Waterfront Station Transportation Hub | Proposed

[SFUVancouver]

A huge tip of the hat to jlousa for the document


The following are exerts from Translink's Waterfront Station Transportation Hub Conceptual Plan Request For Proposal.

The South British Columbia Coast Transportation Authority ("the SBCTA" or "TransLink") is seeking consultant services to develop a Waterfront Hub Transportation Concept Plan ("Transportation Concept Plan") for Waterfront Station, located on West Cordova Street at the gateway between the Core Business District (CBD) and Gastown. The Concept Plan will be used as a key input into the City of Vancouver's ("CoV") Central Waterfront Transportation Hub (the "Hub") Study. The intent of the Plan is to guide the development of a world class transportation facility that is highly functional, accessible to a variety modes and users and a destination in and of itself. It must keep pace with increasing transit ridership and reflect the importance of the station as a multimodal transit hub.

It is planned that the Hub be a showcase for the city and that it meet the highest international standard for transportation hubs for the next 50-100 years.


Waterfront Station Transportation Hub Conceptual Plan - Page 56

As part of the CoV Hub Study, the City will be engaging an engineering consultant to carry out feasibility analysis and develop preliminary structural concepts and construction cost estimates for a number of elements of their Concept Plan, including: a viaduct road network north of Cordova Street and east of Howe Street; a new transit concourse north of the Waterfront Station building; two new development sites above the railway tracks south of the new Canada Place viaduct extension; and a new entrance to the Granville Square parkade from Cordova Street. The results of this work are expected in late April, 2008. TransLinkYs consultants will be required to review the results of this engineering work, and where necessary, incorporate findings into the Transportation Concept Plan.

The centrepiece of the Waterfront Hub area is Waterfront Station, a landmark heritage building originally built as the CPR railway station. Waterfront Station features limited retail and office space and is served by a number of key regional transportation lines (Expo Line SkyTrain, West Coast Express commuter rail, SeaBus passenger ferry, local and express bus service, future Canada Line and a potential streetcar). Overall, the space at Waterfront Station hub does not live up to its potential as a dynamic multimodal interchange. Integration between transportation modes and the physical and visual connections to the surrounding neighbourhood must be improved

Waterfront Station is the terminus and seventh busiest station of the SkyTrain networkand forms an integral part of the regional transit system servicing Metro Vancouver.


Current and potential future transportation services at Waterfront Station include:

SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay:
-3.2 km passenger ferry linking North Vancouver with downtown Vancouver.
-Two vessels, each carrying up to 400 passengers serve an average of 17,700 weekday passengers.
-Annual ridership in 2007 was 5.4 million boardings, a 4% increase over the previous year and projections suggest an additional 4% in 2008.
-A third SeaBus is to enter service in 2009, to address forecasted increased demand for SeaBus service by allowing service every 10 minutes in peaks, up fiom every 15 minutes today.
-North Shore bus service feeding the Seabus is also expected to improve significantly with frequencies increasing from 15 to 10 minutes when the third SeaBus enters service.

Expo & Millennium Line SkyTrain Terminus
-Both SkyTrain routes (Expo and Millennium) terminate at Waterfront Station.
-Trains every 108 seconds in peak periods.
-Weekday SkyTrain boardings at Waterfront are estimated at 15,600, with 10,400 boardings Saturdays and 7,000 Sundays.
-The AM peak hour sees 1,350 boardings and 2,000 alightings at this station.
-The PM peak hour sees 2,700 boardings and 1,825 alightings at this station.
-There is significant "reverse peak" travel at this station, generated by transfers to and from SeaBus and West Coast Express.

West Coast Express (WCE) Terminus
-Commuter rail service linking Mission, Port Haney, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody with downtown Vancouver.
-Five trains operate only in the peak direction, weekdays only.
-Trains operate approximately every 30 minutes with passenger volumes of up to 1,300 per train arriving and departing Waterfront.
-Annual ridership in 2007 was 2.4 million boardings, a 4% increase over the previous year.
-Since opening in 1995, ridership has increased steadily from about 5,000 riders a day to well over 9,000, with an overall growth rate of 60 per cent.

Bus Terminus:
-It is intended that the Hub become more of a regional rapid transit centre serving multiple modes of rail, SeaBus, and regional higher order bus services as well as local services. Part of the study will be to determine the overall desire for services, the number of bus routes and type of route including potentially Bus Rapid Transit service along Hastings to Simon Fraser University as well as limited stop B-Line services and local trolley service.

