Viaducts | Information Boards
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THE FUTURE OF VANCOUVER’S VIADUCTS Welcome to our information session on the future of Vancouver’s viaducts. Over the past two years City staff have been testing the replacement of the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts. We’d like to share our findings with you and invite you to share your opinion. Why are we here today? Since 2010, City staff have been exploring opportunities to replace the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts with a mostly at-grade street network to allow for a larger Creekside Park, improved walking, cycling, transit, and driving options, a new neighbourhood and housing opportunities on city land. In September 2015, Council will consider whether to move ahead with removing the viaducts. What are we planning? Viaducts Process Timeline After Council consider the future of the viaducts in Technical Phase 1 - Viaducts Phase 2 - Viaducts September work on the future Studies neighbourhood and park will Council to consider future of the viaducts begin. Community Engagement Phase 1 - Viaducts Phase 2 - NEFC + Park It is important that we hear from the community Park+NEFC on what they think are the Planning Phase 2 - NEFC + Park opportunities and challenges posed by the replacement of Jun Jul Aug Sep Fall Spring the viaducts to inform Phase 2 2015 2016 of this work. Start Finish vancouver.ca/viaducts VANCOUVER’S VIADUCTS: THE FINDINGS There are a number of key findings City staff have learnt from studying the opportunities and challenges of replacing the viaducts. Maintaining the network capacity More Resilient Travel Time, Safety and Infrastructure The new proposed network can Comfort accommodate Improved At-grade streets are connections + more seismically resilient. route choices, = 1-3 minute increase in % travel time of today’s traffic volume. It is also designed to handle Improved future traffic volumes more = access, safety efficiently. and comfort Streets can be raised to new flood construction levels. Improved Connections Reduced The future street design improves Connections to Maintenance Costs connections for people, bikes, cars, the Creek transit and trucks. At-grade streets have up to TODAY - DISCONNECTED STREETS A new street network will reduce barriers and improve connections between neighbourhoods. 5-10 X GEORGIA ST lower life cycle costs. MAIN QUEBEC CARRALL EXPO $ vs. $ PACIFIC PACIFIC ABBOTT ABBOTT QUEBEC FUTURE - CONNECTED STREETS GEORGIA ST MAIN EXPO QUEBEC BC PLACE Opportunity to Bigger, Better Park SHOP Reconnect Main Street PACIFIC ABBOTT A larger, more contiguous park QUEBEC MAIN ST space can be achieved. Additional park space is from converted DISCONNECTED RECONNECTED road surface. Positive UNION ST UNION ST +13% Public Response 69 per cent of people agreed with the proposal to replace the viaducts in 2013. PRIOR ST PRIOR ST 69% vancouver.ca/viaducts EXISTING STREET NETWORK OPTION -S PERFORMANCE CRITCurrentlyERIA the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts are large, elevated highway structures which bypass the 1 surrounding Northeast False Creek area. OPTIONS & CRITERIA PARK The ViaductsSTREETSCAPE Today Legend DEVELOPMENT R Georgia Viaduct • Viaducts carry approx. 40,000 R R SAFETY Dunsmuir Viaduct vehicles per day Grade change to the Downtown CAPACITY ACCESSIBILITY R • 1/2 of this traffic comes from Gastown SUSTAINABILITY Downtown the Eastern half of Vancouver R Dunsmuir St Hastings St • 10% of vehicles entering/leaving Georgia St Chinatown PREFERRED Pender St Strathcona downtownALTERNATIVE R Abbott St • Seismically vulnerable QUICK STATS Grandview- • High maintenance costs Northeast Prior St Woodland False Creek Georgia Ramp • Substandard sidewalk widths Main St • xxx Expo Boulevard Pacific Boulevard R CityGate • xxx • xxx False Creek R Viaducts Dimensions Terminal Ave • xxx t S c e b False Creek Cambie St Bridge Olympic e • 1,300 metres long each u Village Q Flats Duinsmuir Ramp • 14• xxx metres wide each E 2nd Av • xxx ¯ • Total area = 36,000m2 N • xxx • xxx 0.25 km GeorgiaR Viaduct Dunsmuir Viaduct Existing space allocation on Legend Georgia Viaduct the viaducts Dunsmuir Viaduct Grade change to the Downtown 10% Sidewalks Subtitle HereNORTHEAST FALSE CREEK BC PLACE GEORGIA COSTCO COSTCO DUNSMUIR SKYTRAIN VIADUCT VIADUCT 15% Bike Lanes The Case For Removing The Viaducts The viaducts were originally has been a measured 20% reduction designed and constructed as part in vehicular traffic on routes to and 75% of a freeway network that was from the downtown, while at the Vehicles Lanes never completed, and intended same time the city has grown with to carry up to 1,800 vehicles per more jobs, more residents and more lane per hour; today they carry transportation trips overall as more approximately 750 per lane per people are choosing