Arbutus: Greenway & Future Streetcar | Proposed

[Bdawe]

Frankly, I hope this impasse lasts indefinitely into the future. It's really the best thing that can happen to the corridor. If CP had their way, they'd parcel it off to developers and we wouldn't have a right of way any more. If the city had their way, they'd be under pressure to turn it into some precious linear park-community garden-open space-bike path that would be impossible to get rid of when the time comes round to build another north-south line.

Long live the impasse!

[jollyburger]

Rescheduled doesn't sound like a pending deal.

Braeden Caley, the director of policy and communications for the Office of the Mayor, told the Courier, "the hearings are in the process of being rescheduled by mutual consent of the City of Vancouver and CP."

http://www.vancourier.com/news/arbut....Vv2mY57Y.dpuf

[makr3trkr]

http://web.archive.org/web/201405211...aking_2011.pdf

"The last visioning process, commissioned by the CPR but conducted independently by an eminent panel of academics, planners and others, recommended in 2007 that the corridor and adjacent city streets should be used “to accommodate a continuous greenway and possible future transportation route with carefully considered opportunities for development in select locations.” The panel imagined that residential and commercial development along portions of the corridor would generate the funds for the city to acquire the land and build the recommended public infrastructure. Moreover, this development could fit with the city‟s “EcoDensity Initiative” to add affordable housing in ways that reduced the ecological footprint of the city."





http://www.shpoa.ca/pdf/ArbutusLandsVisioning07.pdf



For the record, the CPR proposed development while still preserving a greenway and future transportation corridor.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Again, it's a north-south corridor in a medium density part of the city filled with millionaires and people who generally do not want to see an increase in density. You take any of the east-west buses and you're at a Canada Line station in a couple of minutes.

There is absolutely nothing that justifies the conversion of the corridor at this time or in the next few decades into a dedicate bus/rail route, nor is there a problem with it remaining an infrequently active rail line for now, no matter how how much the shortsighted neighbors want to scream about it.

Those 2 things right there are why, for the foreseeable future, nothing will happen.

Most millionaires do not take transit. Some might, but most would rather drive their luxury SUV.

The line is about 3km away from the Canada Line. That is the same distance between the 2 Eglinton stations of Line 1. There is not enough density there to warrant it now. Lets say they open a line to UBC by 2025, this line would likely not be thought about till after then. I the city changed the zoning, the line might get built by 2050.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Vin

Vancouver is NOT a dense city by any means. I took the Arbutus bus number 16 before and just right after 41st Ave heading south, there were only 2 or 3 passengers left in the bus. Unless this city does what Burnaby or other major cities around the world are doing, ie, making neighbourhoods really dense, I don't see the justification of building any mass transit system along the Arbutus corridor. For example, it is time to plan for a huge commercial centre to be built at Kerrisdale, and allow the addition of 40+ storey condos in that neighbourhood. Either that or rezone multiple SFH streets flanking Arbutus to higher density neighbourhoods, with 8-20 storey buildings and commercial structures. When those happen, then we're talking.

And a mall, a really really big one. Kerrisdale needs a mega mall.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by whatnext

And a mall, a really really big one. Kerrisdale needs a mega mall.

That would completely ruin the neighbourhood.It needs to extend the retail along 41st towards Granville.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Jebby

That would completely ruin the neighbourhood.It needs to extend the retail along 41st towards Granville.

I believe that was pure sarcasm. Whats the extent of soil contamination along the corridor?

[CanSpice]

News conference in 45 minutes about the Arbutus Corridor.

[logicbomb]

Looks like they made a deal and the tracks will be immediately ripped up for a Greenway. Kills any hope of ever seeing that corridor be used for transportation purposes.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

News conference in 45 minutes about the Arbutus Corridor.

Why do I have a feeling of dread. Dread that we just lost that corridor as a proper transportation corridor and that the city will fast-track turning it into a bike path.

[logicbomb]

City purchased it for 55 million. Good god. That ought to make those residents happy.

I knew it...it's a "greenway" for future generations. Compare's it to New York's "Highline."

[WarrenC12]

Waste of tax dollars. "Uneeded land" will be sold with revenue split 50/50.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Waste of tax dollars. "Uneeded land" will be sold with revenue split 50/50.

The City got totally bent over in this deal.

As a taxpayer, I am absolutely irate. There was no real rush to make the deal other than to appease those who were unlawfully infringing on the corridor.

He mentions the corridor being used as a multipurpose pathway with the potential of it being used as a passenger /commuter rail line. They will never ever consider doing that now as it would be political suicide. The fact that the ties/crossings are being immediately ripped out highlights where the City is going with this plan. The present circumstances had the beneficial effect of preventing the corridor from being converted into anything that might be difficult to displace

The City has spent 55 million dollars to make a greenway and to allow those community gardens to be built on that corridor. That is utterly disgusting.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

City purchased it for 55 million. Good god. That ought to make those residents happy.

I knew it...it's a "greenway" for future generations. Compare's it to New York's "Highline."

It's going to be a transportation corridor for rapid transit. Right from the horses mouth. That's good news.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by logan5

It's going to be a transportation corridor for rapid transit. Right from the horses mouth. That's good news.

Depends on who the horse and which mouth it's speaking out of.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by logan5

It's going to be a transportation corridor for rapid transit. Right from the horses mouth. That's good news.

Except that horse is full of crap.

Chances are...we will never ever see that corridor used for rapid transit in our lifetime. Unlike before, the government will listen to the protests from those residents.

A picture says a thousand words. What's the main focus in that picture?

[logan5]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Except that horse is full of crap.

Chances are, we will never ever see that corridor used for rapid transit in our lifetime. Unlike before, the government will listen to the protests from those residents.

A picture says a thousand words. What's the main focus in that picture?

Those tracks are supposed to be ripped out. Why are they still there in this rendering of our future "high-line"?

In fact, those are new tracks embedded into the sidewalk.

[WarrenC12]

The tracks as they exist today are useless for anything. Any rail transit will need completely new tracks laid down.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

The tracks as they exist today are useless for anything. Any rail transit will need completely new tracks laid down.

The value is in the corridor, not the tracks. And from the prominent placement of the bicycle, "Arbutus Greenway" sign, benches etc. it's abundantly clear that the city intends to merely pay lipservice to making it a proper transportation corridor. Thus, the tracks remain in renderings, for now.

[a very long weekend]

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/...tml?channel=50

CP will share in future proceeds too, wonder what that means