Time for Vancouver to Tear Down Its Viaducts?

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

As such, will this not put even more demand for access to downtown from the point of origin (Gateway)?

But how else could Meggs and Gregor express their opposition to Gateway, except to remove road capacity from City of Vancouver's arteries? :-)

[st7860]

Have you considered renting a place in South Van ?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by st7860

Have you considered renting a place in South Van ?

If that question is addressed to me: no, I haven't; I live overseas.

[st7860]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

If that question is addressed to me: no, I haven't; I live overseas.

Sorry I meant the person that lives in North Van and turned down a job in South Van. There's plenty of suites available in South Van at a reasonable cost.

[s211]

Originally Posted by st7860

There's plenty of suites available in South Van at a reasonable cost.

Maybe because it's such an awful place to access?

[st7860]

Originally Posted by s211

Maybe because it's such an awful place to access?

Well it does have a certain ambiance to it, which some people don't like, especially some areas of Main Street south of 41st avenue.

[easy as pie]

Originally Posted by Pinion

I was just offered a job in south Vancouver and turned it down because traffic is such a nightmare. It's the second job I've turned down because of a lack of decent road infrastructure in Vancouver proper. I'd rather commute east.

And I live in a much more central location than most people, so I can't imagine how much the no highways policy has hurt.

sure, but someone will fill that job, and maybe they'll live closer to south vancouver, or they'll live somewhere where they can take rapid transit to get there. i don't see why vancouverites should be sympathetic to the transportation problems of people who live in other cities. like, the draw of establishing a business in vancouver - as opposed to some generic suburb like richmond or whatever - is precisely its desirability as a locale. life is finite and people only have so many hours of free time and living in a place where these loud, ugly, dangerous metal boxes with wheels are flying past at every turn is appealing for most sensible people.

[st7860]

Originally Posted by easy as pie

sure, but someone will fill that job, and maybe they'll live closer to south vancouver, or they'll live somewhere where they can take rapid transit to get there. i don't see why vancouverites should be sympathetic to the transportation problems of people who live in other cities. like, the draw of establishing a business in vancouver - as opposed to some generic suburb like richmond or whatever - is precisely its desirability as a locale. life is finite and people only have so many hours of free time and living in a place where these loud, ugly, dangerous metal boxes with wheels are flying past at every turn is appealing for most sensible people.

I wouldn't call North Van a particularly central place.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by st7860

Have you considered renting a place in South Van ?

I have absolutely no desire to live there. Why would I? I own a condo in a more central neighbourhood that allows me to get all over the lower mainland quickly.

North Van is closer to downtown than South Van is. I can get downtown in 15 minutes. I can get to Metrotown in 20 (in average traffic). It's travelling through Vancouver proper that's a nightmare.

edit: getting way off topic, I'll stop.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Pinion

I was just offered a job in south Vancouver and turned it down because traffic is such a nightmare. It's the second job I've turned down because of a lack of decent road infrastructure in Vancouver proper. I'd rather commute east.

And I live in a much more central location than most people, so I can't imagine how much the no highways policy has hurt.

I don't know what you're suggesting - i am not sure what 'decent road infrastructure' vancouver lacks, aside from a north-south freeway. i am also not sure if you encounter significant traffic delays on the north shore (ie, not in the CoV) either. I am also not sure if a north-south freeway would be more useful without a 3rd crossing.

I don't know your particular circumstances, but I suspect that keeping the viaducts won't improve things much for a commute to south vancouver.

......

I wouldn't call the north shore the centre of everything. Downtown and via Hwy1 - burnaby heights, east van and discovery park, maybe. 20 minutes from the north end of the Iron workers bridge to metrotown? during weekdays? i am unsure how that's possible.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

...


As an aside, I just came across this Jan., 1971 photo of the viaduct overpasses of Main St. under construction.



Source: http://pasttensevancouver.tumblr.com/post/24567009958/geoviaduct1971

I find it fascinating to see how construction was done 'in the old days', and the COV archive has confirmed a suspicion I've had for a while about the Main St abutments.

Here is the Georgia st. abutment on the west side of Main St., with the forms in place & it appears the concrete is getting pumped in. The Cobalt Hotel is on the left edge of the picture.


Source: http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/one-p...rtners-april-1969-to-october-1971-48;rad

Take away the forms and ... Ta da!


Source: http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/one-p...rtners-april-1969-to-october-1971-40;rad

And now the view looking west from the east sidewalk of Main St, with the Georgia st. abutment finished and the Dunsmuir St. abutment still in forms. I can't tell if the concrete has been poured yet.


Source: http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/one-p...rtners-april-1969-to-october-1971-35;rad


My long-held suspicion was that the dirt embankments between and around these Main St. abutments were put there to 'beautify' the area - to hide the rail yards to the west from drivers and pedestrians using Main St. This seems to be correct, since the caption for the 3rd photo is "Fill Placing".


Since it appears that the dirt mounds aren't needed for supporting the abutments nor the viaducts at Main St, the mounds could be removed to allow for a better connection between the NE False Creek redevelopments and Main St. It doesn't need to be a new roadway connection, but instead make it an easier connection for pedestrians and cyclists to get from Main St to get 'under the viaducts' and into the rest of NE False Creek.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by easy as pie

sure, but someone will fill that job, and maybe they'll live closer to south vancouver, or they'll live somewhere where they can take rapid transit to get there. i don't see why vancouverites should be sympathetic to the transportation problems of people who live in other cities. like, the draw of establishing a business in vancouver - as opposed to some generic suburb like richmond or whatever - is precisely its desirability as a locale. life is finite and people only have so many hours of free time and living in a place where these loud, ugly, dangerous metal boxes with wheels are flying past at every turn is appealing for most sensible people.

Egregious symptoms of Gordon Price Syndrome (which is very apropos to the viaduct farce).

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Egregious symptoms of Gordon Price Syndrome (which is very apropos to the viaduct farce).

(how true .... hehehe )

[s211]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Egregious symptoms of Gordon Price Syndrome (which is very apropos to the viaduct farce).

A+, and spot on.

[hollywoodnorth]

interesting observation jsbertram

[TransitJack]

I appreciate the photos posted.

The irony is what a farce the City would make if it removes a structure designed to speed up the flow of traffic in and out of downtown and replace it with a slower street filled with traffic lights. More cars and trucks idling and more pollution.

The argument that they 'can build a park for all to enjoy' when they could build a park today and still keep the viaducts.

[mr.x]

As long as Vision has the levers of municipal power, this city is bound to become a dead hole.

Toronto, here we come!

[juniorpnm]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Take away the forms and ... Ta da!

If the Viaducts are eventually removed, it would be brilliant if they could preserve a small part of them as a reminder of Vancouver's anti-freeway struggle.

[Hed Kandi]

..

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Hed Kandi

Perhaps we should take queues from NYC and erect a memorial monument in their memory.

The abutments could be kept and then trimmed with gargoyles that spit and pee on the unfortunate pedestrians below when its raining.