Vancouver and the Underground Pedestrian System

metroXpress · #1 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 3:40 PM**

Could Vancouver ever have an underground pedestrian system in Downtown, which links more shops and malls? Toronto had done it very successfully and it is the largest one in the continent.

osirisboy · #2 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 3:45 PM**

Montreal also has a massive system too.

Regarding vancouver, it wont happen here I hope, our climate doesnt really necessitate it, sure it rains but its not like the rest of canada with -30 and a ton of snow. also it kills the street life.

metroXpress · #3 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 3:57 PM**

^ I do agree with you that it kills the street life. However, I believe that both systems will be used by the pedestrians. It's just a bonus option. I know that there are cities in Asia (warmer than Vancouver) that have this kind of system. If you are strictly taking about the weather, then I guess they are avoiding the heat in the Summer.

I hope some of the plans of this system will be suggested when designing the Waterfront Station.

osirisboy · #4 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 4:38 PM**

well i would rather an underground system versus and overhead walkway system like calgary, which by the way the city is thinking about discontinuing it

jlousa · #5 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 5:15 PM**

Don't think we need an underground link for the reasons mentioned above, the only section I would like added is the one block between pacific centre and sinclair centre. With that one short block added you'd be able to walk from Granville and Robson all the to the new convention centre, connecting 2 Canada Line stations, 2 Expo lines, 4 shopping centres and both convention centres.

Rusty Gull · #6 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 7:40 PM**

Good point, JLousa. Do you know if this will ever be in the cards? It seems like minimal investment (creating one block of underground) for a major payoff (essentially a small-scale downtown underground).

agrant · #7 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 8:42 PM**

So what's the appeal of being underground? Something wrong with being in a building above ground? Or is it just about connecting malls? I'm not a big shopper, so I wouldn't know. I would just pick a mall and stick with it.

Rusty Gull · #8 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 9:38 PM**

Personally, the appeal is not getting soaked on those many wet-weather days between October and April -- especially if you're just dashing out of your office to get lunch.

NetMapel · #9 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 9:46 PM**

We are not California or Florida. While our winter is a lot better than the rest of Canada, our weather is still wet and ugly during 1/3 of the year. We're not going to have a great street life during those winter period. For practicality sake, we should have an extensive underground network that also have lots of retailers for people to shop. During the summer, people will naturally want to be outside and we will have a great street life again (2/3 of the year !). But for that 1/3 of the year where it's ugly outside, I'd much rather be inside and keep myself dry and warm.

Locked In · #10 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 9:48 PM**

I like the idea of linking Sinclair Centre and PC (what's in the block between Pender and Hastings - is it a possibility?)... but I'm not really in favour of a widespread underground network. Parts of TO's CBD can feel relatively quiet at street-level even during the workday, even though there are hundreds of thousands of people working down there. PATH just sucks the people (and the retail) off the street when it's too cold or too hot/humid. As far as Vancouver is concerned, as long as there are enough unobtrusive awnings on the street to get from place to place without getting drenched, I'd prefer to hit the streets and get out of air-conditioned buildings when I leave the office for lunch.

SpongeG · #11 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 10:50 PM**

it would be cool if sinclair and pac centre were joined but what else could be joined? we don't have much really to join up

Distill3d · #12 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty Gull

Personally, the appeal is not getting soaked on those many wet-weather days between October and April -- especially if you're just dashing out of your office to get lunch.

does everyone forget Vancouver is in a rain forest? i'll take the rain soaked months between October and April over the freezing snow covered months between October and June in Alberta.

Vancouver doesn't need an underground walkway for reasons stated. it would kill the street life, which Vancouver needs more of. this would be a step in the opposite direction.

an underground walk way from Canada Place to Lonsdale Quay however....

Canadian Mind · #13 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 11:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distill3d

does everyone forget Vancouver is in a rain forest? i'll take the rain soaked months between October and April over the freezing snow covered months between October and June in Alberta.

Vancouver doesn't need an underground walkway for reasons stated. it would kill the street life, which Vancouver needs more of. this would be a step in the opposite direction.

an underground walk way from Canada Place to Lonsdale Quay however....

Too long of a walk.

The rain already elimintes a good chunk of street life. Not all of it, and in some area's more than others. And while I agree that underground walkways would kill streetlife if they were all over the place, a very small network linking very key locations, nameley the already mentioned one block between Pacific Centre and Sinclair Centre. This would give people in the area the option of staying dry when it rains; and either way, thoise that perfer to get out of the buildings throughout the day will. I know that if it is sunny out I'd rather be outside than inside, but if it is a cold rain, I'll want to be inside. Just not enough awnings along the sidewalks.

I don't have a problem walking in warm summer rains though, but the west coast of BC doesn't tend to get warm summer downpours like the rest of the continent does.

metroXpress · #14 Posted **Mar 8, 2009, 11:45 PM**

After reading the discussion you guys I have. I guess not much people wanted an underground pedestrian system. I don't think it has to be widespred like the one in Toronto. Linking key attractions and perhaps adding retail in the system would be a great asset to the city.

Walking from Canada Place to Lonsdale? That's funny

We should have a street car going through....

CameronT120 · #15 Posted **Mar 9, 2009, 2:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distill3d

an underground walk way from Canada Place to Lonsdale Quay however....

I like that idea. What is it, about 4km?

usog · #16 Posted **Mar 9, 2009, 5:01 AM**

Dunno, I'd like more underground connections because a lot of the time I'm just going from the skytrain to a fixed destination with no inclination whatsoever to buy something in between. So really if they add a few more key connections underground, I'd bet they'd divert traffic that simply had no intention of doing anything in the street-level anyways besides transiting. That or I'm just in an extreme minority XD

mr.x · #17 Posted **Mar 9, 2009, 5:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NetMapel

We are not California or Florida. While our winter is a lot better than the rest of Canada, our weather is still wet and ugly during 1/3 of the year. We're not going to have a great street life during those winter period. For practicality sake, we should have an extensive underground network that also have lots of retailers for people to shop. During the summer, people will naturally want to be outside and we will have a great street life again (2/3 of the year !). But for that 1/3 of the year where it's ugly outside, I'd much rather be inside and keep myself dry and warm.

Basically what I've been saying all along.....and it's no coincidence why people are flocking to the suburbs to shop rather than to downtown. I'm not saying it should ALL be malls in downtown, hell no, but there needs to be a lot more and Pacific Centre needs to be bigger.

I wouldn't go shopping down Robson while it's raining, i'd go to Metrotown.

deasine · #18 Posted **Mar 9, 2009, 6:54 AM**

I haven't actually been to Montreal or any underground pedestrian system... so I really don't know what it's like... is it like a mall? or is it just a bare corridor? pictures? =P too lazy to google.

Distill3d · #19 Posted **Mar 9, 2009, 1:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CameronT120

I like that idea. What is it, about 4km?

something like that. i mean, it could have retail, or it could just be an underwater walkway with an amazing perspective of the harbor.

osirisboy · #20 Posted **Mar 9, 2009, 2:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by deasine

I haven't actually been to Montreal or any underground pedestrian system... so I really don't know what it's like... is it like a mall? or is it just a bare corridor? pictures? =P too lazy to google.

its 32 km of tunnels making it the longest underground system in the world. its basically tunnels connecting malls and metro stations, etc. google it and you can find pictures of it.