Canada SkyTrain Line

[deasine]

That's true in a sense. Yes, seating would look like Mark II. When are they going to replace the Mark I's. TransLink is buying more Mark II cars (as they are in heavy need of one). I was bored they other day and went to Broadway - Commercial Drive to observe the rush hour problem, my results:

1) As SkyTrain moves from VCC-Clark to Commercial Drive, you can see there are at least 30 people waiting for the Outbound SkyTrain (SkyTrain from VCC to Columbia-Waterfront).

2) Broadway Station does not have that many people waiting for the SkyTrain (Outbound from Waterfront) but since Broadway is a transportation hub, there are many commuters moving about the Platforms connecting with SkyTrain Millenium Line and local and 99 B-Line Bus.

3) The SkyTrains at the Expo Line are packed, but most usually fit. At one time, the trains were as frequent as 30 seconds apart, meaning that SkyTrain A enters the station, and thirty seconds later, SkyTrain B is also entering, making the SkyTrain stop just before SkyTrain A leaves.

TransLink has an 84 Bus Route, but I think they should make a bigger public announcement so that commuters have a choice of 99 and 84 (more commuters know about the line). 84 is extremly fast.

All Mark I's should be replace. Sell them to Detroit (People Mover) or Toronto (Scarbrough Line). Toronto is in need of more trains, but they cannot buy Mark II's because of the turning issues (Mark II too long unless they make a special 8 door Mark II vs. our 12 door Mark II). We call sell them are Mark I's.

It's stupid how the platforms are so short. Short term solution, not long.

I think TransLink should also start spending money in renovating all Expo Line Stations. For example, all 'metal grids', the things that seperate the environment and the train should be replaced with glass having the Expo and Millennium Line stickers (similar to the MLine Stations) for Combined Service stations, and only Expo line for Expo Line Single Stations. [and yes they are stickers]. Signs should also be replaced, exact same ones as the M Line. More Lighting (especially Columiba, it is so freakin dark and scary [and it's also a Transfer Point too]. They should also be made compatible for future turnstiles.

The Granville Station is recieving an update, new fully accessible entrance making Granville Station at Seymore Street I believe, the only station that is not accessbile to be accessible.

**Oh forgot to add to paint the roofs metal silver**

**Also forgot to add: TransLink was being stupid, instead of building the Gateway Port Mann Bridge, they were going to toll all bridges in the Lower Mainland, STUPID! Richmond Residents would be complaining!! Falcon said no to that already, saying we should only toll new bridges, not old ones**

[mr.x]

The Mark I's will not be replaced for a long time to come. We've got more than a hundred of them and it would take hundreds and hundreds of millions to replace them with Mark II's. When the order for 32 Mark II cars arrive in 2009, they won't be replacements to the Mark I's but additions to the existing fleet. We need every car we have - Mark I and II.

Improvements will be made to Metrotown Station and especially Broadway Station. At Broadway Station, improvements include:

- a new canopy roof with skylights to allow natural light,

- relocation of the elevator to south of the platform where there would be a new second station entrance with escalators and staircase (relocation of elevator would improve access substantially)

- widening of the pedestrian bridge over Broadway,

- removal of metal panels to be replaced with glass,

- a new bicycle storage facility,

- cover the underside of the pedestrian bridge,

- a community safety office,

- improved wayfinding and signage

- integrate the architectural forms of Commercial Station and Broadway Station

Improvements for Commercial Station:

- Potential new connection to Commercial Bridge

- Widen Commercial Bridge sidewalk to accommodate 99 B-Line passenger flows

- Widen station platform bridge width to address crowding

- Improve Commercial Station plaza

Improvements for B-Line at Commercial:

- Provide weather protection, passenger information and

wayfinding

- Improve plaza area to accommodate peak queues

- provide consistent design treatment (i.e. pavement)

Commercial Station #9, #20 BUS STOP UPGRADES:

- Provide sufficient shelter to accommodate most of peak

queuing, integrated into adjacent building architecture

SURROUNDING NEIGHBOURHOOD (COMMERCIAL):

- Design the pedestrian crossing on the east side of Commercial

Drive to accommodate heavy pedestrian volumes and address

desire lines to station entrances and bus stops.

