SkyTrain Station Renovations

[mcminsen]

Here's the new B99 Express bus boarding area on Broadway just east of the new pedestrian bridge for the Commercial - Broadway station.



June 22 '18, my pics

[Mac Write]

I really don't like how they only have wheelchair space but no benches for the elderly and people who can't stand. not everyone is under 20 who takes any of the B-Lines.

[GeeCee]

Yet more homeless hostile architecture.. took a while to hit here vs the rest of the world, but it sure is popping up around town quickly.

[TransitJack]

What is the purpose of the stantions with the triangular box attached for? Looks like a pretty sharp corner to walk into.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by TransitJack

What is the purpose of the stantions with the triangular box attached for? Looks like a pretty sharp corner to walk into.

To lean on while waiting.

[cganuelas1995]

I'm not a fan of those lines. They seem like a waste of money.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

Yet more homeless hostile architecture.. took a while to hit here vs the rest of the world, but it sure is popping up around town quickly.

which part are you referring to exactly? i am curious to know what parts are built that way?

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I'm not a fan of those lines. They seem like a waste of money.

They're cheaper than metal railings to seperate the queues for the three different doors. If you're going to be that cheap, complain about the metal bars for leaning instead, they probably cost more.

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

which part are you referring to exactly? i am curious to know what parts are built that way?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that it's all the new style of bus shelter benches (or in this case leaning bars) that are designed purposefully so that people can't sleep on them.

[jollyburger]

Maybe there are lights hidden under there?

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Meraki

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that it's all the new style of bus shelter benches (or in this case leaning bars) that are designed purposefully so that people can't sleep on them.

yeah, but that has been happening for over a decade now? that isn't new... and i didn't see any benches in these photos. i am very curious what GeeCee was referring to.

[Metro-One]

I am also curious as to why everything must be built homeless friendly? Major transit stations / bus stops are for moving people, not sleeping / squating. Especially if adequate spaces for sleeping are provided in a city.

Benches in a park, you have more of a case, but still these areas are for everyone to use / enjoy. It is not an attempt to be mean to the homeless, but many of them do make such spaces useless for all other patrons.

If they were like the homeless in Japan (generally clean up after themselves, wake up and pack up their things during the day,
don’t leave needles and human waste around) then I think many people would be far more sympathetic and more public spaces would be open to them.

Being homeless should not equate to being above the law / having no regard for other people.

[ilikeredheads]

I think some of you are losing sight that this bus stop is designed to handle huge crowds of people, so the regularly long lineups don't block the sidewalk. Having things like benches is just a waste of space.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I am also curious as to why everything must be built homeless friendly? Major transit stations / bus stops are for moving people, not sleeping / squating. Especially if adequate spaces for sleeping are provided in a city.

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

I think some of you are losing sight that this bus stop is designed to handle huge crowds of people, so the regularly long lineups don't block the sidewalk. Having things like benches is just a waste of space.

yup, you both got it right 100%. i agree, it needs to move people on the busiest bus route in North America. this isn't an impromptu homeless shelter.

also, as another note. we have built "unfriendly" homeless items before. if you look at the building on Cambie with The Home Depot and Save On Foods the vents by the stairs on the sidewalks have what look like mountains on the top level. here. the whole point of those, were to stop homeless from camping on them. they just don't look hostile, but that is their purpose and this is ~10 years ago.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

also, as another note. we have built "unfriendly" homeless items before. if you look at the building on Cambie with The Home Depot and Save On Foods the vents by the stairs on the sidewalks have what look like mountains on the top level.

the whole point of those, were to stop homeless from camping on them. they just don't look hostile, but that is their purpose and this is ~10 years ago.

Why would a homeless person want to sleep on an air intake vent? I think it's targeted more towards skateboarders personally.

[deasine]

I agree with some providing seating, especially off to the side near the wheelchair queue might be good for commuters who can't stand.

But aside from that, I actually really like the standard TransLink bus stop: it's wonderfully bright at night, it feels open, large cover actually shields commuters from rain relatively well.

The leaning fences seem incredibly functional as it allows both sides to lean while also acting as a physical barrier to separate queues.

Vancouverites queue (which is very unusual for buses in a city), but the lines itself are based on previous trials which have further maximized the number of people in the queue.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by deasine

Vancouverites queue (which is very unusual for buses in a city), but the lines itself are based on previous trials which have further maximized the number of people in the queue.

Well, if that works, perhaps they could try it at places like Bridgeport Station, where I often see lines go all the way from one bay to the next.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

Yet more homeless hostile architecture.. took a while to hit here vs the rest of the world, but it sure is popping up around town quickly.

Why should things be built for the homeless? Shouldn't public infrastructure be built for those who work hard and pay taxes? Also, really don't get what you mean by "homeless-hostile architecture". As far as I know, drug problems and homelessness are spreading.

The Broadway station shelter and bus waiting area looks simple and clean, and that's what we need. Build anything else and they will be rundown in no time.

[Tetsuo]

Glad to see an actual structure for such an important piece of transit.

ron,

[officedweller]

Agreed that the corners on the leaning posts look sharp.

Toronto General Hospital removed grates similar to The Rise grates for being "hostile" to the homeless - in winter homeless people camp on vents.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/uhn-homeless-toronto-general-vent-grate-1.4605604

[jollyburger]

Public art. Grosvenor commissioned Vancouver artist Douglas Senft to create the original work walking the line—a functional and fully integrated work—for the fresh-air intake grates for the underground parking at The Rise. In Senft’s words, “I am often interested in work that has a relational aspect or an element of engagement between the site and the viewer; in this situation, the parameters of the site were perfect to create a sculpture that was integrated throughout the site.” The imagery was derived from the topography of the British Columbia coastline, and like the landscape that inspired this work, it is fully revealed by walking through the work.

https://casestudies.uli.org/the-rise/