Burnaby Updates

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Fair... in the meantime though (a decade-ish?), they're facing twice the drawbacks of Marine Gateway with only a few more benefits.

There's also the fact that Brentwood is on the "wrong" side of Lougheed from Dawson, so more and more people will end up using that intersection - Burnaby Council will eventually have to make some tough choices.

Yup, like an underground or overhead pedestrian passage, preferably with retail, would do the job very well. You are right Burnaby Planning will have to make some tough choices to change the status quo. There is already a lot of retail north of Lougheed, and there will be much more in the near future.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Vin

- snip -

It'll take a lot more than a few pedestrian crossings to overcome several decades' worth of Burnaby's crap decision-making... especially when its current planners hate overpasses and tunnels.

Originally Posted by vinnycox

Lougheed and Willingdon needs a pedestrian scramble so bad. The redevelopment of the stripmall and Petro Can with the narrow sidewalk along the North side of Lougheed needs to go ASAP. It would do so much to elevate the pedestrian experience in the area and help with moving people between Solo District Amazing Brentwood, Dawson high street and the eventual developments of Brentwood West, South Yards, and Grosvenor

Ditto the dealership on the SE corner. A scramble would definitely be good too.

I'm guessing, however, that the long-term solution involves removing a lane or two - highways and walkability don't mix.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Burnaby residents can out-nimby west side Vancouver if they put their mind to it.

"A proposed non-market rental building in Edmonds Town Centre is drawing opposition from homeowners in the neighbourhood.

The six-storey development with a child-care facility proposed on public land at 7388 Southwynde Ave. would provide affordable housing in a city that has the third worst rents in the country and has been continually losing purpose-built rental housing.

But neighbours in the area criticized the project ... “This six-storey, relative to the other buildings, is going to be like a skyscraper in here,” Verhagen added. “What is that going to impact the rest of the neighbourhood in terms of property values and everything long-term?”

[Burnaby Now]

Affordable housing so this one passed as is (no doubt some of the neighbours are still grumbling) and they've already started work on it (as I learned from one of my neighbours). Hopefully this Dropbox link works.

[Lexus]

2025, Feb 23

Cameron community centre & library

Demolition completed and one crane is up.

Untitled by Lexus LX, on Flickr

Lake City Way

Untitled by Lexus LX, on Flickr

Untitled by Lexus LX, on Flickr

[jollyburger]

Here's some crane install photos from Graham

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGdkCKHRYQL/?img_index=1

[Tvisforme]

From the Burnaby Now:

Burnaby Now, New Westminster Record, Tri-City News to close

According to the statement, these three newspapers - which ceased print publication in August 2023 and transitioned to online-only - will cease publication altogether later this spring:

"...the closure will be no later than April 21 for Burnaby Now/New Westminster Record, and May 21 for Tri-City News..."

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

From the Burnaby Now:

Burnaby Now, New Westminster Record, Tri-City News to close

According to the statement, these three newspapers - which ceased print publication in August 2023 and transitioned to online-only - will cease publication altogether later this spring:

That's surprising to hear.

They're owned by the same media company (Glacier Media) that also publishes Vancouver is Awsome (Vancouverisawsome.com)

In fact, a lot of the stories on Burnaby Now would usually be duplicated from or with Vancouver is Awsome's stories.

They seem to have an extensive portfolio of news publications and sites they own beyond these four all over the province and on the Island.

I'm surprised it's only these three that are reported to be shuttering.

Is the readership in those three coverage areas really that anemic and lacking?

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

That's surprising to hear.

They're owned by the same media company (Glacier Media) that also publishes Vancouver is Awsome (Vancouverisawsome.com)...

Yes, a bit disconcerting and it makes me worry that the North Shore News - also owned by Glacier - might eventually suffer the same fate. We do still have a print edition, but it's down to once a week from three editions.

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

Yes, a bit disconcerting and it makes me worry that the North Shore News - also owned by Glacier - might eventually suffer the same fate. We do still have a print edition, but it's down to once a week from three editions.

I'm worrying about this too

[jollyburger]

The fact they paid $86.7 million for them in 2011 boggles the mind since they were already down the toilet in 2011.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

It'll take a lot more than a few pedestrian crossings to overcome several decades' worth of Burnaby's crap decision-making... especially when its current planners hate overpasses and tunnels.



Ditto the dealership on the SE corner. A scramble would definitely be good too.

I'm guessing, however, that the long-term solution involves removing a lane or two - highways and walkability don't mix.

The lack of overhead pedestrian crossings is not a Burnaby-only problem, but region-wide. Like I said, Burnaby would have to make the decision when moving people becomes a problem on ground-level. Currently, the Brentwood skytrain station crossing provides a bit of relief for those choosing to cross from the Amazing Brentwood over to the SE side quick, but hopefully they can continue the way all over to the Solo development in the future when the SE corner gets developed. Both Lougheed and Willingdon are very wide streets, even with the removal of a lane or two.

