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  #21  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 7:13 PM
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Originally Posted by VarBreStr18 View Post
Is the rail track crossing at end of Begbie Street to the towers an underpass or at grade? I cant tell from the rendering. What if you are driving home to the parkade only to be stopped by a train
At grade.
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  #22  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 7:46 PM
Caliplanner1 Caliplanner1 is offline
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Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon View Post
Too much flooding risk.
I see your point....but the at grade (cargo) rail infrastructure is a real drag on the health/safety and aesthetics of the New West waterfront.
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  #23  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 8:20 PM
cornholio cornholio is offline
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Should have forced them for a grade separated crossing further up at McKenzie. There already was a on ramp to the park-aide there. Just rebuild it and build a grade separated crossing there to tie into the proposed dead end of the street. Close the Begbie crossing.
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  #24  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 9:22 PM
Aroundtheworld Aroundtheworld is offline
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Originally Posted by rickvug View Post
I'd hope that a good proportion of that parking will be for the general public. The location will need it given that the current use is a large parking lot.
Right, but I imagine most visitors would also be taking transit to this location since it is very transit friendly.

I wonder if there are any plans for New West to get car share? I could see it working there, but probably only if parts of Burnaby had it as well.
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  #25  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 9:30 PM
idunno idunno is offline
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New West just got Evo IIRC.
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  #26  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 9:39 PM
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New West also has Modo
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  #27  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 9:40 PM
dothediu dothediu is offline
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Originally Posted by rickvug View Post
I'd hope that a good proportion of that parking will be for the general public. The location will need it given that the current use is a large parking lot.

Also, I can confirm that all parking is under ground. It will be complicated and I'm sure it will cost a boatload. As it has been explained to me, first the water will be blocked off to make a "bathtub" that can have all water pumped out. That bathtub is then sealed and filled in with parking. I believe the parking will be two levels and be under the park as well. Because of the complexity of this and the size of the buildings right on the water construction is estimated to take 5 years.
Wow...I was thinking about this and how they can do an underground parking, when all the condo parking in the area are above ground. And this is literally right beside the river. I hope their bathtub doesn't leak.
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  #28  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 10:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Caliplanner1 View Post
I see your point....but the at grade (cargo) rail infrastructure is a real drag on the health/safety and aesthetics of the New West waterfront.
The trains were there first. My brother lives on the waterfront there and says he gets woken up by shunting every single night. I can't imagine thinking that's a good place to live.
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  #29  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 10:30 PM
officedweller officedweller is online now
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Originally Posted by Shift View Post
How is this any different than Coal Harbour?
I see this as New West trying to replicate Coal harbour -
the problem is that Coal Harbour had its railway tracks removed.

I still think that with the escarpment, the model should have been the projects to the east of Coal Harbour
- decking over the tracks (and the roadway) and providing more open pedestrian areas.
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  #30  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 10:37 PM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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Originally Posted by Caliplanner1 View Post
I see your point....but the at grade (cargo) rail infrastructure is a real drag on the health/safety and aesthetics of the New West waterfront.
Instead of sinking the train tracks, they really should construct a simple concrete structure over most of the train tracks with retail along the edges of the structure and park space or condos above to offset the cost.

If you look at the older condo towers built with their backs to the tracks, it appears as if the parkades were designed to attach to a future structure, whether they anticipated the tracks to be covered or removed completely to build more condos.

If they covered the tracks it would do wonders to diminish the shunting and other sounds while they could at the same time install roof air cleaners for the trains as they pass underneath, making the air in the area cleaner too. This structure would also make the transportation of hazardous materials through the area safer as right now it's waiting to be the next Lac Megantic... I'm surprised the alarm hasn't been raised over this issue alone.
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  #31  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 10:49 PM
officedweller officedweller is online now
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That was the original Larco proposal - with a wide waterfront promenade - but then the City built its waterfront park at grade and everything subsequent had to conform to that.
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  #32  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 11:16 PM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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Originally Posted by officedweller View Post
That was the original Larco proposal - with a wide waterfront promenade - but then the City built its waterfront park at grade and everything subsequent had to conform to that.
The shunting, switching and coupling are mostly done in the western end of the rail area, west of 8th where Columbia and Front st. meet. This western rail area is quite wide and could still accommodate a 10-15 foot high podium as this is where I was referring to where the older condos can still adapt to a new structure.

