Metro Vancouver Road Infrastructure Discussion

[Klazu]

One needs to also think beyond just cars and gas. Demand for oil will always be there as long as we use plastics for a million different things which is going to be forever.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Klazu

One needs to also think beyond just cars and gas. Demand for oil will always be there as long as we use plastics for a million different things which is going to be forever.

Plastics are not required to be crude oil based.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by madog222

Plastics are not required to be crude oil based.

And there's a Canadian company already supplying car makers with an alternative.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Changing City

And there's a Canadian company already supplying car makers with an alternative.

I'll definitely sell my whale oil stocks for some of that.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by Klazu

One needs to also think beyond just cars and gas. Demand for oil will always be there as long as we use plastics for a million different things which is going to be forever.

You say that like people haven't thought of it. Plastics are but a few % of oil consumption. They also don't tend to end up in the atmosphere unless you burn them.

You can also make many plastics out of other chemicals that aren't oil, like alcohol.

[SpongeG]

Some quick pics of the new fence they are installing under the skytrain between Gaglardi and Austin, its pretty fancy, a rusty metal, looks like it would be hard to try get over.

Much nicer than the old cement blocks.

2021-05-07_04-33-32 by snub_you, on Flickr

2021-05-07_04-33-38 by snub_you, on Flickr

2021-05-07_04-34-02 by snub_you, on Flickr

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by Klazu

One needs to also think beyond just cars and gas. Demand for oil will always be there as long as we use plastics for a million different things which is going to be forever.

I've always thought the incredible utility of plastics and other petrochemicals was a great argument for doing less of the 'setting oil on fire instead of making it into useful objects'

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

I've always thought the incredible utility of plastics and other petrochemicals was a great argument for doing less of the 'setting oil on fire instead of making it into useful objects'

Microplastics to kill fish

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Some quick pics of the new fence they are installing under the skytrain between Gaglardi and Austin, its pretty fancy, a rusty metal, looks like it would be hard to try get over. Much nicer than the old cement blocks.

Not sure what they are doing here and whether or not that is final installation, but that looks lethal in case of a crash.

I am also so disappointed with the Lougheed upgrades which will completely remove the chance of there ever being 3+3 lanes. This section of Lougheed will be so congested with tens of thousands of new homes going up in the town centre area...

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Not sure what they are doing here and whether or not that is final installation, but that looks lethal in case of a crash.

I am also so disappointed with the Lougheed upgrades which will completely remove the chance of there ever being 3+3 lanes. This section of Lougheed will be so congested with tens of thousands of new homes going up in the town centre area...

Where do I begin with this horribly botched project? Congestion has actually gotten worse with this project.

Reduced lane width between Brighton and Government St/Austin Rd. Trucks are now straddling both lanes EB from Gaglardi to Bell Ave.

They completely removed the merge lane from EB Lougheed just after Brighton which forces you to take your chances when turning right onto Lougheed from NB Brighton.

It should have definitely been 3 lanes between Brighton and Gaglardi since a lot of traffic turns right onto SB Gaglardi.

WB Lougheed sees a lot of traffic turn left onto SB Gaglardi as well. There should have been a duel left controlled intersection built into this project.

All this work seemed to be done to improve the cycling connections along the stretch and build a sidewalk. Lougheed Highway as a cycling route just doesn't make sense when Winston and Government St is a more quiet and less hilly route. On top of that, you had Burnaby purchase the old CN/BNSF spur back in 2000 that goes up East Lake Drive and do nothing with it. It was already at-grade and readily available to be built as a greenway.

Not sure what Burnaby has planned. It will be a congested hell once Brentwood and Lougheed are fully built up. Having redundancy built into their road network would have been wise but they seem to be more focused on traffic calming and adding more lights.

[SpongeG]

they are going to have two left-turning lanes now from Lougheed WB to Gaglardi at least, that stretch pre-covid was always a big backup due to the single lane.

Aesthetically I like the changes, functionally it's not making any sense.

They have dug away a lot of ground away on the north side Lougheed just west of Bell, not sure what they are doing there, I imagine they are adding a pedestrian and or bicycle lane, making that stretch more pedestrian friendly.

[Vantage]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

they are going to have two left-turning lanes now from Lougheed WB to Gaglardi at least, that stretch pre-covid was always a big backup due to the single lane.

That alone is worth it

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

On top of that, you had Burnaby purchase the old CN/BNSF spur back in 2000 that goes up East Lake Drive and do nothing with it. It was already at-grade and readily available to be built as a greenway.

what was the plan at the time of purchase? as eventual Westward extension of East lake Drive? I cant seem to find anything on google about the sale.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

what was the plan at the time of purchase? as eventual Westward extension of East lake Drive? I cant seem to find anything on google about the sale.

Sold in 2000 from BNSF to Burnaby. If I recall correctly, it was supposed to be a greenway and potentially a future roadway pending redevelopment. Then apparently, Burnaby was studying the feasibility to redeveloping that area but heavy land contamination along with existing pipelines has rendered the land completely undevelopable. The TMX pipeline is now slated to be build under that ROW.

[officedweller]

They're basically removing all the on-street parking to widen the sidewalks.

Broadway will be narrowed to a four-lane road after the subway is built
...
There will be significantly wider sidewalks for pedestrians, plus space for restaurant patios, additional street trees, landscaping, sidewalk lighting, street furniture such as seating, and public art.

There are no plans to incorporate east-west bike lanes on Broadway given the limited space and focus for other uses for a true pedestrian-oriented experience, and the existence of east-west bike lanes within very close proximity.

But there will be improvements to accessing parallel bike lanes on the adjacent streets and the north-south cycling routes along the corridor. Other amenities for the new Broadway include bike parking and electric vehicle charging stations.
...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/broadway-road-redesign-vancouver-subway-great-street




https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/broadway-road-redesign-vancouver-subway-great-street

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by officedweller

They're basically removing all the on-street parking to widen the sidewalks.

Starting with 7 blocks near the stations and eventually on all the other blocks after redevelopment/utility upgrades etc.

I don't know but with the 3rd lane running as a bus lane during rush hour and then street parking for the rest of the day, I don't think it will be as dramatic of a change especially if you see bus service drop off to a #9 type "local service". Depending on traffic they probably need to eliminate more left- turning off of Broadway eventually as well except where they can fit in a turn bay.

[Migrant_Coconut]

It's definitely not a big deal - there's almost always one or five parked cars past the cutoff that make the lane unusable anyway. And when you add in the subway and remove the B-Line, you're really not losing anything as a driver.

[mattropolis]

They included trolley wires on the existing condition, but not on the proposed condition. Hope that is not their intention.

[Klazu]

I bet parking will be allowed on the off-hours and weekends on the outer lanes, making what used to be a 3+3 arterial road now 1+1 lanes. City of Vancouver won't let their parking meter income drop and businesses "must" have parking in fron of them. Owning a vehicle on the Westside is going to get even worse.

Keep also in mind that the outer lane will double as a right-turn lane that will have traffic stop at every traffic light with pedestrians crossing. We will be left with only 1+1 free-floating through lanes.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by mattropolis

They included trolley wires on the existing condition, but not on the proposed condition. Hope that is not their intention.

As Broadway will see fewer buses than today, and TransLink are moving to electric buses to replace conventional combustion buses, perhaps the expectation is that the routes along Broadway will also have electric propulsion in future. The new road layout isn't expected to be constructed before 2024.