The history of plans
Back on topic – John Mackie provides a quick summary of earlier Vancouver transportation plans that were never built
What I think is interesting is his commentary – for example
Looking back from 2007, the big ditch looks completely ludicrous — the plan would have obliterated much of the West End and paved over what is now some of the most desirable and high-priced real estate in Canada.
I can only hope that in forty years time one of his successors will write something similar about the ludicrous plan to build a second Part Mann Bridge and more tubes at the Massey Tunnel just as the world was switching away from cars and gasoline to more sustainable alternatives. How at the last minute some of the most valuable farm land in Canada was rescued from being covered in subdivisions and feeds thousands every day with vegetables that used to be imported from the deserts of California.
My esteem of Dave Barret has gone up too. I did not know he bought a European streetcar. Does anyone know where it is now – and can we have it back again please? Or at least a picture of it for my collection.
My friend one42chrisp of Edmonton has a shot of the tram on his flickr page
and I can only hope we write the same about the plans to put yet more landfill in the ocean in order to build a soccer stadium…
nancy (aka money coach)
January 19, 2008 at 11:19 pm
For me two points stand out. One is the critical role of senior government funding, including federal funding. When the Feds decided not to put money into freeways in Vancouver because they tired of the endless politicing, that option was closed off. When the Feds leaned heavily towards ALRT instead of LRT, that became the choice. Which brings me to my second point, which is implicit in what Mackie, quoting Atkins, has said. Major transportation projects have frequently been designed with objectives other than transportation in mind.
Budd Campbell
January 20, 2008 at 12:12 am
Nancy
I thought the idea was to roof over the railway tracks at Waterfront. Filling the harbour at that point would mean an even longer walk to SeaBus – and for that reason alone I would oppose it.
Stephen Rees
January 20, 2008 at 11:23 am
The original plan for the stadium was to roof over the tracks east of Waterfront Station (the area directly behind Waterfront is apparently reserved for future office tower development) but it was too close to Gastown for thei liking.
The second plan was to locate it “over” the existing Seabus terminal, but posts on the SkyscraperPage forum or news reports (can’t recall which) indicate that Translink was unwilling to do so. It is unclear whether this would have relocated the Seabus terminal farther out or been built over the terminal (the latter would have restricted future expansion of the terminal (i.e. for ferries to Ambleside, Deep Cove, etc.) if the terminal was between footings. Recall that the Concert Properties proposal for the Portside convention centre would have pushed the Seabus terminal farther out into the harbour and eliminated one berth.
Posts on the SkyscraperPage forum now indicate a location east of the Seabus terminal (i.e. the HeliJet terminal site) which projects farther out on existing landfill. Chances are any northwards structure would be on piers, like the Convention Centre Expansion Project has done.
Haven’t heard anything about this project in a while.
Too bad the City staffers steered the proponents towards the waterfront rather than their original site on the False Creek Flats (now owned by Providence Health Care for the partially relocated St. Paul’s Hospital).
Ron C.
January 21, 2008 at 3:42 pm
From the renderings on the Whitecaps website, it appears that half of the stadium would be over tracks and half would be over the water. http://www.whitecapsfc.com/stadium/waterfront/renderings/
Sungsu
January 21, 2008 at 9:19 pm
The “European Streetcar” is in regular summertime service over Edmonton’s High Level Bridge. See http://www.edmonton-radial-railway.ab.ca/uhv601.htm for the story of the car. There are many pictures of the car on the internet.
P.M.
January 22, 2008 at 1:42 am
Sungsu – I heard last night that there is growing opposition to this proposal from residents of downtown
PM that is a very useful link. Thank you. Another reason for me to visit Edmonton – once it gets warmer
Stephen Rees
January 22, 2008 at 10:35 am