The Cyclist's Guideto Vancouver's Downtown Transportation Plan |
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The Cyclist's Guideto Vancouver's Downtown Transportation Plan |
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Pacific and Expo Boulevards would provide a ring road for cyclists and help to connect the False Creek Bridges with the Adanac Bikeway and Science World where many bike routes converge. Between Richards and Quebec, bike lanes can be accomplished relatively easily because of the wider street widths. In fact, the bike lanes could help to narrow the width of the street and are considered to be an important component of a new streetscape design for Pacific Boulevard. West of Richards, Pacific Street narrows significantly and some road widening or parking removal would be required to construct the bike lanes.
[DTP p. 99]
In early 2004, council endorsed the creation of a small commercial centre south of Pacific St. under the Granville Bridge. Details are available here. An open house was held in mid-October 2005 related to that commercial centre. Here's a comment related to bikes, from e-mails with the planning assistant (Hugo Blomfield):
In terms of bike facilities at proposed Granville Neighbourhood Centre, keep in mind that we are still in a very conceptual level in our guidelines. More specific details will be hashed out at the re-zoning stage. Here are some quotes from the guidelines we are working on now:
"The approved precinct plan should maximize opportunities for bicycle parking while considering other related bicycle services. Detached development sites between bridge columns identified in the illustrative plan may be suitable to provide rental, storage or repair services for bicycles."
What this means is that there will be a lot of open, "unbuildable" space in the area that could be well used as bike parking, or perhaps some kind of temporary or open-air facilities or services. I can imagine a small CRU with a bike shop that has an opportunity to occupy some of the public realm in some way.
3) Beach Ave. will have a diverter built in the west-bound direction, forcing cars to turn right on Granville St and subsequently on to Pacific St. This is explicitly in place to deter cars from using Beach Ave. as a short-cut into the West End, and improving the route for bicycles.
[excerpt from personal communication from Hugo Blomfield to David Pritchard, Oct. 28 2005. Image at right is from same e-mail [medium quality | full quality ] ]
In the fall of 2003, bike lanes were placed from Homer St. to Quebec St. As described in the above part, it appears that the lanes from the Cambie Bridge to the Adanac Bikeway are permanent; the lanes between Homer St. and the Cambie Bridge are temporary, and will be replaced as part of the reconstruction of Pacific St./Blvd. between Burrard and Nelson, which should be completed before early 2006. The city committed to reconstruction between Burrard and Quebec in its 2003 implementation plan, but staff have recently backed away from that commitment, preferring to continue "as opportunities arise." The Burrard to Hornby section may be done as part of the Burrard Bridge project, and the Hornby to Homer section may be pursued as part of the Granville Loops project, but the timeline for that is very unclear.
In 2002, council approved the Pacific Boulevard Design Study, conducted by Jacobs Macdonald: Cityworks. The study addressed streetscape issues between Burrard St. and Nelson St. [City report, RTS No. 02328, CC File No. 5752-1/5762]. The study concluded with public open houses showing concceptual designs in October 2002. The designs included narrowing the street to two lanes in each direction, widening sidewalks, good bike lanes, and a potential streetcar lane in the centre. Spot improvement 14 (see below) gives a reasonable idea of the design. The report was submitted to council in April 2002:
The Pacific Street Transition: Burrard to Howe
While accomodating the considerable and complex vehicular traffic at the Burrard Street intersection, the design, from Burrard Street to Howe Street, pays special attention to bicycle traffic, enhancing movement along the waterside by provision of a separate tree-lined bike way. The tree-lined median in the center of Pacific Boulevard announces the start of the new road as it descends into the False Creek Neighbourhood, and takes attention away from the visually disruptive Granville Bridge overpass. Pedestrian travel is made more comfortable by the addition of the trees between the walks and the roadway. Given the unsettled Burrard Bridge pedestrian/bicycle future, a detailed design for the first block east of Burrard has not been attempted.
The Granville Ramps and The Beach Neighborhood: Howe to Homer
From Howe Street to Homer Street special design elements are directed to humanizing a rather ungainly and somewhat dark section of Pacific Boulevard. The tree planted median continues. To the northeast (or landward side), one or both of the freeway-type ramps to and from the Granville Bridge can be reconfigured as more normal city streets, with right turns similar to intersections throughout the city. This redesign will make travel along the landward side of Pacific Boulevard easier and comfortable for cyclists and pedestrians, and, moreover, will create developable land parcels that can front on normal city streets rather than be locked circular islands inside of freeway ramps. (See: Appendix B)
On the southwest or water side, a one-sided multiway boulevard is created. In essence, for four blocks this side of the street is configured as a classic European boulevard.
