JBNA: Quality of Life Survey Results

The Quality of Life Survey was undertaken during the summer of 2009 to identify and measure the factors of greatest importance to the residents of James Bay. This article is a synopsis of the presentation to the JBNA on Wednesday, October 14^th. An overview can be accessed at jbna.org.

The 573 completed questionnaires received from all areas within James Bay provide an accurate representation of community views. (The 95 % confidence level is associated with a confidence interval of +/- 4.0 %.). An additional 740 written comments provide further insight into priority areas and suggestions for specific improvements. Examples are provided below. 

About 17% of the respondents have lived in James Bay for more than 20 years, and the average number of years is 12.2. The average age of respondents (61.6 years) is somewhat greater than the average age of the James Bay population over 18 years of age. 

General Satisfaction: Fully 87% of respondents are Satisfied or Very Satisfied with James Bay as a place to live. However, residents are divided on whether James Bay has been getting better or worse in the last five years. Approximately equal proportions were of the opinion that James Bay was getting worse (32%), Better (30%), and No Change (38%).   

Kingston St. resident: "In 20 years James Bay has changed from a transient, rundown area, overrun by street people into a vibrant, beautiful urban area that is now one of the most desirable places to live."

Satisfaction with Municipal Officials: 40% of respondents were neutral in their opinion of municipal officials' attention to neighbourhood issues, while an almost equal number were satisfied or very satisfied (30%) and dissatisfied or very dissatisfied (30%). 

Community Change - Key Indices and Priorities: 

Community satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the direction of change, and with the responsiveness of municipal officials, can be explained by the issues of importance to residents. Respondents ranked the top five priorities requiring attention across 28 topics within the four areas of Community Safety, Traffic and Transportation, Access to Amenities, and Quality of Property Development. The numbers in the priority ranking bar-chart indicate the percentage of respondents who identify the topic to be in the "top five priorities" for attention. 4 of the top 5 priorities and 8 of the top 10 priorities most often selected are transportation related.    

Percentage of Respondents Identifying Topic in "Top Five" Priorities

The 28 individual items were also "weighted" to reflect the priorities assigned by individual respondents (i.e. the top ranked priority was "weighted" more than the fifth ranked priority). The results are consistent with the unweighted rankings with the exception that Drug Use/Drug Dealing moves up to the third ranked priority with Traffic Pollution and Dangerous Driving dropping to fourth and fifth, respectively.

Quantity/Volume of Traffic was the top ranked priority requiring attention. Fully 81% of respondents (N=505) are of the opinion that the "Quantity/Volume of Traffic" has become worse over the last five years.  

Olympia St. resident: "My apartment fronts on to Dallas Road. When the cruise ships are in, the number of buses passing here is hell on earth. Well over a hundred in a four hour period. I have counted them! They are totally spoiling this area. (Over 75 lived here 14 years)."

Traffic Noise is the second ranked priority. 74% of respondents are of the opinion that "Traffic Noise" has become worse over the last five years. 

Montreal St. resident: "Tour bus traffic volume and noise has increased dramatically. Tour bus traffic to cruise ships at Ogden Point is beyond reason. Especially since many of the buses are carrying a small number of passengers. We can no longer sit on our deck or have our condo windows open due to traffic noise. Buses run 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Enough is enough. Something must be done. Have counted over 200 buses past our condo on busy days.

Traffic Pollution/Emissions is the third ranked priority. 73% of respondents are of the opinion that "Traffic Pollution/Emissions" have become worse over the last five years.

Erie St. resident: "Bus emissions (from all buses including BC Transit, Ogden Point buses, Pacific Coast and Grayline), tourist buses (Cruise Victoria) and bus noise is terrible at times. It is enough for us to consider relocation out of James Bay."

Dangerous Driving ranks fourth on the list of top priorities requiring attention.  56% of respondents are of the opinion that "Dangerous Driving" has become worse over the last five years.

Drug Use or Drug Dealing ranks fifth in priority, with nearly five times as many residents stating that the problem has become worse over the last five years compared to those that believe the problem is improving. 56% of JB residents believe that there has been no change, and 37% believe "Drug Use/Drug Dealing" is worse. This is the only non-transportation related issue in the top five priorities of James Bay residents.

Aircraft Noise is the sixth ranked priority. 40% of respondents are of the opinion that "Aircraft Noise" (both floatplanes and helicopters) has become worse over the last five years.

