Seems like the Metrotown station Bus Loop might be getting relocated south of the skytrain tracks after all......
Quote:
"Another upgrade could potentially be carried out at SkyTrain’s Metrotown Station, focusing on significant improvements to its bus exchange.
TransLink recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a contractor to perform design, scoping, and planning work for such an upgrade.
A spokesperson for TransLink told Daily Hive Urbanized this work will consider upgrades not only for the bus exchange, but also the BC Parkway on the south side of the station. This will serve to “potentially increase bus service capacity as our system expands in the coming years.”
When asked, the spokesperson also noted that the long-planned new replacement pedestrian overpass between the station and Metropolis at Metrotown mall is not included in the scope of this RFP, but TransLink is working closely with the City of Burnaby and mall owner Ivanhoe Cambridge to “explore opportunities to improve pedestrian connectivity and safety.”
It is also worth noting that the City of Burnaby has been developing a concept plan to upgrade the stretch of the BC Parkway between Boundary Road and Royal Oak Station, including the segment adjacent to Metrotown Station."
|
source:-
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-metrotown-station-bus-exchange-upgrade-study
Okay, it doesn't outright say that that's what Translink are planning, but the issuance of an RFP for contract work for planning, and possible design for the upgrades to both the Bus Loop ....AND the BC Parkway suggest that the area of focus will be the south portion just underneath the guideway, but possible just north of Beresford and where the BC parkway would be - implying they might be combining the two and moving it from the mall area.
I can see lots of reasons for them wanting to do this now.
For one there's been increasing pressure on them to replace the pedestrain bridge from the Skytrain station to the Bus Loop - especially with the increased foot traffic to and from the skytrain station now marking it as the second busiest station in the network behind only the flagship Waterfront station.
And with increased foot traffic you're getting more delays in the traffic on Central Blvd. for increased pedestrian stops, but also along with that, the increased risk for pedestrain accidents as happened earlier this year in January when a pedestrian was struck by a bus.
A bus loop just south of the skytrain station would reduce the number of pedestrian crossings (but not eliminate them obviously, with the mall being the other major point of focus for people coming into the area).
Previous reading on the subject seems to suggest that the leftover bridge is possibly the mall-owner's responsibility to at least demolish, if not replace (since they built it), and they've been reluctant to do so as it conflicts with their mall redevelopment plans that sees them building a tower or towers at the footprint of the current bus loop location and they seemingly don't want to encourage the idea of it remaining there as permanent.
Previous proposals to move the bus loop south of Central blvd., back in 2013 (images and renders below) were shot down hard by both the City and Translink - with the former having plans for converting Beresford to a kind of pedestrian artwalk.
Those plans may have changed. Or perhaps they might be looking at some kind of hybrid that keeps an artwalk but still develops both the bus loop and BC parkway?
In any case, the fact that there seems to be some activity - if not urgency - to get something done on this now suggests that all parties are looking to move things along now.
With Ivanhoe Cambridge, it obviously allows them to proceed with the mall redevelopment plans - which might have gotten more impetus with the collapst of Hudson Bay and opening up that side of the mall as well to development.
The city obviously seems to be on board with the whole redevelopment masterplan, and for Translink I imagine they could see major upgrades to not just the bus loop but the skytrain station itself, and possibly even in anticipation for a future purple line extension connection to Willingdon.
Beyond these possible reasons I can't help but wonder what's spurring all this right now.
Images from the 2013 relocation concept proposal (by VIA Architecture):-
(Apologies in advance for the image sizes. I can't figure out how to show them minimzed. Anyone who knows how feel free to modify or edit):-
Existing Bus Bay locations at the area:-
Prev
Linear Mode