The west elevation of Broadway Station

is comprised of perforated metal

screens to the north and chain-link

fence to the south. Both finishes need

replacement to improve the pedestrian

character of the alley and enhance

the quality of the space inside the station.

The construction of an integrated

storage area for dumptsters could be

incorporated into the design of the new

highly transparent facade.

The current location of the elevator

within Broadway Station is a bottleneck

at platform level that severely limits

the transfer carrying capacity of the

passarelle. Further, at street level the

elevator is a significant visual barrier to

the north entrance. It is proposed to

relocate the elevator to the south end of

the station to address both of these issues.

Currently, SkyTrain riders approaching

the station from the south are either

forced to walk up Commercial to Broadway

then into the station, or to take a

shortcut through the alley behind CIBC

and McDonald’s. In both cases riders

must backtrack once they enter the station

to reach the escalators. To address

this, a new station entrance at 10th

Avenue could be introduced, along with

a new circulation stair, making SkyTrain

more accessible to the community and

simultaneously improving the character

of the 10th Avenue streetscape. The

development of the MOBY project to

the south of the station provides another

strong argument for a south entrance

as the station would then directly engage

the neighbourhood.

Despite Broadway/Commercial’s close

proximity to both the 10th Avenue

Bikeway and Central Valley Greenway,

the station does not reach out to these

corridors. A small number of bicycle

parking facilities are currently provided

but they are not secured and commuters

with valuable bicycles are not utilizing

them. One solution could be to provide

a staffed bicycle storage facility, or

BikeStation, in which cyclists can securely

store their bikes while commuting.

The staff member has the added

effect of providing surveillance at the

south end of the station by her presence

alone. This intervention will work

best when combined with 1.3: 10th

Ave Entrance.

The potential exists for a fantastic view

of the North Shore mountains from the

platform level of Broadway Station.

Unfortunately, a concrete block wall

installed to carry the load from the station’s

hoop trusses obscures this view.

Removing 2 bays of this block wall

would open up the view to the mountains

while still maintaining the load

bearing capacity of the piers that support

the roof.

The underside of the passarelle and

guideway where they cross Broadway

are a haven for nuisance pigeons and

provide poor weather protection. A

ceiling structure could be introduced

over the sidewalks on both sides of the

street to mitigate the pigeon problem

and provide continuous rain protection.

Further, when entering the neighbourhood

via automobile the existing passarelle

and guideway structure do not

present a welcoming face to the neighbourhood.

An extension of the proposed

ceiling structure could span the entire

underside of the passarelle, from one

side of Broadway to the other, creating

a much more inviting gateway to the

community.

The passarelle connecting Broadway

Station with Commercial Station is the

choke point for riders transferring to

and from Broadway Station. Therefore,

the passarelle could be widened to service

more pedestrian traffic. The structure

of the passarelle is sufficiently

strong to accommodate greater width

so the existing glazed walls could be

shifted laterally and reused in the new

configuration.

The platform level of Broadway Station

is very dark in its’ current iteration.

Skylights could be introduced to the

existing roof system to encourage daylighting

of the space.

An opportunity exists to use a Broadway

Station roof/canopy element to

delineate a gateway to the community.

Practically, the iconic quality of the roof

would begin to consolidate the two stations

into one cohesive transit hub. This

intervention would require the removal

of the existing hoop trusses which have

become dated.

The ability of a passenger to easily

find their way from one mode of transit

to another is the most critical part

of designing good interchanges. The

most successful methods of promoting

wayfinding is to use signage, design

elements and by siting mode stations

along direct lines of site to create

coherent connections along public

spaces. At Broadway/Commercial the

introduction of information pilons at

key points throughout the two stations

could define a cohesive environment

and give riders information about the

timing and frequency of transit schedules.

These elements could also combine

with public art.

