Vancouver Downtown Streetcar | Proposed - Page 112

GenWhy? · #**2221** Posted **Oct 12, 2021, 10:49 PM**

The whole streetcar route presented could be in a full dedicated ROW if a few traffic lanes are removed. This appears to have been a conservative route design. Aside from the Pacific Boulevard leg, like 80% of this thing is in its own ROW. Developers would love this along Arbutus.

Migrant_Coconut · #**2222** Posted **Oct 12, 2021, 10:57 PM**

Closing off part of Cordova (or worse, having the buses and everybody else share with the train) is maybe not the best idea - especially if we ever need it to run every 5 minutes or less instead of 8.

cganuelas1995 · #**2223** Posted **Oct 13, 2021, 12:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

any further downtown, we might as well wait and build a tunnel.

If we're gonna start tunnelling, might as well just go with skytrain at that point.

jollyburger · #**2224** Posted **Oct 13, 2021, 1:05 AM**

With the South False Creek planning it doesn't seem that promising for a streetcar

Migrant_Coconut · #**2225** Posted **Oct 13, 2021, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

If we're gonna start tunnelling, might as well just go with skytrain at that point.

Because of 15% of the route (counting the Greenway)? You know I like grade separation too, but that doesn't sound like good tradeoff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jollyburger

With the South False Creek planning it doesn't seem that promising for a streetcar

(sigh) Yeah, looks like it. Maybe in another twenty years...

logicbomb · #**2226** Posted **Oct 13, 2021, 8:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Because of 15% of the route (counting the Greenway)? You know I like grade separation too, but that doesn't sound like good tradeoff.

(sigh) Yeah, looks like it. Maybe in another twenty years...

Based on what I see in the renderings, the ROW along False Creek pretty much gets built over.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...89#post9422089

jollyburger · #**2227** Posted **Oct 13, 2021, 9:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Based on what I see in the renderings, the ROW along False Creek pretty much gets built over.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...89#post9422089

DailyHive says they moved the alignment to the north side of West 6th.

Migrant_Coconut · #**2228** Posted **Oct 14, 2021, 2:01 AM**

So then we can't even do Phase 0. Wonderful.

logicbomb · #**2229** Posted **Oct 14, 2021, 4:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

So then we can't even do Phase 0. Wonderful.

Phase 0, and the entire streetcar network wasn't ever really in the cards. Plans were just conjured up by City Hall to justify the expense of purchasing the Arbutus ROW. There's just no political will to fund a network that's been made redundant by cleaner battery powered buses and the new Broadway Skytrain. The ROW is also taking up a rather large footprint on land that could be developed.

GenWhy? · #**2230** Posted **Oct 14, 2021, 4:24 PM**

525 West 2nd Ave is a large parcel.

Changing City · #**2231** Posted **Oct 14, 2021, 6:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Phase 0, and the entire streetcar network wasn't ever really in the cards. Plans were just conjured up by City Hall to justify the expense of purchasing the Arbutus ROW. There's just no political will to fund a network that's been made redundant by cleaner battery powered buses and the new Broadway Skytrain. The ROW is also taking up a rather large footprint on land that could be developed.

Not true. The Arbutus Greenway was identified 25 years ago as a possible route for transit to Richmond - but Cambie was selected instead. There was then an exercise in 2000 to reserve it for a greenway and future transportation use, and that led to the legal dispute with CP and the subsequent purchase agreement with the city. In 1995 there was no clear indication of whether, or when CP might abandon the use of the line.

The Downtown streetcar was a separate exercise in the mid 1990s to develop a Downtown network, building off the track right of way in False Creek South acquired by the City. The purchase of the 1.5 km False Creek South rail corridor occurred after BC Transit commissioned a study in 1991 for a streetcar system from Granville Island to Science World, and City of Vancouver commissioned a complementary study in 1994.

The idea that the Arbutus Greenway route could be linked to the Downtown route came years after the possible Downtown streetcar network had been identified.

MIPS · #**2232** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 6:01 PM**

Looks like the streetcar parked in the shed down on 6th ave is going up for sale. GovAuction listing A240197 - Ends August 29th. Can't really post a link because the site is a coding disaster.