to walk, cycle hour, during rush hour – less than and take transit. half. Over the last 15 – 20 years there vancouver.ca/viaducts PROPOSED STREET NETWORK The viaducts can be replaced with a new two-way at-grade Pacific Boulevard and a Georgia Street Ramp. This proposed network can accommodate 100% of today’s traffic and will reconnect the surrounding neighbourhoods to the downtown and waterfront. New Network Proposal R Legend R R Georgia Street Ramp The new Georgia Street Ramp and Dunsmuir Connection Dunsmuir Connection will provide New Pacific Boulevard R Gastown Future East/West Arterial Connection direct access from the downtown Downtown Grade change to the Downtown to Northeast False Creek for R Dunsmuir St Hastings St all transportation modes, with Georgia St Chinatown Pender St Strathcona sufficient capacity for 100% of the R demand. The new 2-way Pacific will provide a direct connection to Grandview- Northeast Strathcona and the False Creek Prior St Woodland False Creek Flats. These new streets will be safer and more comfortable for Expo Boulevard Main St R Pacific Boulevard CityGate pedestrians and cyclists. False Creek R t S Terminal Ave c e b False Creek Cambie St Bridge Olympic e Georgia Street Ramp u Village Q Flats • A proposed ceremonial street E 2nd Av connecting Georgia Street from the ¯ downtown to the waterfront. N 0.25 km • Improved accessibility for all modes of transportation including a gentle 5% slope for pedestrian and cyclist Dunsmuir comfort. Georgia Street Ramp • Opportunity for plaza and public Connection space improvements to maximize integration with the adjacent stadium and arena. Dunsmuir Connection • A proposed walking and cycling connection from Dunsmuir Street to the future neighbourhood and park as well as the city’s key cycling BC PLACE GEORGIA GRIFFITH’S WAY COSTCO DUNSMUIR SKYTRAIN routes of Adanac/Union, Quebec/ RAMP CONNECTION Ontario, the Seawall and Carrall St. Georgia Street Ramp Dunsmuir Connection • Gentle 5% slope for pedestrian and cyclist comfort, sufficiently space allocation* space allocation* accommodating large volumes of event spectators and cyclists. 8% 47% 53% • Further planning will determine the 31% best design for this connection, Sidewalks Bike Lanes Sidewalks Bike Lanes including maximizing opportunities *Approximately 1/3 *Approximately 1/10 for elevated views and park 61% of the size of the 0% of the size of the integration while being mindful of Vehicle Lanes current viaduct. Vehicles Lanes current viaduct. costs and impact to existing and future developments. vancouver.ca/viaducts PROPOSED STREET NETWORK Over the past few years we have been rigorously testing the proposed network design for the New Pacific Boulevard and Georgia Street Ramp. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Transportation Assessment of Viaducts Removal Options (Partial to Full) Urban Design Study for Viaducts Initial Studies Replacement Options Arena Accessibility Review, Prior/Venables and Quebec Capacity Assessments Advanced Transportation Analysis Origins of vehicle trac Environmental Transportation Stadia Event Management Analysis Georgia Ramp Conceptual Design Dunsmuir Connection Conceptual Design Network trac modelling Infrastructure Road & Utilities Conceptual Design Viaducts Seismic Assessment Environmental Environmental Overview Assessment Georgia Ramp Design Livabilty Assessment Prior/Venables In-service Road Safety Review Street East-West Arterial Options Investigaton Environmental Assessment Proposed Network City staff have been exploring the opportunities and constraints of the viaduct removal. The results these studies is the conceptual proposal shown here to the left. This design, which includes replacing the viaducts with an at-grade Pacific Boulevard and Georgia Street Ramp, can accommodate 100% of today’s traffic volume. The work is not finished yet. If Council agrees in prinicple to the proposed design, additional detailed design and community consultation will be undertaken as we move forward into Phase 2 of the planning work, later in 2015. vancouver.ca/viaducts TECHNICAL STUDIES + FINDINGS Movement and Access to Downtown • The replacement network has sufficient capacity for 100% today’s vehicular demand • New bi-directional Georgia Street Ramp, provides 4 vehicular lanes to access downtown from NEFC (compared to 5 on current viaducts today) • New roads designed for full size trucks and transit buses • Marginal travel time increase for vehicles (1-3 mins depending on route), with new connections and route choice • Safer, more comfortable and efficient pedestrian and cyclist routes • Opportunities for improved transit routing • Improved access to the future neighbourhood and waterfront park Study: Advanced Transportation Analysis & Georgia Ramp Conceptual Design Neighbourhood Impacts • Replacement network has sufficient capacity