Safety and security are extremely important

in transit village design. Moving

between modes can leave passengers

feeling vulnerable, particularly when

few people are around. Currently, underutilized

areas surrounding Broadway/

Commercial Station, such as the alley

to the west of Broadway Station, are locations

for criminal activity. This is at

least partially due to a lack of proper

surveillance in the immediate station

vicinity. A Community Safety Office

could be introduced into Broadway Station

to provide a home base for security

in and around the station.

The existing covered pedestrian corridor

linking Commercial Drive with Commercial

Station is a dark, narrow and overcrowded

passage that has the feel of a

back entrance. The pulse of passengers

aligthing from the 99 B-Line heading

to Commercial Station strain the capacity

of this passage. The passage could

be widened to accommodate greater

pedestrian volumes much more comfortably.

Further, the canopy structure

would be redesigned to introduce more

daylighting making the space more welcoming.

As part of a much larger development

scenario, a new plaza would be built

over The Cut connecting Commercial

Drive to the Commercial Station bridge

and Grandview Highway North.

The sidewalk on the east side of Commercial

Drive Bridge is also the alighting

zone for the 99 B-Line and #9

trolley buses arriving from the west. For

this purpose it is much too narrow, to

the point that sidewalk congestion can

slow the process of alighting. A new

widened sidewalk design should also

recognize the heavy volumes of customers

walking south from the alighting

points to enter the station.

The Commercial Station platform

bridge is a choke point for passengers

transferring to and from Commercial

Station SkyTrain. Temporary partitions

have been erected on the bridge to help

guide passengers in wayfinding and to

separate inbound and outbound flows.

As an interim solution to this capacity

bottleneck the bridge could be widened.

Commercial Station plaza is occupied

by mobile vendors that animate

the space but overall the plaza lacks a

community feel. There is a significant

opportunity for a public art installation

to give residents a feeling of ownership

over the space. Both the columns of the

guideway and canopy lend themselves

to being clad in public art or notice

boards.

As part of a much larger development

scenario, a new plaza would be built

over The Cut connecting Commercial

Drive to the Commercial Station bridge

and Grandview Highway North.

The sidewalk on the east side of Commercial

Drive Bridge is the alighting

zone for the 99 B-Line and #9 trolley

buses arriving from the west. The narrow

aspect of this sidewalk combined

with the lack of weather protection

cause a severe bottleneck during

inclement weather as alighting passengers

stop to deploy their umbrellas as

they step onto the sidewalk. Significant

efficiencies in moving passenger flows

could be achieved, along with increased

passenger comfort, if a canopy were

constructed overhead. The canopy

would connect to the existing Commercial

Station so passengers from the 99

B-Line could walk from bus to station

without getting wet.

The plaza at the northeast corner of

Broadway and Commercial Drive has

high pedestrian volumes as it is the

queuing area for those passengers

boarding the westbound 99 B-Line.

Smooth navigation of the plaza is congested

by bus shelters and advertising

that act as obstacles to transit flows. It

is proposed that passenger queuing be

embraced as the primary function of

the plaza; to that end.

An often-mentioned design intention

during the stakeholder consultation

process was to bring a consistent design

language to the Commercial and

Broadway stations so that they work together

to create a sense of a place with

a coherent and integrated transit village

function. Since many of the elements

of the stations are fixed, the opportunities

to unify the public realm through

paving treatment based on the one

already used in Commercial Station and

with new features, including gateway

and informational signage, are key tools

to realize this intention.

The sidewalk on the north side of

Broadway in front of Shopper’s Drug

Mart is the queuing zone for the westbound

#9 trolley bus. During peak

queuing it is difficult for pedestrians

on the sidewalk to navigate the queues

and street furniture. The bus shelters

provide a physical and visual barrier to

successful pedestrian movement. It is

proposed that the bus shelters be removed

and a large canopy be installed

that cantilevers out from the face of the

adjacent building. This canopy would

provide weather protection for queuing

and barrier free circulation along the

sidewalk.

Large volumes of pedestrians cross

Broadway on the east side of Commercial

Drive resulting in queuing

and congestion at the corners during

peak flows. Additional pedestrians

cross Broadway midblock at both the

Safeway entrance and Broadway Station

entrance. Even greater pedestrian

crowding and queuing occurs at the 99

B-Line pick-up plaza on the north side.