Howe to Seymour
Seymour to Richards
Richards to Homer
The High Street: Homer to Cambie
From Homer Street to Cambie Street, Pacific Boulevard is North False Creek's "High Street" area. A priority in this area is to tighten intersections, particularly at Davie and Cambie, to facilitate pedestrian crossings. Through this section, the central median is 6.1 m (20 feet) wide and contains two rows of closely planted trees and a paved pathway lined with amenities such as benches, kiosks for vendors, sculpture, art projects and the like. In time, the median may become the home of special uses, such as flower-selling, or a lineal seed and herb market, or something similar of value.
West of the Davie Street intersection, the central median also serves as a station for the future streetcar line that travels on either side of the median before turning up Drake Street. (Should it be determined that the streetcar runs in the central median then it would do so between two rows of trees.)
Within the High Street area, from Drake to Cambie, an additional amenity zone is created along the sidewalks. Here, parking lanes are raised to the level of the sidewalk, separated by the existing curb line and bollards. By a variety of means, these parking lanes can be used in part and when and where desired, for restaurant seating and service, vending kiosks, and sitting areas. This is particularly likely to happen within or adjacent to the widened sidewalk bulges at Davie and Cambie. Moveable planters can create simple but effective barriers between the central traffic and the people uses on the transformed parking lanes. New large trees on the walks will infill (or replace) those in place to provide a continuous overhead canopy.
The Cambie Transition: Cambie to Nelson
The last (or first) section of Pacific Boulevard, Cambie to Nelson, starts with a significant change at the Cambie intersection, to make it much smaller and human in scale. The design proposes that Cambie Street itself can be narrowed to two rather than four moving lanes, making possible a much widened shaded pedestrian realm on the northwest side of the street at the end of the Helmcken Greenway. East of Cambie, a one-wided multiway boulevard will once again provide a slow-paced pedestrian realm for the commercial and residential uses that face it, replacing the near-speedway that exists. The streetcar will travel on the north side of Pacific Boulevard at this location, entering the central median at Cambie.
In all, then, the vision of a future Pacific Boulevard is of a sensuous, moderately paced public right-of-way with a continuous, urban tree-lined median that becomes an extension of the waterfront parkway circulation system to the northwest, that in some places is wider than at present in order to better accomodate cyclists and pedestrians and is tighter at other places where it is currently too wide, and that caters to local neighbourhood uses as well as through movement uses.
City Policy Report, RTS No. 02630, CC File No. 5501, April 11, 2002.
A staff report from July 2002 makes some comments on the bike lanes:
Advantages of painted bike lanes on Pacific Boulevard
- The street is very wide compared to other downtown streets.
- There would be no duplication of an existing route. (The area is presently deficient in bike routes.)
- Existing parking areas will not be significantly affected.
- A very logical link for the existing bicycle network.
Staff believe that the implementation of painted bicycle lanes on Pacific Boulevard can precede the further implementation of the Downtown Transportation Plan. Travel lanes will be narrowed slightly in order to allow bike lanes to be introduced. In a few instances parking will be removed but this is often accompanied by benefits to traffic and transit.
A design has been developed for striped bike-lanes on Pacific/Expo Boulevards from Richards east to connect to the Adanac Bikeway. This design is supported by the Bicycle Advisory Committee and has been publicly reviewed in both the Downtown Transportation Plan Open Houses, and the North-East False Creek Development Plan. It is recommended that striped bike-lanes be implemented at this time between the Cambie Bridge and the Adanac Bikeway at a cost of $25,000.
[City administrative report, July 19, 2002]
Pacific has quite variable traffic. West of the Burrard Bridge, traffic is medium to heavy, with 10 000 to 40 000 vehicles per day. From the Burrard Bridge to Cambie, the traffic volume is mostly heavy, with 20 000 to 40 000 vehicles per day. Traffic is light from Cambie to the Cambie Bridge off ramp, and then is medium from the Cambie Bridge offramp to the end of Pacific at Quebec Street [DTP p. 44]. These volumes are likely to change substantially with the redesign of the street. Pacific is designated as an important circulation street [DTP p. 47].
