Millennium Line - Broadway Extension: Planning & Pre-Construction

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Traffic bottlenecks in the 'burbs tend to be caused by volume overwhelming the infrastructure. Traffic bottlenecks in the City of Vancouver tend to be city-caused (ie using 2 of Howe Street's 4 lanes for parking) or construction caused.

Transit money spent in the burbs would be a better bang for the buck, as it will reduce long vehicle trips.

That's a valid point. Often, spending money on transit in the burbs can get more new trips per dollar spent. Even if something in a downtown can get more riders total, new converted riders is a very important metric a lot of people overlook.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

That's a valid point. Often, spending money on transit in the burbs can get more new trips per dollar spent. Even if something in a downtown can get more riders total, new converted riders is a very important metric a lot of people overlook.

Very true, but that's not going to matter much if you don't build the inner city infrastructure/connections needed to support the increased ridership. In such a case, you're just passing congestion further up the line.

[csbvan]

Here's the mayor that everyone (on this forum) wanted, writing about how the Line won't happen, so we should do what is smart and build....streetcars:

On the other hand, if we’re serious about significant improvement in shorter order and not just a development play, about an environmentally shrewd move that isn’t exhausting our resources and inconveniencing our community as it’s built, streetcars …

https://www.biv.com/must-read/#last-stop-citys-2-billion-broadway-corridor-subway

[Large Cat]

Originally Posted by csbvan

here's the mayor that everyone (on this forum) wanted, writing about how the line won't happen, so we should do what is smart and build....streetcars:


https://www.biv.com/must-read/#last-stop-citys-2-billion-broadway-corridor-subway

lol.

[WarrenC12]

I'm not sure what the people of this forum have against Vision/Gregor. The NPA is not and has never been the party of development, density, skyscrapers or massive urban infrastructure investments.

Granted you could argue both are poor choices...

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I'm not sure what the people of this forum have against Vision/Gregor. The NPA is not and has never been the party of development, density, skyscrapers or massive urban infrastructure investments.

Granted you could argue both are poor choices...

^ That's pretty much the problem. Either you get the party that likes Vancouver as an oversized Kelowna, or the one that likes Vancouver as a PRC hotel.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

^ That's pretty much the problem. Either you get the party that likes Vancouver as an oversized Kelowna, or the one that likes Vancouver as a PRC hotel.

I don't know about you guys but I take a Vancouver as an oversized Kelowna any day...

[Bdawe]

Thank god he lost.

As also demonstrated by his off-the-wall counter flow lanes proposals, Kirk Lapointe shows he knows nothing when he thinks that tearing up the road for streetcars is going to less disruptive than tunneling a subway.

[dandor31]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

Thank god he lost.

As also demonstrated by his off-the-wall counter flow lanes proposals, Kirk Lapointe shows he knows nothing when he thinks that tearing up the road for streetcars is going to less disruptive than tunneling a subway.

Don't forget his free parking Sundays!

[trofirhen]

Are there any definitive plans for extending it? I know there are diagrams and of course rendering, but are there any legal documents that stipulate a forward move on the Broadway Line?

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by dandor31

Don't forget his free parking Sundays!

That's a bad idea??

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by dandor31

Don't forget his free parking Sundays!

why is that bad? also his parking ending at 6pm and not 10pm.

[dandor31]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

why is that bad? also his parking ending at 6pm and not 10pm.

I suppose I'm strongly of the opinion that parking shouldn't be free (subsidized). But my first thought was downtown is almost as busy on weekends as weekdays and doesn't need more people circling for parking. I did look back on his proposal and I believe it was for free parking outside the downtown core which is more amenable. Perhaps there is even a business case for not have to pay bylaw enforcement vs lost revenue, but I doubt it. It just seems like useless pandering that doesn't jive with the city's transportation hierarchy.

Anyways, sorry for continuing to derail the thread!

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by dandor31

I suppose I'm strongly of the opinion that parking shouldn't be free (subsidized). But my first thought was downtown is almost as busy on weekends as weekdays and doesn't need more people circling for parking. I did look back on his proposal and I believe it was for free parking outside the downtown core which is more amenable. Perhaps there is even a business case for not have to pay bylaw enforcement vs lost revenue, but I doubt it. It just seems like useless pandering that doesn't jive with the city's transportation hierarchy.

Anyways, sorry for continuing to derail the thread!

Fair enough. It does sound like an "everybody gets a free pizza" gimmick.

[scryer]

I have to say that when this extension gets built, it is just going to BLOW up the entire Broadway corridor with more highrises.

[Hot Rod]

Originally Posted by scryer

I have to say that when this extension gets built, it is just going to BLOW up the entire Broadway corridor with more highrises.

This is not a bad thing!!

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Hot Rod

This is not a bad thing!!

I wasn't saying it was . I walking down Broadways the other day, and I was thinking that the extension is going to make this street just boom with highrises (or at least become more dense). It's already a pretty nice neighbourhood so it really wouldn't surprise me.

[jlousa]

Broadway will not explode with highrises, there have been a couple proposed over the last decade near VGH and none made it anywhere as VGH has shot them down as it impedes the safe guidelines for approach via helicopter. We will certainly see a lot of tall midrises and increased density though and that's a good thing. We don't need highrises everywhere, a variety of dense forms are available to pick from.

[officedweller]

BIV article:

Evergreen Line delay costs lead to mediation, B.C. government hiding info on costs, changes and challenges
https://www.biv.com/article/2016/4/evergreen-line-delay-costs-lead-mediation-bc-gover/

Cross posting to the Broadway Extension thread as it also cites an FOI released (and redacted) document about that project, including a Stantec "Reference Project" report.

NOTE: As with Canada Line a "Reference Project" is not the same as an "As-Built Project".

[Hot Rod]

I wonder how do other cities do it, as they have high rises quiet close to major hospital with heli service like VGH with no problem (ie. Seattle). I think the distance between Seattle Muni Tower and Columbia Centre to Harbourview Medical Centre is the same distance as Vancouver General to Broadway. ...

I only notice that the towers in Seattle are well marked with Aviation beacons - something that Vancouver's towers DONT which honestly surprise me since Vancouver has floatplane and heli-jet service. And the US FAA is very restrictive on highrise development, but allowed these towers on a 300 foot slope very close to the hospital (which itself is 500 feet elevation on the same slope) .....

I'm not advocating a '950 foot Columbia Centre tower' to be built on Oak/Broadway, but I don't see why anything around 300-400 feet range couldn't be built. Appears to me to be more NIMBYism by VGH (and it's views) rather than a real threat to its approach.