It is proposed that a second crosswalk

be introduced, located at least partially

beneath the passarelle. This would

create a direct link at grade between

stations along an established desire

line. Further, weather protection could

be provided overhead permitting passengers

transferring between stations to

remain dry.

Sites, including the Safeway, adjacent to both Commercial and Broadway Stations will also be redeveloped.

Broadway-Commercial Station renovations begin this summer and will end spring 2007.

**Also forgot to add: TransLink was being stupid, instead of building the Gateway Port Mann Bridge, they were going to toll all bridges in the Lower Mainland, STUPID! Richmond Residents would be complaining!! Falcon said no to that already, saying we should only toll new bridges, not old ones**

That's a brilliant idea, it's nothing but stupid. It's the perfect way to get people out of their cars and take the alternative (provided that we give a competent alternative: transit). We need to really improve public transit in the region before thinking of tolling all bridges and roads.

This has been done in London, where congestion has fell 30% afterwards, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and many European cities. The final product: less emissions, less congestion, more transit use, and healthier cities and healthier residents.

I'm gonna say it once more, expanding roads is not the solution.

Automatic Electronic Tolling for:

- Lions Gate

- Second Narrows

- Pitt River Bridge

- Alex Fraser

- Patullo

- Port Mann

- Oak Street

- Arthur Lang

- Massey Tunnel

- Golden Ears

[deasine]

Nevermind the tolling, I ment only major bridges, just like you stated. I can understand tolling only major routes, but you have to see, once you toll the routes, what is going to happen to local traffic. Many will still be stuborn and not get out of their cars, hence, traffic will flow all over on Bridgeport Road, creating a burden for Richmond. There would be an increase of traffic on Knight St. Bridge, Aruthur Lang, etc. This means that we have to build another bridge over that if this happens.

I still don't think you should toll anything unless it is new. This was developed 4 years ago in the transportation infastructure of BC. Even if TransLink starts to toll bridges, I only want TransLink to toll Oak St. Bridge, Massey Tunnel, Lions Gate Bridge (actually should be tolled because they spend millions of money always updating it), Pautello (should have been tolled so that there wouldn't be as many users using it, the bridge is unsafe, and in my opinion sholud be a three lane bridge (wider lanes w/ concrete pedestrian barriers on both sides, not just one w/ Siemens Freeway Traffic Control [similar to Lions Gate Bridge), Port Mann & Pitt River (which would be tolled anyway because of the Gateway Project). TransLink has brought this idea up because they need to find money to pay for the Gateway Project. Falcon said no to this.

One should only expand or build new roads if the route is used overly, would be over capacity and be unsafe in the next twenty years if nothing has been done, lift traffic from the environment (meaning routes and roads around it would be 'lighter'), etc. The only expansion I still believe in is the Port Mann, Pitt River, South Perimetre Road. No more, except maybe a three lane bridge w/ SkyTrain from Stanley Park to somewhere on the North Shore (3 Lane going one way, Lions Gate Bridge going the opposite direction). Please note it includes SkyTrain to north shore as well. Not future SkyTrain, but SkyTrain right away!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On to other business:

B-line made better

By 24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

Riders on Vancouver's busiest bus route may soon get a welcome reprieve.

TransLink is readying new measures aimed at speeding up the crowded Broadway corridor. Dedicated bus lanes during peak traffic hours between Arbutus Street and Commercial Drive could be in place by September.

By December, a new stop for the #99 B-Line express bus could be installed at Arbutus. All-door loading could be introduced next year, which could shave a crucial three minutes off boarding times.

Currently, the #9 and #99 B-Line carry more than 60,000 people daily along Broadway. A rapid transit line has been discussed for the route, but there is no specific timeline in place.