Pacific Street (between Burrard and Howe) - is recommended for widening to facilitate the introduction of bike lanes and accommodate the flow of traffic. This could be done in conjunction with the redesign of the Burrard/Pacific and Burrard/Hornby intersections to address general safety issues and improve conditions for all modes. The findings of the Pacific Boulevard Streetscape Design Study also support this widening and needs to be considered along with the False Creek Pedestrian and Bike Crossing Study.
[DTP p. 53]
A streetcar is proposed to replace the existing bus routes along Pacific Boulevard.
Proposed Streetcar Routing
The concept of the streetcar system approved by Council would link major tourist destinations, major residential developments, and significant employment centres on the periphery of downtown and the south shore of False Creek. The Expo SkyTrain line would be linked using the former C.P.R. right-of-way to False Creek South, Granville Island, and eventually Vanier Park Figure 4.2-I. Phase I would connect Granville Island to Science World, Chinatown, Gastown, Waterfront Station and the Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Phase II line downtown would follow Pacific Boulevard connecting BC Place Stadium, GM Place, the various False Creek/Yaletown neighbourhoods, to Granville Street via Drake Street. A future extension from Waterfront Station would connect through the Coal Harbour neighbourhoods and provide a link to the Bayshore development and Stanley Park.
This concept would provide transit service in areas that are growing and in need of transit service, as well as link to transit nodes such as Waterfront Station, Main Street SkyTrain Station, and the Granville corridor. In addition, several employment nodes would be serviced including Burrard Landing, the Convention and Exhibition Centre, the West Hastings corridor, the Plaza of Nations/GM Place/BC Place, and Granville Island. A future extension through the False Creek Flats to the VCC Station would not only link up with the new Millennium Line but service the planned high-tech employment/education area in the False Creek Flats.
[DTP p. 65]
Recommended Adjustments to 1999 Proposals
The recommended route and station locations from the Downtown Streetcar study of 1999 should be adjusted to integrate the recommended changes in the Downtown Transportation Plan. The following minor adjustments to the 1999 proposals are recommended for investigation.
The Pacific Boulevard Line was originally recommended to terminate at the foot of Davie Street. However, due to the complexity of terminating the line in a relatively narrow right-of-way, it is recommended that the line be extended further east on Pacific Boulevard with a station on Pacific at Davie. The original study also proposed continuing down Pacific Boulevard to terminate under the Granville Bridge and provide vertical connections up to the bridge deck. A better routing would be to continue down Pacific Boulevard and turn on Drake Street to terminate at Granville Street, to avoid making the vertical connection. It is also easier to provide a terminus station in this location. Alternative detailed alignments along Pacific Boulevard from Cambie bridgehead to Drake Street are also shown in a proposed Pacific Boulevard redesign approved by Council in May 2002.
It is recommended that the north side alignment along Pacific Boulevard be pursued first, due to the more direct connections to public facilities and the relatively simpler alignment. The south side alignment on Pacific Boulevard could still be pursued as an alternative. Double tracking should also be considered.
In terms of station locations on the Pacific Boulevard Line, a station is recommended for the Quebec/ Pacific Boulevard intersection that could serve both the Waterfront Line and the Pacific Boulevard line. The station location on the north side of Pacific Boulevard at BC Place is recommended to be moved further to the east between BC Place Stadium and GM Place, for better access to the latter and to allow a redesign of the lower level entry to BC Place. The previously proposed station at Abbott Street would not be necessary. In addition, the station proposed for Expo and Pacific Boulevard is recommended to be moved further east under the Cambie Bridge where better bus and pedestrian connections to the bridge exist. There is also more room to build a station at this location.
[DTP p. 67]
Pacific is considered a pedestrian arterial from the Burrard Bridge to Helmcken [DTP p. 79]. The section from Drake to Helmcken is also labeled as a high (retail) street [DTP p. 85].
Pacific Street / Boulevard provides a grand entry into the emerging neighbourhoods around False Creek North and Downtown South. This street will provide an important pedestrian link to the three bridges crossing False Creek in addition to linking into the future greenway at Cambie and Helmcken Street. A recently approved redesign scheme was developed in coordination with the Downtown Transportation Plan. This scheme will increase pedestrian amenities, including street furniture, trees, pedestrian bulges and medians through a multi-way boulevard and flexible amenity area.
[DTP p. 90]
Pacific is currently a truck route from Burrard to Quebec [DTP p. 105]. Tour buses and airporter buses use the street [DTP pp. 110-111].
Parking is to be removed from the north side from Hornby to Howe. Parking will be added on the north side from Homer to Drake, and from Cambie to Smithe [DTP p. 125].