Heliiet Port
-Helijet scheduled helicopter service operates to Victoria from a floating dock adjacent to the SeaBus terminal.


In addition to existing transportation services, the following services are planned or are potential future additions to the hub, which will need consideration as part of this study.

Canada Line Terminus
-The Canada Line rail rapid transit system to Richmond and the airport will open in late 2009, replacing the #98 B-Line that now starts on Cordova Street in front of Waterfront Station. The Canada Line will terminate below Granville Street, just south of Cordova Street, with one of the station entrances leading to the main hall of the CPR station to provide connections to other transit services at Waterfront Station. A second entrance at Granville and Hastings will serve much walk-in traffic tolfrom the CBD that now uses the #98 B-Line stop at Burrard Station, as well as some bus connections

Future: Downtown Streetcar
-The City of Vancouver has proposed a streetcar network for downtown Vancouver with a phase 1 line extending from Waterfront Station around False Creek to Granville Island. More information can be found at: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.calengs...treetcar/index.

Future: Passenger Ferry Services
-Private inter-regional passenger ferry services to Victoria and Nanaimo have operated in the past from the outside berth of the SeaBus terminal and should be provided for in the future. TransLink may also expand passenger ferry services within the region to Bowen Island, West Vancouver and potentially other destinations.

Future: Intercity Passenger Rail Services
-While not currently on the horizon, consideration shall be given to providing passenger and track capacity for future intercity passenger rail services (e.g., to Seattle and Portland) within the facility given its strategically central location and lack of alternatives.

Future: Transit Expansion
-The Province of British Columbia recently announced a plan to invest $11 billion in the regional transit network. This plan includes a major expansion of the rapid transit, rail and bus system, as well as significant upgrades to existing facilities. This investment will significantly increase transit ridership and thereby add considerable volume to existing transit facilities, including Waterfront Station.

Potential Future: Whitecaps Stadium
-The study should take into account the possible development of a 15-30,000 seat stadium within the Central Waterfront Port Lands, currently under discussion between the Whitecaps and the Vancouver Port Authority.


Options should acknowledge the diverse mix of users (commuters, workers, tourists, cyclists, residents, etc.) of the station hub and surrounding area and propose ways to enhance its function, vitality, and public image and visibility both as a transportation hub and a destination. Specifically, options should: Identify passenger and facility improvements that will enhance access, connectivity between modes, comfort, safety and wayfinding throughout station area;

-Address multi-modal transportation integration and expansion (e.g., bus, train, SkyTrain, SeaBus, streetcar, passenger ferry, cycling, walking, etc.);
-Identify preferred locations for transit services within the facility (.e.g., specific locations on street or within a designated terminal area).
-Identify special zones (e.g., transit priority, ticket purchasing areas, fare paid zones, potential fare gatelticket barrier cordons), indicating required capacity and widths, passenger amenities, wayfinding and information improvements within the station and the immediate Hub area.
-Optimize all at-grade, above grade, vertical and horizontal connections to and within the station hub, including Canada Line and bus transfer zones, and to the surrounding pedestrian and cycling network.
-Maximize the legibility of vertical and horizontal wayfinding and orientation opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists to all modes.
-Identify vertical connections between the modes, key destinations and street grade, and any other facilities (e.g., ramps) required to service bicycles and people with limited mobility.
-Incorporate principles of safety and security in ways that enhances the Station as a public space, both day and night and throughout the year.
-Propose scenarios for expanding people conveyance systems such as locations of elevators, stairs, escalators, walkway widths, etc.
-Improve cycling access and wayfinding from the surrounding proposed street system.
-Explore options for providing cycling storage at the station.
-Assess and identify any retail opportunities within the station, including cycling facilities.
-Identify ways to appropriately integrate the station with the neighbourhood and to create a better connection with the waterfront.
-Propose innovative ways of expanding the existing building / space while respecting the heritage and character of the CPR station building.

[mr.x]

omg o_O....this is basically what i sent to Translink like a year ago. my dream realized?

it looks like the new Translink deserved the pay raise they gave themselves.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

omg o_O....this is basically what i sent to Translink like a year ago. my dream realized?

it looks like the new Translink deserved the pay raise they gave themselves.

I too visioned something like this (not as big) and sent it to TransLink a few times.