Opinion: I agree w/ this totally. Although I have to say there would be more fare envasion on the #99. Also, ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) would be installed on the #99 and #97. The ITS is used currently on the #98. It would help TransLink understand the capacity of the #99 at different times more accuratly and allow an answer to the MLine extension to where it would end. And it sounds nice, the driver does not need to say 'the next stop is blablabla' since the computer does it. A #91 would most likely be introduce by 2008 replacing the #43.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Question to Mr. X: would the improvements be made before 2010?

[mr.x]

Nevermind the tolling, I ment only major bridges, just like you stated. I can understand tolling only major routes, but you have to see, once you toll the routes, what is going to happen to local traffic. Many will still be stuborn and not get out of their cars, hence, traffic will flow all over on Bridgeport Road, creating a burden for Richmond. There would be an increase of traffic on Knight St. Bridge, Aruthur Lang, etc. This means that we have to build another bridge over that if this happens.

I know, that's why I said all major bridges especially the Fraser River crossings should be tolled.

I still don't think you should toll anything unless it is new. This was developed 4 years ago in the transportation infastructure of BC. Even if TransLink starts to toll bridges, I only want TransLink to toll Oak St. Bridge, Massey Tunnel, Lions Gate Bridge (actually should be tolled because they spend millions of money always updating it), Pautello (should have been tolled so that there wouldn't be as many users using it, the bridge is unsafe, and in my opinion sholud be a three lane bridge (wider lanes w/ concrete pedestrian barriers on both sides, not just one w/ Siemens Freeway Traffic Control [similar to Lions Gate Bridge), Port Mann & Pitt River (which would be tolled anyway because of the Gateway Project).

You've listed more or less every major bridge in the GVRD. You should also add in the Alex Fraser and the Second Narrows - both major and dangerous bridges. Tolling existing roads/bridges is a common practice used by smart urban planners around the world....look at London for example.

TransLink has brought this idea up because they need to find money to pay for the Gateway Project. Falcon said no to this.

Translink and the GVRD aren't paying a cent for Gateway, but it is worried how traffic patterns will change. Falcon is actually considering tolls for the Port Mann.

Anyway, the improvements that I listed for Broadway/Commercial Station begin this summer and will be completed by spring 2007.

[pooette]

vancouver should go even further and implement congestion charging in the downtown core as well. the parking stall tax should be expanded, and they should bring back the on street parking tax. ahhh screw the car owners finally.

but don't just leave them out to dry, expand bus service on all routes to 15 minute minimum peak frequency and 30 minute minimum frequency all othertimes, and run most routes all night. that would get people out of their cars as well. (of coures, this can be exceeded... 7 minute frequency on vancouver routes at 4 pm is not rare...)

expensive, but worth it. no more mega road projects and the maintainance of them.

[mr.x]

vancouver should go even further and implement congestion charging in the downtown core as well. the parking stall tax should be expanded, and they should bring back the on street parking tax. ahhh screw the car owners finally.

but don't just leave them out to dry, expand bus service on all routes to 15 minute minimum peak frequency and 30 minute minimum frequency all othertimes, and run most routes all night. that would get people out of their cars as well. (of coures, this can be exceeded... 7 minute frequency on vancouver routes at 4 pm is not rare...)

expensive, but worth it. no more mega road projects and the maintainance of them.

I agree, but I wouldn't want the parking tax to come out of business owners....they're gonna suffer too much. Instead, install ticket machines or the parking metres. Richmond has some nice ticket machines (about two for each block) and they're solar powered.

Bus frequency....definetely. It's a major deterrent to taking the bus these days.

[deasine]

Vancouver might change their parking stalls eventually, by 2010 because of the following:

1) because it is costy to operate. Staff members must go to every single machine to empty the coins.

2) By 2009 (supposedly), the GVRD SmartCard would be out and may be used in some municipalities for parking. Vancouver would most likely update their parking meters for people using the SmartCard for payment. The SmartCard may be thin card that is attachable to a keychain, similar to the ones used in NYC's Tap & Go Payment System at their Metros (there was a minor article in the 24 hours newspaper about it)

The parking meters at Whiterock are the best. The have the people insert the stall number and pay from there. I think they should have the stall compatible w/ SmartCard, use regular payment (like credit cards and cash), and not print out reciepts in my opinion. It's a waste of paper. Just get the people to do the paying there and leave. Then when the police can just insert their ID Card and check which stall has paid. If they catch a car parked without paying or is late 10 minutes from adding minutes, then issue a ticket from there.