Quote:

Electric Streetcar is untested
Unit is not in working condition
Interior of streetcar has damage and missing pieces
Serial/specification plate not present
Wheels appear to be seized
Unit may need to be wrapped
Parts are missing
Pieces may need to be dismantled prior to removal

Additional time may be provided to the winning bidder to prepare the unit for transport

Surface damage present: scratches, markings, rust, dents, stains, dust and dirt

Item may be incomplete/missing pieces

Dimensions: 48.36 feet long x 11.78 feet wide x 12.11 feet high
Weight: 42,000 lbs (approximate)

Measurements are approximate

Additional pictures available in a PDF file in the Attachments Exist section

Viewing highly recommended

Viewing is by APPOINTMENT ONLY on August 24th between 11:00AM - 1:00PM

For further information or for a viewing appointment, please contact the listing agent
Trevor Liu at (778) 572-3883 or email at trevor.liu@gov.bc.ca

From the photos it's not in great shape. They got the inter taped off for asbestos and it's been tagged with graffitti so there's no promises all the components are still there.

jollyburger · #**2233** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 6:20 PM**

https://twitter.com/NathanDavidowi1/...109121/photo/1

Diegotheartist1 · #**2234** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 8:42 PM**

maybe they're preparing to dismantle the shed and do some sort of complete overhaul of the corridor or something?

MIPS · #**2235** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 11:25 PM**

Calling it now - Dedicate bike route.

officedweller · #**2236** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 11:28 PM**

Quote:

BC is auctioning off a vintage Vancouver streetcar and it could cost a little over $100
Brendan Kergin / Vancouver is Awesome
- Aug 4, 2022 / 12:51 pm | S

A streetcar being stored in a shed at Vancouver's Leg in Boot square is up for auction by the provincial government.

However, while it's been in the city for years, it's never seen use on Vancouver rails.

The streetcar was donated to the Transit Museum Society by the Belgian government around 2000, according to Matthew Laird, who's been involved with the society for years.

The idea was for the streetcar, which could be operated by a single person and have a wheelchair ramp installed, to run on the Downtown Historic Railway between Granville Island and Olympic Village Station (under the Cambie Street Bridge). That line (which still physically exists) was in use for a decade, until after the 2010 Olympics.

However, Laird notes the Belgian streetcar up for auction never ran, other than when his father, Dale, moved it a few feet back and forth. With no current plans for the historic railway to be used, it is unlikely ever to carry passengers in Vancouver.

The streetcar was to be renovated, but that only partially happened, with UBC students building a new controller, Laird says on Twitter. The interior was never restored.

Now it sits in a shed next to the unused rail line at Leg in Boot square.

But not for long. The streetcar was just listed on the province's auction website. The online auction will run until Aug. 29.

The auction notes the electric streetcar is "untested," "not in working condition," damaged, missing pieces, and may need to be dismantled to move. One thing it does have, though, is asbestos.

Currently, the top bid is $100.

However, before leaping to make a bid, know this.

"It is the responsibility of the winning bidder to make all shipping and removal arrangements," the government says on the auction site. "All disassembly, removal and shipping of this auction item are the sole responsibility and at the expense of the high bidder.

"The winning bidder is solely responsible for any and all damage to the unit and the premise that may occur in the disassembly and removal of this unit."

Laird notes that as a street car, its wheels may not line up with other railways.

"They're smaller on a streetcar. It wouldn't be able to handle the tolerances on a freight railway without falling between the tracks at switches," he notes on Twitter.

Also, the winner will have to get it out of the shed five days after the auction ends, which may bring new meaning to 'Labour Day' for the winner's friends.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/378...-just-over-100

Okay...this is car 4 from Brussels, a former work car converted
back to have windows, it was donated by the Belgian govt to to Transit
Museum Society. I was at the meeting with the Belgian Consul at Five Sails
where the arrangement was made over drinks around 2000.
https://twitter.com/matthewlaird/sta...59514335907841

Sadly I can't find a photo of it as it arrived, painted yellow
with solid sides (no windows). Window holes were cut, those are former
Vancouver Flyer E800 trolley bus windows installed. The control handle for
the original controller is sitting in my shed.
https://twitter.com/matthewlaird/sta...59514335907841