Anyway I did a quick simple map in the area to include some of the features I hope to see:

[Yume-sama]

Wow. I want.

[mr.x]

I always thought that the backwall of the Waterfront Station building should be knocked down so that a concourse, with a huge glass roof, could be built. From the concourse, you will be able to go down to the West Coast Express commuter rail platforms via escalators to the platform level. Fare gates would be installed at each WCE escalator entrance. Same goes with the SeaBus, with another escalator/stairs going down to a corridor to the SeaBus terminal. At the glass roofed concourse, there would be shops, bistros, and restaurants. There would also be transit customer service booths located throughout the station. Overhead, there would be a huge LCD screen and there would also be constant automatic announcements of train and SeaBus arrivals.

Access to the SkyTrain platform would also be improved with the addition of escalators/stairs on the platform to the Waterfront Station building.

This would've been similar to Pennsylvania Station in New York:

[officedweller]

Thanks!

I think Street B should be moved to the north to allow for a wider concourse (or at least provide at-grade (undergound) space for future tracks parallel to the WCE tracks).
Or better yet - The concourse should be oriented north-south in more typical fashion with stairs and escalators descending to the tracks on each side - this could be accomplished by making the concourse more of a square shape with east and west sides providing flanking retail and services and maybe one or two towers above the flanks.

The Granville Extension is a good idea - apparently the City had been considering it as it was mentioned in a previous Granville Street-end consultant's study funding request (i.e. demolition of the Granville Square parkade, passage through it, or at the level of the plaza (elevated)) - no sign of the consultant's study report.

Here's my suggested revision to the concept (this would allow for 2 more platforms parallel to and north of the WCE platform):



The concourse can also be moved west to open up on one side onto Granville Street sort of like Southern Cross Station in Melbourne - it depnds on whether you want to create a new facade/image or retain the CP Station as the main facade:


Photo: Marcus Wong (Wikipedia)

[twoNeurons]

A lofty goal to be the showcase for the city and that it meet the highest international standard for transportation hubs for the next 50-100 years. For that to happen, the WCE would need to run a lot more frequently, the Canada line would have to be properly integratied with the Expo Line, the Streetcar has to break ground... oh and just for the heck of it, the Expo line needs to be extended out to Gastown (at least) so that there's another choice in directions to take.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by tintinium

A lofty goal to be the showcase for the city and that it meet the highest international standard for transportation hubs for the next 50-100 years. For that to happen, the WCE would need to run a lot more frequently, the Canada line would have to be properly integratied with the Expo Line, the Streetcar has to break ground... oh and just for the heck of it, the Expo line needs to be extended out to Gastown (at least) so that there's another choice in directions to take.

Add on that the Canada Line's Waterfront Station platform would have to be extended, and that could be possible if we sacrificed the tail track for an extended platform, since the corridor to the CP building is along the tail track. I just don't see how a 50-metre platform would work for the transit hub, for 50-100 years. And this means the entire Canada Line would need a major rehaul.

More importantly, the WCE needs to be improved....the service needs double-tracking, and it needs to be frequent all-day service. Perhaps they could make a second line through Surrey via the Grandview Cut. I thought it was interesting that they included inter-city passenger services to Seattle and Portland.

BTW, nice maps guys. And Deasine, I assume the big red square includes both the CP building and transit plaza.....it's also bloody huge compared to what Translink is proposing. And note that the Canada Line Waterfront Station's street entrance has been moved to the southwest corner of Granville and Hastings in front of the Washington Building...it is no longer integrated with Sinclair Centre.

[vanman]

The results of this work are expected in late April, 2008. TransLinkYs consultants will be required to review the results of this engineering work, and where necessary, incorporate findings into the Transportation Concept Plan.

So within a few months we should see some detailed plans and possibly renderings? How awesome would it be if one of those newly created development parcels became home of Vancouver's next tallest. I could envision a 55 fl mixed use building clocking in at 750ft with 25flrs of condos on top of a 30 story commercial base. Hopefully some developer can envision that as well.

[jlousa]

I'm not so sure we'll see condos on top of any office tower going in there, especially with the Whitecaps stadium being next doors.

Also expect the seawall to finally connect with crab park and then to the Carrall St Greenway.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by vanman

So within a few months we should see some detailed plans and possibly renderings? How awesome would it be if one of those newly created development parcels became home of Vancouver's next tallest. I could envision a 55 fl mixed use building clocking in at 750ft with 25flrs of condos on top of a 30 story commercial base. Hopefully some developer can envision that as well.