[deasine]

Oh Mr. X, how did you find about the Metrotown Transit Village information, 'cause currently, there are no reports. I'll be posting Broadway/Commercial Drive Station reports, renderings, and plans on Weds.

[mr.x]

Oh Mr. X, how did you find about the Metrotown Transit Village information, 'cause currently, there are no reports. I'll be posting Broadway/Commercial Drive Station reports, renderings, and plans on Weds.

I'd think similar improvements as Broadway/Commercial will be made to Metrotown. Though not as congested as Broadway/Commercial, it's still quite crowded and is one of the busiest stations in the system. I could see them removing the metal panels in the station and replacing them with glass, widening the pedestrian bridge to the mall (which can get quite crowded), and vandal-resistant improvements.

[mr.x]

[deasine]

"The next station is... Aberdeen, please exit on the right"

This station might have it's named change. Residents and business owners in the area are not happy with the station name because it is named after Aberdeen Centre. There are many multi-cultural plazas and malls around there and people were hoping for better names like 'International Village' for example. Cambie station will not be allowed because tourists may be confused of the Cambie Rd. or Cambie St. This was on Global News a few days ago.

[mr.x]

"The next station is... Aberdeen, please exit on the right"

This station might have it's named change. Residents and business owners in the area are not happy with the station name because it is named after Aberdeen Centre. There are many multi-cultural plazas and malls around there and people were hoping for better names like 'International Village' for example. Cambie station will not be allowed because tourists may be confused of the Cambie Rd. or Cambie St. This was on Global News a few days ago.

Aberdeen Station is the perfect name. Yes, the nearby Aberdeen Mall will benefit but is it not true that the nearby stores will also benefit from the increased pedestrian traffic? We already have Oakridge-41st Station and Metrotown Station, you don't see Station Square complaining.

International Village is a horrible name.....it's such a small town name.

[deasine]

I know... I liked the name Aberdeen. But do you know that mall is losing more and more money? But anyways, the punjabi people wanted Langara - 49th Ave to be changed 49th Ave - Punjabi Market!!!! And it's no where near Punjabi Market. One is on Cambie and the other is Main St. Stupid...

[mr.x]

I know... I liked the name Aberdeen. But do you know that mall is losing more and more money? But anyways, the punjabi people wanted Langara - 49th Ave to be changed 49th Ave - Punjabi Market!!!! And it's no where near Punjabi Market. One is on Cambie and the other is Main St. Stupid...

they're obviously losing money.....there's hardly anyone there most of the time, and two years into completion some parts still aren't leased.

yea, Punjabi Market-49th Avenue Station would've been quite retarded.....it's a 15 minute or a 1 km walk to the Punjabi district.

[Canuck]

Canada Line construction to cause traffic disruptions

Jul, 24 2006 - 5:00 AM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - Drivers along Vancouver's Cambie corridor will face a new set of delays for the next six months.

Starting today the east lane of the street will be closed as Canada Line crews continue to build their cut-and-cover tunnel.

Motorists will not be able to turn east, but a bridge will give pedestrians access to the area.

Drivers are also be told to be prepared for more traffic pattern changes along King Edward Avenue.

http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?ca...=news_local.cfm

[mr.x]

Lower Cambie between 59th & Marine Drive construction photos continued in next post............

Lower Cambie between 59th & Marine Drive construction photos continued in next post............

[deasine]

Transit Village Metrotown Update:

Hi DEASINE,

The work schedule for the Metrotown Transit Village has unfortunately been somewhat delayed, so we aren’t yet at a point where we have anything to post to the web site. Currently there is a report being drafted on assessing the area’s issues and some potential design options, so try checking back with the web site in another month or so, and hopefully you’ll find more information at that point.