[NetMapel]

Originally Posted by Vin

The lack of overhead pedestrian crossings is not a Burnaby-only problem, but region-wide. Like I said, Burnaby would have to make the decision when moving people becomes a problem on ground-level. Currently, the Brentwood skytrain station crossing provides a bit of relief for those choosing to cross from the Amazing Brentwood over to the SE side quick, but hopefully they can continue the way all over to the Solo development in the future when the SE corner gets developed. Both Lougheed and Willingdon are very wide streets, even with the removal of a lane or two.

I know it’s controversial but I honestly think they should reduce Willingdon and Lougheed lanes as they approach Brentwood centre. Like a few blocks away or something. Brentwood is a designated urban centre by Burnaby and to have these 7 and 6 lanes highways cutting through the middle is antithesis to a healthy urban core. Cities are for people, not car drive-thru. The amount of people waiting at those intersections are massive in spite of the terrible and unsafe environment of that intersection.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by NetMapel

I know it’s controversial but I honestly think they should reduce Willingdon and Lougheed lanes as they approach Brentwood centre. Like a few blocks away or something. Brentwood is a designated urban centre by Burnaby and to have these 7 and 6 lanes highways cutting through the middle is antithesis to a healthy urban core. Cities are for people, not car drive-thru. The amount of people waiting at those intersections are massive in spite of the terrible and unsafe environment of that intersection.

I wonder if a mid-block connection in certain areas would work better. You don't have all the problems with left/right turning cars. You would have to do a lot of light syncing but it seems like the best option without cutting down lanes.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Vin

- snip -

Broadway and Georgia don’t have any overpasses either, nor a SkyTrain to mitigate traffic (as of today)…and yet both are an order of magnitude more walkable than Lougheed or Willingdon. Seems like something Burnaby should look into.

There’s still a densifying northwest corner which would have to cross the street to access everything else. Ditto all the planned street-level retail and customers for whom an overpass network is less convenient, not more. The underlying problem (Burnaby continually choosing drivers over pedestrians) will remain unsolved.

[ecbin]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Broadway and Georgia don’t have any overpasses either, nor a SkyTrain to mitigate traffic (as of today)…and yet both are an order of magnitude more walkable than Lougheed or Willingdon. Seems like something Burnaby should look into.

There’s still a densifying northwest corner which would have to cross the street to access everything else. Ditto all the planned street-level retail and customers for whom an overpass network is less convenient, not more. The underlying problem (Burnaby continually choosing drivers over pedestrians) will remain unsolved.

THIS. Georgia, Broadway, Kingsway (in Vancouver), even Hastings (in Vancouver) don't have this problem. Maybe Oak and Granville do but those are arteries right next to single family residential with no retail.

Let's stop making excuses for the spectacularly bad job Burnaby has done with Brentwood (and soon to be Lougheed and Metrotown). Burnaby doesn't get the benefit of the doubt (or of "it'll happen over time) as their track record has always been to ignore pedestrians and cyclists to the benefit of cars - this isn't some oversight on their part, this is the way they develop.

In Vancouver you can actually have an argument about turning Broadway into a 2 lane road for the benefit of pedestrians/residents (I disagreed with it but they made good points). Can you imagine Burnaby having that kind of debate for Lougheed or Kingsway?

[officedweller]

In Vancouver, you have traffic distributed over several parallel arterials. In Burnaby, those main arterials do not have nearby parallel through routes, so Lougheed and Kingsway have to bear more traffic than the arterials on a grid system like Vancouver. There's little redundancy.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by officedweller

In Vancouver, you have traffic distributed over several parallel arterials. In Burnaby, those main arterials do not have nearby parallel through routes, so Lougheed and Kingsway have to bear more traffic than the arterials on a grid system like Vancouver. There's little redundancy.

hey, someone gets it. nice.

[ecbin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

In Vancouver, you have traffic distributed over several parallel arterials. In Burnaby, those main arterials do not have nearby parallel through routes, so Lougheed and Kingsway have to bear more traffic than the arterials on a grid system like Vancouver. There's little redundancy.

I'm not sure how that matters if the discussion is about making Lougheed (Brentwood) or Kingsway (Metrotown) liveable for pedestrians. Georgia is the only arterial in the downtown core and it's significantly more liveable than Lougheed or Kingsway.

We should stop making excuses for Burnaby's terrible urban planning.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Hastings, the TCH, Parker, Canada Way, Imperial and literally two SkyTrains: am I a joke to you?

Also, Boundary, Gilmore and Willingdon are all right next to each other, so there's wiggle room for traffic-calming there as well. In fairness, Kingsway could use a few more lights too.

[NetMapel]

Originally Posted by officedweller

In Vancouver, you have traffic distributed over several parallel arterials. In Burnaby, those main arterials do not have nearby parallel through routes, so Lougheed and Kingsway have to bear more traffic than the arterials on a grid system like Vancouver. There's little redundancy.

I think my argument is still... cars traveling through those designated urban centres aren't benefiting the people living there. So who should be prioritized? The people living there or people treating those areas as drive-thru?