Last weekend, after driving through the construction works at the south end of the Burrard Bridge and along Cornwall and MacDonald, I have an impression – not yet backed up by facts and measurements – that not only is there an absence of congestion since PGR was closed, but that the traffic is actually moving better.
It was on Friday at 4:45 pm – early rush hour – heading south on the Burrard Bridge, expecting backups before I could make the turn onto Cornwall. To my surprise, I slalomed through the intersection, constantly moving the whole time, barely touching the brakes.
As most of the traffic headed up Burrard, I seamlessly moved into the new right-hand turn lane and flowed all the way to Cypress, where the red light had created some minor delay.
.
From there, I kept to the usual speed, a bit below the posted limit, along Cornwall, up MacDonald to 16th, never having to stop except at signals, even with all the construction pylons. Because there was no cross traffic at Point Grey Road, I realized Cornwall and MacDonald had become essentially a single street, with no interruptions or delays.
.
There is, of course, a new ped/bike light on MacDonald to connect the Seaside route to York Street, that will effectively reproduce the cross traffic as volumes increase. But there’s a larger point here: Not only did the predicted congestion not occur, the closure of Point Grey Road may have actually improved the traffic flow. The new Cornwall/Burrard intersection could even reduce the actual amount of traffic using those arterials, as the engineers were predicting during public meetings (to considerable dismay).
It’s early, conditions will change, data will be collected, judgments will be made. But this is not the first time that Carmageddon failed to bring the world as we know it to an end when the City reallocated space from the car – and it’s a story that needs to be told, it’s a meme that needs to be changed.
I’m also not the only one to notice this change. Here’s a comment by Ben from a previous post on the PGR controversy:
Have you noticed how the traffic on Cornwall street has now also been reduced which is allowing buses to travel more quickly? Yesterday it took me eight minutes on bus 22 from Larch street to Robson with a return time from Robson street back to Larch of seven minutes! These are truly amazing numbers.
No doubt there will be other observations. So let the comments flow along with the traffic …
Every time one of these projects is successful, more people see that the dominance of the automobile need not be protected at all costs.
Here’s hoping the anecdotal evidence continues to accumulate, and that real data comes to back it up soon.
Let’s follow this up with improvements in the east side of the city as well!
What you observed is the phenomenon known as “evaporating traffic”. Phil Goodwin has been documenting this around the world for many years. Yet the models used by traffic engineers – and most of the general public – cling to the notion that current levels of traffic have to be accommodated. As though traffic were like water. It isn’t. It’s more like a gas. It expands and contracts to fill the space available. Wikipedia calls it “disappearing traffic”.
On the other hand, if no traffic disappears and traffic flows better it would be an example of Braess’s paradox. But only real geeks want to know about that kind of transportation network theory.
I too have noticed that traffic leaving downtown via Burrard seems lighter than it was before, but believe the closure of Pt. Grey Road is merely coincidental.
Last year when construction started the Burrard Bridge and streets leading to it turned into a giant parking lot. It often took 20 minutes for the bus to get from Burrard Station to Cornwall and that’s with a dedicated bus lane on the downtown segment. Most days days the southbound lineup to get on the bridge started at St. Paul’s Hospital, but occasionally it stretched all the way to Pender. That, of course, due in no small part to vehicles on Georgia entering the intersection at Burrard when there is clearly no room on the other side. I’ve been aboard buses that required 4 light cycles and some highly aggressive lane changing and crosswalk blocking behaviour just to get from one side of Georgia to the other.
It’s my belief that many drivers got so frustrated with Burrard that they have abandoned the route at least until the construction is over.
Opponents to the closure of Point Grey Road for safety of all Vancouverites of all ages and abilities who choose to use the road argued VEHEMENTLY, and unsupported by any evidence, the following reasons for why the road should not be closed:
(1) 10,000 cars per day commuting on Point Grey Road would be removed from Point Grey Road all to Macdonald Street causing traffic jams and accidents on Macdonald Street (but this did not happen);
(2) the major arterials of 4th Avenue, 9th Avenue, 12th Avenue, etc. would become too congested with car traffic, slowing people down to a great degree on their way to work (but this did not happen);
(3) businesses in the area would suffer losses from decreased parking, congested traffic on the arterials and decreased access routes (but this did not happen);
(4) school children would be at risk having to cross busier Macdonald Street and 4th Avenue (but this did not happen);
(5) Point Grey Road would become a “gated community” or “park for the rich,” an elitist area for only Chip Wilson to commute in his “lemon mobile” and no other Vancouverite being granted access to the road (but this did not happen);
(6) the closure would “divide” the neighbourhood into an “us” (haves) versus “them” (have not) unpleasant tension that would pit neighbour against neighbour forever (but this did not happen);
(7) the closure is unnecessary because there were not enough reported injuries, property damage, and fatalities to justify the cost (not true); and
(8) widening the road by taking back City property from resident yards and/or removing parking from both sides of the road would make room for cyclists (which would have cost considerably more that closing the road, would not have solved the safety and access risks and would have left the houses that do not have garages, as well as all Vancouverites who wished to visit the area, with no parking).
