Downtown Vancouver Updates - Page 252

wrenegade · #**5021** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 12:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by duener

inhospitable street.

seriously? Have you seen the towers that line Pacific? Not to mention the community centre? Inhospitable would be the last word I'd use.

biketrouble · #**5022** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 1:10 AM**

I'm amused at the level of surprise amongst SSP readers about the Pacific Bvd median - this project has been discussed many times on these boards over the past couple of years - it has just been waiting for the Canada Line completion to go ahead.

osirisboy · #**5023** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 1:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by biketrouble

I'm amused at the level of surprise amongst SSP readers about the Pacific Bvd median - this project has been discussed many times on these boards over the past couple of years - it has just been waiting for the Canada Line completion to go ahead.

really? I honestly never knew they were planing on putting a useless dumb sidewalk down the middle of pacific. I thought it was just trees.

Seriously WTF is wrong with this city? we have no money yet they go ahead with these dumbass projects.

And how can anyone think that pacifc was inhospitable before? so removing the left turn lanes and causing needless traffic congestion makes it hospitable now??

officedweller · #**5024** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 1:47 AM**

I didn't see the City do anything special before planting the trees.
The asphalt of the left turn bays was removed and some top soil added, no digging down to create a healthy soil base for the new trees that I saw.

I'm just hoping they don't cut down the Pin Oak trees along the sidewalks in favour of a "preferred" species of maples.
Those oaks are a good size now and provide a nice canopy along the street.
I chalk this up with Granville Street as a "pet project" of someone at City Hall who wanted - desperately - to construct a "multi-way" (it didn't pan out on Granville (which received "flex parking"), but they got it on Pacific).

The addition of the bike lanes in each direction on the street suffficiently narrowed the car lanes to avoid the "freeway" effect.
Now they've removed left turn bays (removed at Davie and westbound at Drake; none installed at Richards) which makes for backed up traffic and in lighter times, weaving and dodging traffic.

officedweller · #**5025** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 2:34 AM**

BTW - saw a work crew removing the old billbioard banners from the Centre for the Performing Arts - i.e. the ones from 2004 or so?
Haven't looked at the new ones yet. The old old one from 2004 is still up on the north side

whatnext · #**5026** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 4:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

BTW - saw a work crew removing the old billbioard banners from the Centre for the Performing Arts - i.e. the ones from 2004 or so?
Haven't looked at the new ones yet. The old old one from 2004 is still up on the north side

About time! As I said somewhere else, I wish the City would abandon the Coal Harbour Arts Centre idea, and take over The Centre instead.

duener · #**5027** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cornholio

Im not taking sides on the issue but these comments are incredibly frustrating because they are so incredibly wrong. The pedestrian oriented parts of European cities are generally small parts of the old city centers, the rest of the cities are very much auto dependent, otherwise these European countries would be in the third world.

The street looks better but the sidewalk seems to be a pretty big waste of money and cement, though it is different.

I can appreciate it gets annoying when people make it sound like Europe is a perfect pedestrian paradise. Yes, there are plenty of crappy auto-oriented third world type areas in Spain and Italy.

But, I can assure you, if you venture out of the quaint old areas in the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia you'll find new suburbs with medians like the new Pacific Boulevard one.

The fact is, the street still has the same number of lanes so traffic capacity hasn't been diminished. But now anyone wanting to jaywalk mid-block can easily do so. This brings the street together allowing people to easily hop from one side to the other. Kensington High Street in London was redesigned in a similar way and it's really improved the street.

Zassk · #**5028** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PopYourColla

I walked down the sidewalk on the re-done Pacific Blvd. today. It felt kinda wierd but it made the street seem far less freeway than before.

pic by me

Serious question... I thought that it was illegal to walk on boulevards here... are we legally allowed to walk/bike on this part of the street?

officedweller · #**5029** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 8:09 PM**

Never heard of that before. Lots of dog owners use the median on Cambie (between Nelson & Pacific) for their doggie toilet.

*******

The capacity pof Pacific has ben diminshed through the removal of the left turn bays for the median. Expect backups during busy times as a result (unless maybe left turn arrows are installed).

SpongeG · #**5030** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 8:26 PM**

they don't want people driving in vancouver - that corner at davie and pacific is horrible when you want to turn left you either have to wait for the cars that go so slow or teh pedestrians to cross that street and it takes them so long to do it

WarrenC12 · #**5031** Posted **Dec 4, 2009, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

they don't want people driving in vancouver - that corner at davie and pacific is horrible when you want to turn left you either have to wait for the cars that go so slow or teh pedestrians to cross that street and it takes them so long to do it

If they haven't put up a "no left turns except buses" sign, or something similar, then the whole plan is a failure thus far.

SFUVancouver · #**5032** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 1:56 AM**

Atelier from Library Square.

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009.

Dolce, Vita, and Capitol Residences.

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009

The new CBC newsroom.

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009

This is why I love the CBC! How many other Canadian instutions, let alone broadcasters, have their own snow cats?

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009

Capitol Residences from Georgia and Homer.

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009

Capitol Residences from Robson and Seymour.

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009

Fairmont Pacific Rim from Dunsmuir and Homer.

Taken by SFUVancouver, December 5th, 2009

officedweller · #**5033** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 2:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

If they haven't put up a "no left turns except buses" sign, or something similar, then the whole plan is a failure thus far.

If you have "no left turn" signs at Davie, expect complaints from residents, since that would force traffic onto Marinaside Crescent (from Nelson), which is more pedestrian in nature... or onto Drake - past the elemntary school/daycare.

WarrenC12 · #**5034** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 4:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

If you have "no left turn" signs at Davie, expect complaints from residents, since that would force traffic onto Marinaside Crescent (from Nelson), which is more pedestrian in nature... or onto Drake - past the elemntary school/daycare.

Sure. I think it was short-sited and stupid to get rid of the left turn bays. Now they are just making the situation more dangerous and annoying.

SpongeG · #**5035** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 7:02 AM**

its very easy to run over people there as you try to beat the cars coming at you i've seen a few cars slam on their brakes cause pedestrians are in the way

WarrenC12 · #**5036** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 1:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

its very easy to run over people there as you try to beat the cars coming at you i've seen a few cars slam on their brakes cause pedestrians are in the way

What will change now? Nothing, only the people turning left will be blocking a lane.

s211 · #**5037** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 6:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Sure. I think it was short-sited and stupid to get rid of the left turn bays. Now they are just making the situation more dangerous and annoying.

Can't agree with you more, except for the spelling of course!

PopYourColla · #**5038** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 8:25 PM**

Nice to see some work being done on the Vogue.
my pics.

The old Plaza nightclub looks like it is now called Venue.

Rusty Gull · #**5039** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 8:26 PM**

^Oh no. That font/lettering is awful! I miss the Plaza already!

Locked In · #**5040** Posted **Dec 5, 2009, 8:41 PM**

^ At least they've gotten rid of the corrugated metal siding under the Venue sign - whatever they replace it with should look nicer. I hope the work involves repainting the structure the Venue sign is attached to - that would help a lot.
Also, I noticed that the Venue sign wasn't lit up last night like it has been - hopefully that's temporary.