Metro Vancouver Road Infrastructure Discussion

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

lots of eye rolling to do in this thread today.

[Dave2]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I have never seen the original plans for Highway 1 and do wonder if the 4+4 lane solution was a value engineered compromise? If 5+5 lanes was not possible, why didn't they go for a configurable 3+5 setup? Our rush hour traffic is so directional, that 3+5 lanes could work so much better than the current 4+4 setup does. My commute against the traffic would still be free-flowing with one lane being taken out to support the direction of the rush hour.

There were plans for a collector/distributor system in the vicinity of the Willingdon–Grandview interchanges as part of Gateway, but it was cut from the plans. There was a lot of discussion of this in the forum about ten years ago (geez, has it been that long?)

You also mentioned the 3+3 “from the 70s”… Highway 1 was actually 2+2 well into the 1990s, when the HOV lane was built.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Dave2

There were plans for a collector/distributor system in the vicinity of the Willingdon–Grandview interchanges as part of Gateway, but it was cut from the plans.

also something i noticed in the plans, with the C/D system, there was an extra GP-lane, Eastbound, all the way from Grandview -to- Sprott Street

there was also a large interchange upgrade planed at Sprott/Kensington.


none of that happened. (it was cut). **i dont know about other cuts, as this part is the only section i have looked at and compared**

[Feathered Friend]

https://syc.vancouver.ca/projects/strath...c-calming-update-information-booklet.pdf

Help us improve traffic calming in Strathcona
The City of Vancouver is proposing new traffic calming measures in Strathcona, with a focus on local residential streets. The program area is bound by Prior/Venables St, Clark Dr, E Hastings St and Gore Ave.

Get involved


Take our survey, which is open until Monday, April 4 2022
Attend a virtual information and discussion session - register to attend on Eventbrite
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 – 6-7pm
Thursday, March 24, 2022 – 6-7pm
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/strathcona-t...ation-sessions-registration-293511269107

What's happening?
We’re looking for your input to understand local traffic concerns. Let us know what traffic calming measures work well and how we can implement similar measures elsewhere in the neighbourhood. Our traffic calming ‘tools’ consist of quick build options that can be made permanent in the future, or adjusted where needed.

The Update aims to:
Reduce vehicle speeds and volumes on local residential streets;
- Discourage shortcutting on local residential streets (for example, to avoid traffic congestion on arterial streets);
- Make local residential streets safer and more comfortable for walking, cycling and rolling;
- Maintain emergency access;
- Ensure implementation measures are informed by an equitable engagement process.

https://shapeyourcity.ca/strathcona-traffic

[idunno]

Some interesting measures proposed there. Bring on the dutch style street design!

I wonder what the community will end up settling on.

[Alex Mackinnon]

There's already a lot of traffic calming in Strathcona. I'm not sure if a bit more will make much of a difference.

The big problem that they're trying to fix is cars cutting from Venables to Hastings via Campbell and Glen when the train level crossing is tied up. They need to do the grade separation. This is just trying to mitigate that they're way behind on that front.

[idunno]

Agreed - that Venables Underpass project needed to happen yesterday.

[hollywoodnorth]

what a joke wasting money instead of solving the issue. Typical COV. The grade separation should have happened YEARS AGO. we have a plan .... why are we not dong it?

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

what a joke wasting money instead of solving the issue. Typical COV. The grade separation should have happened YEARS AGO. we have a plan .... why are we not dong it?

Far as I recall this is less the City and more the railway and port. I don't think the City pays for the underpass either.

[GenWhy?]

I think federal funding applications started in early 2020, pre pandemic, so it'll likely be a part of some spending package to "put people back to work"

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I think federal funding applications started in early 2020, pre pandemic, so it'll likely be a part of some spending package to "put people back to work"

thats the last the City has said on it >> https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/09-18-2020-prior-venables-underpass-update.pdf

great job keeping everyone updated on such an important price of infrastructure.

[GenWhy?]

Just got an update on the underpass. There is no update. Probably have to wait a few more years for funding and action to materialize from the other parties / powers in change.

[Migrant_Coconut]

IIRC the railways only have to spend money when they need to move the rails; since they're staying put and we're going under them, it's got to be either City Council or the Port.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

IIRC the railways only have to spend money when they need to move the rails; since they're staying put and we're going under them, it's got to be either City Council or the Port.

This, the grade separation is not a CoV project but only part of CN’s plan to double track the line between the port and Kaslo Street.