Aircraft Fumes are the seventh ranked priority. 34% of respondents are of the opinion that "Aircraft Fumes" have become worse over the last five years.

Dallas Rd. resident: "Air pollution caused by emissions from helicopters (excess fuel), float planes and cruise ships has a major impact on our enjoyment of the outdoors and on warm summer days the indoors of our condo. This is the overall no 1 concern followed by excessive noise levels."

Vandalism /Graffiti is the eighth ranked priority. It is only the second non-transportation related issue to be in the top ten priorities. 38% believe the problem is getting worse.

Sidewalk Quality/Maintenance ranks ninth on the list of top priorities requiring attention. 32% of respondents are of the opinion that "Sidewalk Quality/Maintenance" has worsened over the last five years whereas only 12% are of the opinion that it is better.

James Bay resident: "Sidewalks are a disgrace given JB's population density and needs to accommodate many physically challenged residents."

Pedestrian Safety is the tenth ranked priority. 48% of respondents are of the opinion that "Pedestrian Safety" has become worse over the last five years.

Oswego St. resident: "My kids have nearly been hit twice trying to cross Dallas Road at the end of Oswego in the last month - tourists and taxis don't stop and they think it's funny. It is hard to cross to the park next to Fisherman's Wharf, so we hardly ever go any more."

Traffic and Transportation Priorities:

"People movement" issues were the most frequently mentioned topic as determined through a content analysis of three years of JBNA minutes. On both a weighted and unweighted basis, the top five traffic and transportation priorities requiring attention are: Quantity of Tourist Buses, Tourist Bus Noise, Motorcycles, Cruise Ship Emissions, and Float Plane Noise. This result is consistent with the ranking of all twenty-eight topics described earlier.

Quantity of Tourist Buses is the top ranked priority among the 11 transportation related topics. Of those who responded (N=530), the largest percentage (54%) indicated that this is a problem, 38% do not consider it to be a problem, and 8% have no opinion. When the responses are stratified by either street address or postal code, significant differences can be observed across different areas within James Bay. This is also the case for the other high priority transportation problems.

Tourist Bus Noise is the second ranked transportation problem requiring attention. Of those who did respond (N=536), the largest percentage (50%) indicated that it is a problem, 40% do not consider it to be a problem, and 10% have no opinion. 

Montreal St. resident: "The primary irritant is the noise from those "crapped out" highway buses of 'Cruise Victoria', particularly when they often have only two or three passengers.  The newer 'tour' buses are annoying but not as noisy ..."

Motorcycles are the third ranked priority among the 11 transportation topics. Of those who responded (N=524), the largest percentage (56%) indicated that these are a problem, 35% do not consider them to be a problem, and 9% have no opinion. Younger respondents appear to be less troubled by motorcycles than respondents older than 45 years of age.

Douglas St. resident: "The roar of accelerating motorcycles is unbelievable in our area. We are near Beacon Drive-in but motorcyclists seem to take delight in revving their bikes as they arrive & as they leave the area." 

Cruise Ship Emissions is the fourth ranked transportation related priority. Of those who responded (N = 526), the largest percentage (44%) indicated that these are a problem, 42% do not consider them to be a problem, and 14% have no opinion.  

Michigan St. resident: "Cruise ship emissions:  Toxic!  What are the long-term effects on our health?"

Ladysmith St. resident: "We think cruise ships and their emissions are also worsening and top priority."

Float Plane Noise is the fifth ranked transportation related priority. Of those who responded (N = 521), the largest percentage (53%) indicated it is not a problem, 37% indicate it is a problem, and 9% have no opinion. As with the other transportation topics, considerable differences can be observed in the responses from different areas within James Bay. Significant numbers of respondents in the northwest quadrant of James Bay believe that float plane noise is the highest priority requiring attention.

Other Issues:

The fact that this report hasn't talked about other issues does not mean that they are unimportant. For example, respondents identified specific locations for improvements in street lighting and other locations in need of cross-walks.  Interestingly, 47% of respondents believe that access to shopping facilities has improved over the past five years.  

The quality of life survey results describe numerous opportunities for greater resident involvement with respect to specific issues. If you have an interest in a specific topic, regardless of its priority ranking, please let the JBNA know. Action groups may be organised with respect to initiatives that could lead to improvements in our neighbourhood.