Indeed, members of City staff were literally and repeatedly spat at when they attended meetings with the public by some protesters of the closure of the road who feared, or said they feared, that the above “disasters” would result from the closure.
Firstly, I believe that these individuals who opposed the closing of Point Grey Road should have been required to produce evidence (other than mere heresay) to the City for their claims, like the advocates for closing the road did, or else should not have been permitted to tie up City staff time and taxpayer’s money making their claims. Further, these individuals should be personally sued for assault for spitting on City staff. I call on the group in its entirety that has now witnessed their claims to be unfounded, but were used by the group on purpose to attempt to incite moral panic, to make formal, written apologies to the City and their fellow Vancouverites.
The added benefit to the closure of PGR is lighter traffic on Cornwall, Macdonald, and Alma. We are seeing massive traffic reduction due to ubc commuters, taxis and trucks now using 4th and Broadway. This should have been done years ago which would have prevented the death and injuries of several people on PGR!
Enjoy the free flowing traffic while you can.
The City is planning expansion joint and bearing repairs on the Burrard Bridge from Feb 1 to July. This will involve lane reductions.
http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/burrard-bridge-improvements.aspx
The summer time closure of the 800 block Robson and the Robson bus re-route may also put additional traffic pressure on Burrard through the downtown area.
Traffic also moves better when we have Transit work stoppages, but I don’t think that means that we should remove buses from the streets permanently.
What is more shocking to me is that Gordon was driving a car around the city…I though that Transit, biking and walking are far superior option to driving…
Traffic moves better when there’s Transit work stoppages? Because putting that many bus riders into cars makes traffic flow better?
Not exactly on topic, but people who need/want to use a car are not disuaded from using them (even with free transit on offer, as per the article below).
I suspect (and here’ I’m at least as scientific as Gordon!) that the ‘light traffic’ on Burrard Bridge is due to the perceived inconvenience of using the route, at this time. As Gordon knows, discouraging cars from areas like the downtown, has the effect of moving traffic to areas which are perceived as more hospitable to drivers.
http://citiscope.org/story/2014/free-public-transit-tallinn-hit-riders-yields-unexpected-results
Unclear to me why the turn off to Cornwall from Burrard wasn’t eliminated altogether ? PG road closure is a step in the right direction but not far enough
“Thomas” — the turn from Burrard to Cornwall was maintained because of the businesses on Cornwall; that is a very active, and presumably lucrative few blocks.
Also because the traffic analysis showed that Cornwall still bears too much traffic to block it off. Partly I feel disappointed that cycling infrastructure wasn’t implemented along Cornwall, but I feel that, given the evidence (of the traffic figures), the York Street compromise was necessary.
That said, the Point Grey figures and analysis most definitely did support its closure. It’s just sad that the nay-sayers seem to refuse to even acknowledge that there was compromise at all, when there was really quite a lot.
Because people, still want to get to Kits Beach and the Vanier Park cultural precinct, as well as the small commercial strip and Kits Point neighbourhood. The northbound left turn was only implemented c. 1998 to reduce or eliminate rat-running through the residential ‘hoods near Gen. Gordon School.
Thank goodness, as well as the council of the day, which included one G. Price.
These early anecdotes and all well and interesting, but what I’m really interested to see is the actual traffic data in a few months or so once everything has had time to settle.
Hopefully the city has got counting devices out on all the relevant roads affected by this change. Seems like a no brainer that they would be doing that, but can anyone confirm for sure?
Yes, City of Vancouver has counting devices galore in the vicinity, including side streets.
Thanks for the reply Ken! Should be super interesting to see how it all works out.
There is another scenic roadway which had to be closed to commuter traffic due to cars and taxis travelling at excessive speeds endangering the lives of pedestrians, children, seniors, cyclists, tourists, etc. The City does not allow north shore commuters to use the Stanley Park roadway during rush hours from 3:30pm to 6:30pm as it was being used as a shortcut to Georgia street. Over the last 30 years, I have biked hundreds of times around Stanley Park. What I have seen are the exact same issues as point grey road, where taxis and powerful cars like BMWs, Audis, etc. are allowed to drive unimpeded at two to three times over the speed limit (set at 30 K/M).
Let’s ask George Affleck to vote for increasing the speed limit in Stanley Park!