Bravo to The Sun for stoking a discussion on the future of Burrard Bridge – Bridging the Repair Bill Gap. Journalist Catherine Rolfsen found a range of opinon, from going ahead with the widening but trying to do it cheaper, to building a separate low-level bridge.
I like that idea. Build a passerelle, as the French call them, and as so many cities are doing.
My current favourite: the Simone de Beauvoir Passerelle across the Seine:
Cost in 2006: 21 million Euros. But there are so many bridges varying in size and cost, so many being done by great architects with cities vying to outdo each other that I’ll feature some in upcoming posts. (Send in your nominations!)
Some are icons for their city, like the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam.
According to the Wayfaring Travel Guide:
The 808 metre long bridge has a 139 metre-high asymmetrical pylon, earning the bridge its nickname of “The Swan” by locals because of its graceful posture over the water. The southern span of the bridge has a 89 metre long bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in West Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world. The bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix on 6.09. 1996, having cost about 75 million Euros to construct.
It’s time to put together a task force to really explore the options and not lose a chance to build something truly great – and affordable.
UPDATE: Councillor Chow calls for False Creek pedestrian bridge.
Derek Moscato’s column in The Province: It feels like we’re being taken for a ride ….
I think the second cheapest option is to provide free ferry service, like the Albion Ferry.
The idea of a passerelle is great, but at the expense of not allowing sailboats past? (And don’t forget the commercial fishing boats that moor near Granville Island – with their tall antenna that are as high as many sailboat masts)
Well, even though I can’t afford a boat of any sort, they do act as an amenity for me as I ride my bike along the seawall around False Creek. Because the sea wall inhibits any physical interaction with the water itself, the marinas and boats (especially sailboats) stimulate my imagination about sailing and being out on the water. For me, sailboats give a sense of adventure that would otherwise be absent if False Creek was limited to motorboats only – or worse, no boats at all. Sure, only a small number of people are able to moor a boat there and a low passerelle would benefit more people in a physical manner, but I believe the marinas and sailboats in False Creek help give a sense of place to this part of Vancouver. I vote for the drawbridge option – just my opinion.
$60+M. Has Vancouver spent this much on the bikeway and pedestrian/cyclist actuated signal programs? The Burrard Bridge serves the west side, west of Burrard. A draw-bridge west of Burrard would serve the western-most Burrard peninsula as well as Burrard Bridge, provide better access to the downtown peninsula seawall and Stanley Park. Cyclists are a hardy bunch. A short steep climb up Bute would be a challenge for some. Perhaps Jervis and Haro would be good options.
I believe, having lived at the Park Towers beside the Burrard Street Bridge that there is enough room and enough “grade” that a parallel bridge just below, maybe offset a few dozen meters, could be accommodated. This would Link the two sides of the sea wall (with ramps up to allow boats to still pass under), and like you said, create one more icon within Vancouver.
A second deck, underslung, could satisfy the needs of motorists and transit above and pedestrians and cyclists below. A special lane could be set aside below for emergency vehicles and maintenance needs. How much clearance do the boats need will be a design element that could add to the visual appeal of this grande old Art Deco structure. Being a modification of an existing structure means a lot less expense than adding a second bridge, so why not keep with the original intent of the original idea with a higher second deck? I shudder when I think of the costs so far in trying to come up with solutions and the effects they have had on all traffic and the congested roads. I guess forethought and planning have gone the way of the dinosaur!
Please remind me of the costs and negative effects on motor vehicle traffic? My understanding is:
– Aside from one lane on each of the Burrard and Dunsmuir bridges, only about 5 blocks of traffic lanes have been upgraded to bike lanes;
– Traffic flows have been pretty much unaffected;
– Motor vehicle traffic entering both Vancouver and downtown Vancouver continues to decrease as it has for decades.
Currently 10% of commuting by residents is done by bike. Cycling is becoming major transportation and is actually facilitating continued use of motor vehicles.