a letter to the editor... Improve access to Vancouver

[SpongeG]

Improve access to Vancouver

Burnaby Now
Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Dear Editor:

Yesterday I came eastbound towards Burnaby and noticed the illuminated overhead sign stating that the Lions Gate Bridge crossing time was 90 minutes from the North Shore.

I wonder how the provincial governing Liberals can tolerate this when a tunnel would radically improve the crossing time.

Secondly, why is there absolutely no discussion on a free-flowing access from Burnaby to the downtown core of Vancouver?

Why no "cut-and-cover" underground freeway to Granville Street ?

In my humble opinion, some bright spark in the "Gateway" project needs to examine this aspect and resolve the backed-up 'parking lot' appearances of the exits into the city of Vancouver, before more talk or acrimonious blab on the Port Mann Bridge duplication.

What happends in our city of Burnaby is our prime concern, not the concern of those east of the bridge, with our elected council representing Burnaby interests solidly first, as is their mandate.

I am not a cardholder of any sort.

I do, however, think the local Liberal mouthpieces need to study and openly discuss the impact of airborne pollution, noise and increased dumping of traffic on residential Burnaby streets.

Peter Dickinson-Starkey, Burnaby

http://www.canada.com/burnabynow/news/opinion/story.html?id=5993360e-e98f-4b94-9f00-fc8b903ca3ff&k=4630

[SpongeG]

all i could think of - has he never heard of skytrain? you can't get downtown any quicker

[raggedy13]

^Exactly what I was thinking. I don't see how anybody in Burnaby could have a proper excuse for not taking Skytrain downtown. I don't think Burnaby realizes how good it has it. It has the best rapid transit coverage in all of Western Canada - make use of it! Even if you don't live next to a Skytrain station, how hard is it to walk a couple blocks and catch a 5-10 min bus to the nearest station?

And an underground freeway into downtown sounds terrible as well (and hella expensive) - let's promote more environment and health degrading car use! That thing would fill up in no time anyways. A Skytrain line down Hastings would be a much better and more efficient use of our money.

[mr.x]

that guy wants a Big Dig? has he seen what it has done to Boston?


obviously, he has never left the car in his garage.

[deasine]

i read this and I'm like HAHAHAHA... let's wait until we get some replies to this thread... =D

[Canadian Mind]

^Exactly what I was thinking. I don't see how anybody in Burnaby could have a proper excuse for not taking Skytrain downtown. I don't think Burnaby realizes how good it has it. It has the best rapid transit coverage in all of Western Canada - make use of it! Even if you don't live next to a Skytrain station, how hard is it to walk a couple blocks and catch a 5-10 min bus to the nearest station?

And an underground freeway into downtown sounds terrible as well (and hella expensive) - let's promote more environment and health degrading car use! That thing would fill up in no time anyways. A Skytrain line down Hastings would be a much better and more efficient use of our money.

I was wondering why we aren't sending the expo line through downtown and back east along hastings wouldn't that further ease Burnaby congestion aswell as provide an easy way to the PNE and Simon Fraser Uni? Reason why i bring PNE up is that while the big rush for transit would be in the morning, and evenings, mid-day isn't in use much. One of the reasons people sometimes don't go to the PNE is all the traffic and the parking hassle. If a station went through there, the line would get even more use, at least during summer months, plus it would economically boost the PNE as more people came without the limiting factor of parking to stop them.

It would also lead in the future to densification of an area I feel should be densified. It is close to industrial and business area, aswell as a highway for people who want to work in metro-town area. The highway doesn't have that much traffic in that direction during mornings, hence why I bring it up. while we all admit highways sucks, they do work when used to capacity. a one way parking lot to downtown isn't the correct way to use a highway, thats only 50% of the roadway used. At least with both sides of the highway blocked, we can say that the highway is finally being used to capacity (which in turn would lead to highway expansion and transit expansion, I am in favor of both).

[SpongeG]

isn't their a tunnel in the cassiar connector that was made for rail?

i remember reading about some tunnel somewhere in the city that was done at the time for futuire planning and just sits there unused

it was part of a story on "secrets" of the city

[murman]

that guy wants a Big Dig? has he seen what it has done to Boston?

I HAVE seen it, and it HAS done wonders for Boston, thank you very much.

[Tom Bombadil]

If car traffic were routed underground, might there be a way to collect CO2 emitted from vehicles and sequester it before it gets into the atmosphere.

[officedweller]

I think the letter to the editor is a sarcastic piece.
It comes out defending Burnaby Council and criticizing Gateway. The opening lines, in effect, say that the Port Mann traffic is no worse than the Lions Gate traffic (which isn't being "fixed").

isn't their a tunnel in the cassiar connector that was made for rail?

i remember reading about some tunnel somewhere in the city that was done at the time for futuire planning and just sits there unused

One of the Cassiar off-ramps includes an unused underpass that was intended for use by buses. Not sure where it is (Hastings? or First Ave/Rupert?) or whether it is now in use.

[mr.x]

I HAVE seen it, and it HAS done wonders for Boston, thank you very much.

well it has meant that the old above-ground highway can be demolished for new developments....but how long did it take to build? and how much did it cost? it only enforces the car culture.

[lightrail]

Improve access to Vancouver

Burnaby Now
Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Dear Editor:

Yesterday I came eastbound towards Burnaby and noticed the illuminated overhead sign stating that the Lions Gate Bridge crossing time was 90 minutes from the North Shore.

I wonder how the provincial governing Liberals can tolerate this when a tunnel would radically improve the crossing time.