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

thats the last the City has said on it >> https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/09-18-2020-prior-venables-underpass-update.pdf

great job keeping everyone updated on such an important price of infrastructure.

Here is a slightly newer memo.
https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/11-27-2020-update-on-the-bi-rail-line-twinning-rts-14115.pdf

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by FarmerHaight

No, I did not forget that. That's why time and again I have mentioned that investing in rapid transit will remove thousands of vehicles from critical transportation routes, allowing goods and people making trips that have to go by road to flow freely. Based on carrying capacity, Skytrain would be 16x more effective at creating space on the highways.

How exactly is a east/west SkyTrain going to do anything for trucks trying to get from our only truck crossing to our only east/west freeway, HWY#1? It doesn't even have a single bus route. Let's say in fantasyland that the SkyTrain will reduce traffic on HWY#15 by 20%, how is that going to make a hoot of difference on just a 4 lane road with 17 traffic lights, much being 50km/hr, having lights right at the bottom of 2 very steep hills, is still used by farm tractors, and even has sign for drivers to reduce speed to 50km/hr from 70 when "children are playing on the highway"?

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

How exactly is a east/west SkyTrain going to do anything for trucks trying to get from our only truck crossing to our only east/west freeway, HWY#1? It doesn't even have a single bus route. Let's say in fantasyland that the SkyTrain will reduce traffic on HWY#15 by 20%, how is that going to make a hoot of difference on just a 4 lane road with 17 traffic lights, much being 50km/hr, having lights right at the bottom of 2 very steep hills, is still used by farm tractors, and even has sign for drivers to reduce speed to 50km/hr from 70 when "children are playing on the highway"?

In the context of the original post (expanding the IWM and widening #1 north of the inlet) Skytrain would do a lot to improve access for the port, Whistler and other northern destinations, and the Horseshoe bay terminal.

As for all of the issues with southern highways, I don't disagree with you. However, you took my initial post out of context.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

How exactly is a east/west SkyTrain going to do anything for trucks trying to get from our only truck crossing to our only east/west freeway, HWY#1? It doesn't even have a single bus route. Let's say in fantasyland that the SkyTrain will reduce traffic on HWY#15 by 20%, how is that going to make a hoot of difference on just a 4 lane road with 17 traffic lights, much being 50km/hr, having lights right at the bottom of 2 very steep hills, is still used by farm tractors, and even has sign for drivers to reduce speed to 50km/hr from 70 when "children are playing on the highway"?

No, you were talking about Highway 1 on the North Shore, which has little to no impact on Highway 1 in Surrey - that's a completely different conversation. According to BC traffic sensors, the IWM gets about 120k drivers a day; a SkyTrain that removes 50k drivers would make traffic on the bridge up to 42% less congested for truckers. Upgrading to a ten lane bridge only gets us 31%.

As for Highway 15, Victoria's continuing to widen the Trans-Canada around Langley (some of which is still two lanes), and the Fraser Highway SkyTrain will remove 20k drivers from SoF roads. If you're waiting for the day that somebody greenlights a ten-lane elevated highway straight through the middle of Cloverdale, that's not happening. Ever.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

According to BC traffic sensors, the IWM gets about 120k drivers a day; a SkyTrain that removes 50k drivers would make traffic on the bridge up to 42% less congested for truckers.

"Congestion" is usually used to describe the increased time it takes to make a trip. The 42% you're referring to is the reduction in trips, "congestion" would likely drop to zero long before you removed that many trips.

The trick, of course, is trying to guesstimate how many trips people are avoiding today due to the congestion. Those people will jump right back on the bridge if the congestion problem is solved.

[jollyburger]

Seems like they added some new traffic cameras along Richards/Seymour

https://vanmapp1.vancouver.ca/gmaps/m_covmap.htm?map=traffic_cameras

[whatnext]

Awesome! About time these malcontents had to endure consequences:

B.C. drivers drag Save Old Growth protestors after demonstrators block traffic
By Ashley Burr
Posted Apr 21, 2022, 8:30PM PDT.
Video footage captured Thursday morning shows Save Old Growth protestors clashing with B.C. commuters when some drivers grabbed and pulled demonstrators off the road they were blocking.

A video shared by one of the protestors shows several members of the Save Old Growth group sitting at the entrance of the Iron Workers Bridge, blocking cars in southbound lanes just after 7 a.m. Several drivers then left their cars, attempting to drag protestors out of the way during the rush-hour traffic...

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/04/21/bc-protesters-drivers-traffic/