and arranging vehicle traffic on the west side of the road, space was created to integrate a multi-use path on the east side, while improving the amount of greenspace and natural character in the corridor. Safety to all road users was always at the forefront of decision making and the corridor has been designed to maximize this. The proposed design will also need to integrate seamlessly to accommodate all existing and planned infrastructure; one being the planned Stadium Neighborhood development. Finally, the design is intended to promote mode shift to align with UBC’s goal of reducing vehicle traffic and increasing pedestrian and carpooling modes of travel. Summarizing the goals and objectives stated above, the following list highlights the main features of the final detailed design:   A 4.6m-wide Pedestrian Weather Canopy extending 65m from East Mall to Health Sciences Mall along Agronomy Road;   A 5m-wide shared multi-use path from W16th Avenue to Thunderbird Boulevard, including covered bicycle parking at the recreational fields;   Retain parallel parking along both sides of the corridor, with an emphasis on increasing pedestrian sightlines;   A 60m separated pick-up/drop-off lane near Stadium Road, with 18 time-restricted diagonal parking stalls;   Two RRFB systems installed at crosswalks at Stadium Road, and at Eagles Drive;   Green infrastructure to reduce water quantity, run-off, and add to the aesthetic of the roadway;   Retain stop-control for the East Mall at Agronomy Road intersection, incorporating landscape changes; and   Integrate roundabout control at the Thunderbird Boulevard intersection, which will add components of increased road user safety, traffic calming, and emission reductions. Construction of this project is expected to take place between the period of May 2021 to October 2021 and the total project capital cost is estimated to be ~ $3,906,000. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”