Secondly, why is there absolutely no discussion on a free-flowing access from Burnaby to the downtown core of Vancouver?

Why no "cut-and-cover" underground freeway to Granville Street ?

In my humble opinion, some bright spark in the "Gateway" project needs to examine this aspect and resolve the backed-up 'parking lot' appearances of the exits into the city of Vancouver, before more talk or acrimonious blab on the Port Mann Bridge duplication.

What happends in our city of Burnaby is our prime concern, not the concern of those east of the bridge, with our elected council representing Burnaby interests solidly first, as is their mandate.

I am not a cardholder of any sort.

I do, however, think the local Liberal mouthpieces need to study and openly discuss the impact of airborne pollution, noise and increased dumping of traffic on residential Burnaby streets.

Peter Dickinson-Starkey, Burnaby

http://www.canada.com/burnabynow/news/opinion/story.html?id=5993360e-e98f-4b94-9f00-fc8b903ca3ff&k=4630

90 minutes - not bad. It's a good way to say "try taking the Second Narrows Bridge instead", or "take a bus - they queue jump and don't have to wait", or "take Seabus". Tip: if you see that sign, try going via Capilano Road instead of Taylor Way, the line up from that side is usually shorter.

We don't need more car lanes - just more transit options.

[twoNeurons]

I was wondering why we aren't sending the expo line through downtown and back east along hastings wouldn't that further ease Burnaby congestion aswell as provide an easy way to the PNE and Simon Fraser Uni? Reason why i bring PNE up is that while the big rush for transit would be in the morning, and evenings, mid-day isn't in use much. One of the reasons people sometimes don't go to the PNE is all the traffic and the parking hassle. If a station went through there, the line would get even more use, at least during summer months, plus it would economically boost the PNE as more people came without the limiting factor of parking to stop them.

While a Hastings Line is a good idea, the PNE is NOT one of them. The PNE only lasts 2 weeks. Also going to SFU is already done. A Hastings Line would be better served if it went south somewhere around Willingdon and crossed the M-Line and Expo for transfers to SFU and connections to BCIT. However, with all that said, it could be argued that there are high priorities.

It would also lead in the future to densification of an area I feel should be densified. It is close to industrial and business area, as well as a highway for people who want to work in metro-town area. The highway doesn't have that much traffic in that direction during mornings, hence why I bring it up. while we all admit highways sucks, they do work when used to capacity. a one way parking lot to downtown isn't the correct way to use a highway, thats only 50% of the roadway used. At least with both sides of the highway blocked, we can say that the highway is finally being used to capacity (which in turn would lead to highway expansion and transit expansion, I am in favor of both).

Not sure I follow your logic on this one. Actually, East-bound TRaffic on the #1, although not at capacity, is FAR from empty. There are times when traffic is crawling at ~50km/h.

[raggedy13]

While a Hastings Line is a good idea, the PNE is NOT one of them. The PNE only lasts 2 weeks.

He probably meant Playland in general. There is also the Pacific Colosseum there that regularly hosts Giants games and other events/concerts.

But even still I have little familiarity with popular destinations/traffic patterns etc in that area so I'm sure your idea is a better fit for the area.

[mr.x]

Unless there are massive plans for densification along the Hastings corridor, I would think an streetcar line would be more proper than a subway/SkyTrain.

...if only Hastings Park could become a full scale amusement park. Who really goes to that park anyway and treats it as "Stanley Park of the East"?

[Canadian Mind]

Yes I meant Playland. I grew up going to Playland and always having it referred to as "going to the PNE"

And I see no reason why we wouldn't want to density the Hastings corridor. The demand for condo's is there (in Vancouver), and any sour spots can be gentrified easily enough in 10-15 years, making it as attractive as downtown livability wise. Take in the fact that you have clear, unobstructed views of the mountains, and in some cases when you get a little elevation Burrard Inlet, and I think we have the next major corridor to be developed alongside Broadway, after we develop the DTES.

[deasine]

Well City of Vancouver can't just desnify the place immediately. Everything must be phased in - it's also policy. But we can see Hastings will see changes in the years to come: Downtown East Side is slowly changing: hopefully to become a much more pleasant and safer community. EcoDesnity project will also see more four story buildings around all major streets such as Hastings. And with the prices in Vancouver rising and demand continuing to increase, it's just a matter of time.

I would say SkyTrain in hastings is a waste of money. Like what Mr. X said, LRT or StreetCar will just do fine along that cooridor. They are upgrading the 135 bus to 95 B-Line. And B-Lines usually become some sort of rapid transit ten to twenty years after.

[renthefinn]

They should've built skytrain along hastings before millennium line IMO could've served the millennium corridor with feeders to expo and hastings. Plus hastings is well developed along most of it's route.

[Nutterbug]

They should've built skytrain along hastings before millennium line IMO could've served the millennium corridor with feeders to expo and hastings. Plus hastings is well developed along most of it's route.
They've probably put it in the right place, considering Broadway is more urgently in need of mass transit than Hastings is, and the M-Line is in a perfect position to extend to it.

Unless there are massive plans for densification along the Hastings corridor, I would think an streetcar line would be more proper than a subway/SkyTrain.
Streetcars are more suitable for shorter distances. Downtown-SFU is quite a stretch.

[Lee_Haber8]

They've probably put it in the right place, considering Broadway is more urgently in need of mass transit than Hastings is, and the M-Line is in a perfect position to extend to it.


Streetcars are more suitable for shorter distances. Downtown-SFU is quite a stretch.

Light-rail like the Yellow line in Portland would be perfect for the Hastings corridor