Thanks very much for the interest,

_______________

Joanna Brownell

Project Planner, Urban Transportation Showcase

TransLink (Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority)

1600-4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2

Ph 604-453-3066 / Fax 604-453-4697

www.translink.bc.ca

-----Original Message-----

From: DEASINE

Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 7:37 PM

To: Showcase Info

Subject: Project Reports

Dear Showcase@Translink.bc.ca,

I was wondering if the 'more' section of the Transit Villages>Metrotown is completed since it said it would by 2009. I would like to know more about this as I close by the neighbourhood and would like to know more about it. Thank you.

Sincerely,

DEASINE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll check by next month (August) for any draft updates - the draft ones should look similiar to the ones like Surrey Central

[Canuck]

I wonder what they mean by "somewhat delayed"....

[deasine]

Yeah... I was wondering about that too. But currently, I don't see any plans on changing the station whatsoever. Quite dissappointed...

[mr.x]

One of the great things about the Canada Line is that not only is it

a vital transportation link in the region, it'll also attract development

along its route. One of the largest redevelopment spurs catalyzed

by the train is Oakridge. Planning is currently in the proccess to:

- add over 1,000,000 square feet of housing at the mall through the

construction of two highrises (12-22 storeys) and several midrises (6-8 storeys)

- adding more than 300,000 square feet of retail space in the mall

including a second floor of shopping

- 3 acres of parkland

- more than doubling office space to 330,000 square feet

- more than doubling community space from 25,000 to 60,000 square

feet, including a new Oakridge Public Library located at a more

centralized area above ground

- moving all at-grade parking underground

- street retail expansion along 41st Avenue and Cambie Street

- plantation of trees, shrubs, etc. to create a canopy effect along the streets

- a new public city street

- and redevelopment of areas surrounding the mall to dense residential.

The Canada Line 41st Avenue-Oakridge Station is located at the southwest

corner of 41st & Cambie. The station entrance is being designed in a way

that it can be integrated and modified into the redevelopment of the shopping

centre. In addition, a future second station entrance can be built at the

northwest corner of 41st and Oakridge.

OAKRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT OPEN HOUSE BOARDS - JUNE 2006

For more information, visit the city planning program website: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/c...nning/oakridge/

CANADA LINE 41ST AVENUE-OAKRIDGE STATION

[deasine]

Excellent, but when would this happen (like completion). Anyways, Vancouver is moving upwards but still keeping the sustainability theme, which is excellent. This 'theme' is also used in the Olympic Village area.

This would push Oakridge - 41st Ave. a midsize transit village in the future.

[mr.x]

Excellent, but when would this happen (like completion). Anyways, Vancouver is moving upwards but still keeping the sustainability theme, which is excellent. This 'theme' is also used in the Olympic Village area.

This would push Oakridge - 41st Ave. a midsize transit village in the future.

Well the rezoning application for Oakridge will be submitted early next year, so we could start seeing some construction going on as early as 2008.....though the bulk of the Oakridge mall expansion probably wouldn't be done until after 2010.

Regarding Olympic Village.................utopia.

[mr.x]

A rare image of tree transplanting on Cambie Street to make way for cut and cover tunnel suggestion. This tree below, a 40-year old Japanese pagoda, was the first tree transplanted (March 2006) to make way for Canada Line construction.

[deasine]

That's a large tree. The roots are huge! Removing them, transportating them, and then replanting them is a difficult process. But it's good that the Canada Line is doing this, to leave some heritage in the Cambie Corridor while building a rapid transit line.

[deasine]

Forgot to post:

I've made an unusual observation regarding Canada Line Station signs. On Marine Drive Station (http://www.gamesbids.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=492&st=50), one of the renderings were the signs on the platform. They were black-yellow-black just like the M Line ones. But shouldn't it be black-red-black, as it is Canada Line (theme colour red). It just makes more sense to me to put it that way.

Also, TransLink should start improving the signs on the M Line too. I see that many visitors can be confused on the M Line stations regarding which trains goes to where (for example, the Commercial Drive Station as you walk down the escalators or stairs, there aren't obvious signs saying which train goes to where, sign example:

<--- VCC/Clark | Columbia --->

)