10. Improve the crosswalks on Pacific Street under the Granville Bridge
Crossing Pacific Street under the Granville Bridge is a challenge due to the grade changes and the vision obstruction caused by the bridge columns. This issue should be addressed as part of the redesign of the bridge "loops" (the cloverleaf interchange with Pacific Street). One possible solution is described in item 11 below.
[DTP p. 142]
Useful, but not a big deal for cyclists.
11. Redesign the Granville Bridge Loops
The Issue: False Creek Bridges are a critical link to the downtown peninsula. However, where the bridges connect to land, the ramps can often be problematic for development of the land and for making pedestrian and bike connections. Development adjacent to ramps can often be compromised as well. In regard to the Granville Bridge, access south on Granville Street down to False Creek is difficult for pedestrians, cyclists and even vehicles.
The Approach: A redesign of the Granville Bridge Loops is proposed. This road design could maintain or improve vehicular access to this area. In addition, the development potential of the land parcels would be enhance and could offset the costs of reconstructing the roads. The city's street grid could be extended into the site, providing good access both to and through the parcels in the loops area, for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, the area could be developed into a southern gateway or anchor for Granville Street, acting as a catalyst for further development of the southern end of the street.
[DTP p. 143]
This will be quite a valuable change for cyclists on Pacific Blvd. The eastern loop gets almost no use, but the western loop gets a lot of use by drivers leaving Pacific westbound to go south across the Granville bridge. This section of Pacific feels like a highway merge, and is quite intimidating to cyclists. The redesign will eliminate this danger, and will also provide a convenient access to Granville Street via the new grid streets. Currently, there is a pedestrian connection under the loops, but it is too narrow for cyclists, and often smells of urine and garbage.
12. Redesign the intersection of Pacific Street and Burrard Street
Pedestrian, bike and vehicular conflicts exist at the Burrard and Pacific intersection. These conflicts will be addressed as part of the Burrard Bridge Study and as part of the implementation of bike lanes on Burrard, Pacific, and Hornby Streets. Also required as part of the intersection redesign is the provision of a direct connection to the north end of the Burrard Bridge from the Seaside Bike Route.
[DTP p. 144]
13. Widen Pacific Street between Burrard and Hornby Streets
Bike lanes need to be routed off the Burrard Bridge and onto Pacific and Hornby Street. The current width of Pacific in this section is insufficient but a potential redesign of this section will be undertaken as part of the Burrard Bridge study.
[DTP p. 144]
This is quite obviously necessary. It's hard to see where the space for a widening will come from, but the street and sidewalk are clearly cramped at present.
14. Redesign the intersection of Pacific Boulevard at Davie Street
This intersection was part of the Pacific Boulevard redesign study and Council has approved a design concept.
[DTP p. 144]
This spot improvement gives an interesting preview of the new look for Pacific Boulevard. Two lanes of traffic are shown in each direction, with a streetcar sharing one of the lanes. Cyclists get their own lane, and pedestrians get an island and curb bulges. The new street should be vastly better than the existing design.
15. Redesign the intersection of Pacific Boulevard at Cambie Street
This intersection was part of the Pacific Boulevard redesign study and Council has approved a design concept.
[DTP p. 145]
This spot improvement is very important, given the current difficulties with the intersection. It is important that we get to see the final layout diagrams for this section of the street.
16. Improve pedestrian and cyclist access through Helmcken Park between Mainland and Pacific
Between Mainland and Pacific the Helmcken Greenway passes through a surface parking lot, crosses a lane and passes through Helmcken Park. Along the property lines that separate the lane from the park and parking lot are a series of bollards and chains that define the lane but make if awkward for pedestrians and cyclists to negotiate. Repositioning the bollards and chains in cooperation with the owner of the parking lot could improve conditions for all users.
[DTP p. 145]
In this location, signage in the laneway is most important, since drivers in the lane do not expect cyclist traffic. A bike lane on the west side of the parking lot would be ideal. Some curb redesign at Pacific and Davie may also be necessary to give cyclists access to this route.
The changes happening on Pacific are enormous, and have great potential. The redesign appears to accomodate cyclists very well, especially in difficult sections like the intersection of Expo (westbound) at Cambie St. At present, I don't believe the VACC needs to focus too heavily on this section; the designs on the table are acceptable; as long as the redesign project goes ahead, this route should be quite ridable. The real issue is that the redesign hasn't been allocated any funds yet, and may not ever happen. Cyclists (and pedestrians, and other residents) who feel strongly about this need to lobby the city to find funds for this expensive project.