This area (couldn't find a better pic)

http://birem.com/projects/_images/br...nster_quay.jpg

The stretch east of 8th is straight with no switches and the train whistles are not an issue anymore so its really not needed in that area now where the new park has been constructed.

In some areas there's only space for a wall and no retail but even still, a wall with patterned concrete, art or ivy is better to look at than a chain link fence with loud trains rumbling by.
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  #33  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2017, 11:40 PM
Pinion Pinion is offline
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Originally Posted by retro_orange View Post
Instead of sinking the train tracks, they really should construct a simple concrete structure over most of the train tracks with retail along the edges of the structure and park space or condos above to offset the cost.
This is what Lower Lonsdale did and many people don't even realize there's an industrial rail track underneath them.
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  #34  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 12:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by retro_orange View Post
The shunting, switching and coupling are mostly done in the western end of the rail area, west of 8th where Columbia and Front st. meet. This western rail area is quite wide and could still accommodate a 10-15 foot high podium as this is where I was referring to where the older condos can still adapt to a new structure.


In some areas there's only space for a wall and no retail but even still, a wall with patterned concrete, art or ivy is better to look at than a chain link fence with loud trains rumbling by.
Building the Evergreen Extension, TransLink had to build a wall in some sections to protect people from the sound of Skytrain. Why oh why has New West not built a wall along the rail here?
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  #35  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 12:52 AM
officedweller officedweller is online now
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By your analogy:

Translink = rail operator (pays to mitigate potential nuisance)

New Westminster is not the freight rail operators (not sure which ones, exactly) so it is not their responsibility.
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  #36  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 3:11 AM
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Originally Posted by officedweller View Post
By your analogy:

Translink = rail operator (pays to mitigate potential nuisance)

New Westminster is not the freight rail operators (not sure which ones, exactly) so it is not their responsibility.
It's basically all of them. Southern Railway of BC, CN, and CP all operate in New West. I even see some BNSF engines but they're usually down at Sapperton.
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  #37  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 7:13 AM
Caliplanner1 Caliplanner1 is offline
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Originally Posted by retro_orange View Post
Instead of sinking the train tracks, they really should construct a simple concrete structure over most of the train tracks with retail along the edges of the structure and park space or condos above to offset the cost.

If you look at the older condo towers built with their backs to the tracks, it appears as if the parkades were designed to attach to a future structure, whether they anticipated the tracks to be covered or removed completely to build more condos.

If they covered the tracks it would do wonders to diminish the shunting and other sounds while they could at the same time install roof air cleaners for the trains as they pass underneath, making the air in the area cleaner too. This structure would also make the transportation of hazardous materials through the area safer as right now it's waiting to be the next Lac Megantic... I'm surprised the alarm hasn't been raised over this issue alone.
In terms of the safety factor I was also thinking of the danger that the moving trains pose to pedestrian and vehicular traffic traversing the at grade tracks.
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  #38  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 4:51 PM
Bdawe Bdawe is offline
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New troll-idea - Elevate the freight tracks through New Westminster. This could be done to the height of the New Westminster bridge, reducing grades there, and could extend to Queensborough with a higher bridge that would require less openings and could be bundled with Q2Q. Do most of the elevation on an earthen berm to reduce noise, or in a viaduct with commercial space in the gaps like here



Again, this is a non-serious proposal
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  #39  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 5:16 PM
jollyburger jollyburger is offline
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Originally Posted by retro_orange View Post
IThis structure would also make the transportation of hazardous materials through the area safer as right now it's waiting to be the next Lac Megantic... I'm surprised the alarm hasn't been raised over this issue alone.
Please explain other than the fact they are both train tracks how it is like Lac Megantic.

Last edited by jollyburger; Jun 4, 2017 at 3:28 PM.
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  #40  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2017, 5:37 PM
VarBreStr18 VarBreStr18 is offline
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So many brilliant ideas about sinking the railway tracks, elevating the tracks, building concrete walls etc etc.....just wonder who is paying for such improvements.
The tracks have been there right from the beginning, yet people choose to develop close to them. Now declare them hazardous, noisy, blocking vehicular traffic. Precedence is that developers pay for such improvements. Onni opt to pay for skytrain station at 37th/Cambie, Concord Pacific said to pay for Capstan Station at Richmond , developers also parttially pay for Willingdon Linear park.
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