I don't think condos are suitable for this part of the CBD (nevermind that residential shouldn't even be in the CBD), it should be completely office. And I agree, hopefully this gives us an opportunity to put a supertall (750-800 feet; 55-65 stories), completely office with retail at the bottom. Our own Two International Finance Tower:

[jlousa]

Don't expect anything taller then the pacific press building, otherwise you'll be let down.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

moved to the southwest corner of Granville and Hastings in front of the Washington Building.

Washington took over the United Kingdom [Building]???

If a tall building does go in, I'd rather see it set back from the water close to the CP Station rather than closer to the Seabus. That would provide some height variation.

The problem with the park ove rthe tracks concept is that the escarpment (on whihc the Canada Place Way viaduct relies for elevation separation over Waterfont Road, practically disappears by Abbott Street, so any deck over the tracks would be substantially higher than the nearby roadways. A permanent deck may prove to be a big visual barrier (moreso than parked trains which at least move every so often.

[eduardo88]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

Perhaps they could make a second line through Surrey via the Grandview Cut.

Ive always been hoping for something like that, but not just to surrey, it should go all the way to abbotsford via langley

[mr.x]

^ which building is that?

[raggedy13]

^I'm guessing Granville Square (home of the Vancouver Sun/Province - 'Pacific Press')

I don't see why they couldn't do something a bit taller (like 160m at least?). I mean those development sites look sizable enough for something taller. A pair of tall twins would be pretty cool.

[cc85]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

^I'm guessing Granville Square (home of the Vancouver Sun/Province - 'Pacific Press')

I don't see why they couldn't do something a bit taller (like 160m at least?). I mean those development sites look sizable enough for something taller. A pair of tall twins would be pretty cool.

not everything is about height . there is more to a city than having tall buildings, concentrate your height in one area and sacrifice the life of another area in return.

[raggedy13]

^I'm not all about height. The transit hub alone will be a much better addition to the city than any tall tower could be, but with a couple of taller Vancouver buildings (ie not even close to 'tall' by international standards) we would have a bit of something to make everybody happy (on this forum anyways). And on the plus side, taller towers in that location would have a pretty limited impact in terms of shadowing since they would be on the far north side of downtown. Wouldn't be too ideal if the stadium was built over the seabus terminal though. And I don't want tall just for the sake of tall - Vancouver is lacking in iconic, internationally recognizable landmarks. A site like that could provide an opportunity to do something really special. You might say who needs recognizable landmarks, but such an icon really helps in terms of international branding, marketing, and most importantly adding to the identity of a city. I think most people here would agree that NYC just wouldn't be the same without the Empire State Building, or Paris without the Eiffel Tower, or even Toronto without the CN Tower.

I don't really see why some people have such an issue with adding a taller building or two to Vancouver. I agree that the city is great, tall buildings or not, but I don't see the harm of adding a few architectural landmarks. Aside from extra shadowing, a tall tower can be just as great an asset as any other development if done right - ie respecting the street-level pedestrian environment by adding to it rather than taking away from it, adding a significant city amenity, drawing more pedestrian activity to an area through increased employment/housing density, providing a useful reference point in the city (particularly for tourists), and of course adding to the architectural landscape and the city's collective identity/sense of place.

Just my opinion though.

Whether tall towers would 'fit' well and create a balanced skyline there is another question though.

[cc85]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

^I'm not all about height. The transit hub alone will be a much better addition to the city than any tall tower could be, but with a couple of taller Vancouver buildings (ie not even close to 'tall' by international standards) we would have a bit of something to make everybody happy (on this forum anyways). And on the plus side, taller towers in that location would have a pretty limited impact in terms of shadowing since they would be on the far north side of downtown. Wouldn't be too ideal if the stadium was built over the seabus terminal though. And I don't want tall just for the sake of tall - Vancouver is lacking in iconic, internationally recognizable landmarks...I don't really see why some people have such an issue with adding a taller building or two to Vancouver. I agree that the city is great, tall buildings or not, but I don't see the harm of adding a few architectural landmarks.

You dont have to have a tall building or a set of tall buildings to create an iconic city, you just need to have well-designed buildings in the appropriate places, regardless of height. think the lourve, sydney opera house, arc de triumph, chance des liseis, etc.

[mr.x]

^ disappointing in size....we really do lack the balls to do anything great in this city.