Time for Vancouver to Tear Down Its Viaducts?

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

That is a potential issue I see when (if) the Malkin connector is created - it will be a straight shot onto the viaduct, and that movement is also a merge to one right now. You say it's bad enough on Main... well, Malkin is meant to move a lot of that traffic off of the Main left turn. Except with the case of the Malkin connector, it will be now also be serving traffic from even more points of origin (Clark, First, 12th, etc.) as a largely primary connector into downtown. There will be no controlled left turn traffic & movement before the merge as there is today, preventing any long backups (except perhaps on main) from happening; traffic could just keep coming and coming... and the merge there could end up being a rather serious choke point there, with potential for long backups to the east.

Not such a big issue since most of the traffic on Main will simply come down Clark instead and get on the Malkin connector at it's origin.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

Not such a big issue since most of the traffic on Main will simply come down Clark instead and get on the Malkin connector at it's origin.

I'll bet anyone here the Malkin Connector will never get built.

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I'll bet anyone here the Malkin Connector will never get built.

If nothing else, the Venables rail crossing needs addressing at some point, and I can't think of an alternative solution other than the Malkin Connector.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Zassk

If nothing else, the Venables rail crossing needs addressing at some point...

Does it? That's not a particularly busy line, traffic is blocked only very rarely, and not for very long.

[jlousa]

Only because the Ports is currently limiting usage of the line to reduce impacts on both Hastings and Venables. They would like to use it more then they are currently and expect a solution for the Hastings crossing to come to fruitation in the near future.

[Zassk]

^ Do you mean Powell? Hastings has an overpass already, right? I think the problems are Powell and Venables (not sure what the deal is with Union St).

[jlousa]

Yes braincramp, I meant Powell and there are plans for the overpass out there already, pretty sure I even posted them a while ago.

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

Not such a big issue since most of the traffic on Main will simply come down Clark instead and get on the Malkin connector at it's origin.

What I meant is that it could happen at the Malkin connector instead of Main - and there's no controlled left turn to allow only a certain amount of cars onto the lanes that eventually merge, they could just keep coming and coming...

[officedweller]

One of the benefits of the Malkin Connector for rail operations is allowing trains to queue on the section of the line. Mentioned in the excerpt from the False Creek Flats Rail study here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=174625&page=81

[amor de cosmos]

• Video Link

[jsbertram]

My latin is a bit rusty, but shouldn't your tag be
constructo omnia ubique

(build all things in all places)

instead of "constructuo ..."

?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by amor de cosmos

• Video Link

Hey, Larry, take your eco-freak, nimby-ish, artsyfartsy self back to wherever you came from. Otherwise stated, SHUT THE fweeep UP, and
GET THE bleeep OUT OF HERE.

[racc]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Yes braincramp, I meant Powell and there are plans for the overpass out there already, pretty sure I even posted them a while ago.

Not only plans but funding.

[xd_1771]

lol @ his arguments on the viaducts taking up land
I am sure that the city of Vancouver will be able to find ways to use the land around the viaducts effectively... and a prime example of this would be GM place/Rogers Arena, sitting in the perfect location for its size, right between these viaducts. See all that parking lot space under the viaducts? You could create an urban market or night market on that space! Such empty space to the south has been used effectively for such events as the Cirque do Soleil.
The viaduct already seems to integrate well with the cityscape and not split anything apart. I would rather the City of Vancouver find ways to integrate this into the cityscape even further and in an effective way.

[SpikePhanta]

^^ I believe Jlousa had a great explanation to why no land would be gained from viaduct removal a few pages back.

[whatnext]

Drove over the 'ducts today (lots of cars, nada bikes) and realized that not one of the Meggsy crowd has addressed how Georgia will descend to the flats below. Since a cut would be dire for street life there, it leads me to believe their plan is to terminate Georgia at Beatty - this is what we want done with what is supposed to be the city's "ceremonial" boulevard?

[simonfiction]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Drove over the 'ducts today (lots of cars, nada bikes)

A lot of people say this on here and I find it bizarre because I've never found myself alone riding on the duct, and I've riden home at 2am.

[Metro-One]

Again, who gives a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 about the bike vs. car portion of this talk.

The escarpment issue is another factor that is conveniently not mentioned by Meggs and his supporters.

This is yet another major factor that differs these viaducts from others around the world that have been torn down (again, watch their videos, nearly every viaduct example that has been torn down had been substantially damaged by an earthquake, was far past its operational life, or was in such disrepair that entire spans, yes spans, were falling down on their own!). It is also interesting in watching those videos that you see the difference between those viaduct designs and ours, once again ours are extremely elegant in comparison and offer far more free open space underneath.

I really feel this was a distraction issue cooked up by Meggs. In the scheme of things the viaducts were not a pressing issue at all until he made it one. To me this is the left wing doing the same annoying distraction 🞵🞵🞵🞵 that the right wing loves doing with abortion and anti gay marriage debates. While the subjects are vastly different they are all distractions.

[Porfiry]

Originally Posted by whatnext

not one of the Meggsy crowd has addressed how Georgia will descend to the flats below.

It wouldn't descend, it would end. This is old news -- start paying attention.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Forum+mulls+fate+viaducts/4580141/story.html

In the 20-per-cent option, the viaducts would terminate at Main Street, where new inbound ramps would be built. This option would be feasible in about five years, Turner said.

In the 50-per-cent option, the Georgia viaduct would be eliminated and the Dunsmuir viaduct made into a two-way street. Heavily contingent on public transit investments, this option would be feasible in 10-15 years, Turner said.

The 100-per-cent option would see both viaducts removed, and the east ends of Georgia and Dunsmuir streets turned into cul-de-sacs.

Turner said commuters would be expected to reroute on to both major and smaller streets, causing significant traffic congestion and slowed public transit. This option would take more than 20 years to implement.

[Metro-One]

My goodness, reading that article makes me think they must be DJs, because they sure are good at spinning.

Gastown and Chinatown never were connected to False Creek, the viaducts never divided those neighbourhoods. They were built over industrial land beside them. Does every neighbourhood in this city need unbridled connection to the water? It seems to me Vancouver has more than its fare share of enjoyable public waterfronts.

Also, the funny thing is if I were living in China Town near the ducts would not stop me from walking to False Cree Again, with their open design I fail to see how they are a true barrier. They are simply one now because our urban design panel has neglected that region entirely throughout the last few decades. I am not going to re-post all that can be built under, around and over top of the viaducts that would create a far more dynamic and interesting urban neighbourhood than yet another Yaletown (again, I love Yaletown, but I am tired of Yaletown being carbon copied everywhere, it is taking away the character of having different neighbourhoods).

And I love how Turner contradicts himself in the same article. Saying how wonderful it would be for Vancouver to remove the ducts, and then saying how doing so would create traffic congestion and slower transit due to the dead ending of Georgia and Dunsmir. Well, which is it? It cant be both!

And honestly, Georgia ending as a cul-d-sac?????? Would that not be the most ridiculous urban design? Having essentially your most important ceremonial / business district east / west road in the downtown core simply ending????

So we are going to limit the already limited accessible downtown core?

Again, these other areas that have torn down ducts did not go this far in nonsense, many of those areas are far better served by at grade road networks (and high capacity roads) than downtown Vancouver is (and by a long shot as well).