Posts from — January 2010

Unreported in BC, as far as I know, was the very significant news that the Washington and Oregon State high-speed rail supporters landed nearly $USD600 million in investments along more than 400 miles of track to speed up Amtrak service.

This massive investment will take the states much closer to the long-term goal of 240-km an hour high speed rail.

Seattle rail advocates, like the Cascadia Center, have done a better job of advancing Vancouver’s role as the northern terminus of the route that we have. That must change after the 2010 Games.

A critical consideration in the debate on protection of Vancouver’s view corridors was the need — real or perceived — for higher buildings in the views to accommodate future growth in jobs and residents.

The facts were clear: they were not needed.

Now Vancouver’s current and past planning directors have weighed in with their assessments of council’s Jan. 27 vote to protect the views. Brent Toderian spells out the logic in the process; Larry Beasley hails the vote and repeats his view that the entire review was unnecessary.

One of the most revealing staff submissions in the entire process came near the end, in response to questions from council. See for yourself as you scroll through overhead views of the study area. [Read more →]

The drive to expand and improve Vancouver’s separated bike routes will continue next week as council debates this proposal to create a new downtown connection on the Dunsmuir Viaduct.

The two-way separated bike lane will be created from a “lost lane” that was quietly removed several years ago and never restored. (Remember the outcry? Probably not: drivers never noticed.)

The report also authorizes staff to analyze other options to improve downtown cycle safety with additional separated lanes, a trickier proposition given the requirement to take space from traffic or parking.

Also percolating behind the scenes at City Hall: a close look at a new proposal emerging from the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition to create a cycle-pedestrian pathway along the Arbutus Corridor. Such a project would need co-operation from Canadian Pacific Railways.

Students of Vancouver 2010 Games ticket purchasing policy may wish to file away the minutes from this March 24, 2009, council meeting at which COPE councillors Ellen Woodsworth and David Cadman — now outraged and appalled — clearly supported the purchase of Olympic tickets.

Although all three levels of government have invited the world, some elected officials seem now to be promising not to show up.

Back at the city, the long-standing policy remains clear: if asked to host a visiting official as the result of a decision by an arms-length staff group, a councillor will receive a ticket to do the job. Each councillor is also invited to attend the opening ceremonies. That’s about it.

Only Sun columnist Craig McInnes seems to find this unremarkable.