John Mackie wrote in the Vancouver Sun last weekend on the battle over downtown freeways, which ended with the Georgia Viaduct being built – but no freeways. John covers that turbulent era from 1968 to ’72, when the future direction of Vancouver was determined. This would not be the same city if that project had proceeded.
This Week In History: 1972 sees Georgia Viaduct open
By 1960, the old Georgia Viaduct was thought to be on its last legs. “Vancouver’s drabbest landmark is due to disappear within 10 years,” Ron Thorndyke reported in The Vancouver Sun on Jan. 6, 1960.
“The 44-year-old Georgia Viaduct, with its wavy road surface and railings leaning askew, is still structurally sound. But it has no place in its present form as part of a modern freeway system that must be built to span False Creek.”
On Jan 30, 1962, the Province reported a “$15-million new Georgia Viaduct, a key part of a freeway project into downtown Vancouver, has been blueprinted for the city’s next five-year development program.”
In fact, the projected cost for the Viaduct was $10 million, which was approved by voters in a September 1965 plebiscite.
Less than a month later, Mayor Bill Rathie announced he wanted to build a $145-million, six-lane freeway through East Vancouver and along the downtown waterfront.
When council approved the elevated freeway along Carrall on Oct. 18, 1967, Chinatown was furious. “Chinese businessmen and property owners heatedly charged that council reneged on its promise to consult them before deciding the route,” said a story in The Sun.
“They claimed the eight-lane traffic artery above Carrall means a death sentence for Chinatown as a tourist attraction and viable business community.”
Others chimed in to denounce the freeway, including UBC professor and future TEAM city councillor Walter Hardwick, who argued city staff had “ignored the views on transportation planning expressed by representatives of 20 civic organizations.”
In December 1967, the chairman of Vancouver’s town planning commission resigned to protest the city’s freeway policies. Dr. Peter Oberlander said city planners appeared to be giving priority to transportation and traffic rather than overall city and metropolitan planning.
Rattled city officials rescinded the approval for the Carrall Street freeway on Jan. 10, 1968, which The Sun labelled a “startling about-face.”
Nonetheless, plans for the Georgia Viaduct forged ahead. Several houses and businesses on Union, Prior and Main were demolished for the approaches to the new structure, including most of Hogan’s Alley, Vancouver’s historic black neighbourhood. Construction began in 1970. The first phase of the new viaduct opened to traffic on June 28, 1971, and the second phase opened on Jan. 9, 1972. The final cost was $11.2 million.
Love this last line:
Ironically, the proposed freeway route down Union and Adanac is now Vancouver’s most popular bike route, used by up to 4,000 cyclists per day in the summer months.
Does anybody know what the plan would be for the Adanac bike route if the viaducts are removed?
Likely would just be separated bike path on whatever road replaces it.
New ped/cycling bridge starting at Carrall Street and connecting to the east end of Dunsmuir. Basically a mini Dunsmuir Viaduct.
Meanwhile, we spent over $3 billion for PMH1 and there is no safe and convenient cycling connection between Central Valley Greenway and the new Port Mann Bridge. This is one of the biggest gaps in the regional cycling network.
Why not divide the # of passengers and kg of goods transported over a 50 year life span of a bridge by the $s invested and you will get pennies per kg, similar or likely far lower than # of bikes or kg of goods shipped via bike lanes in the Fraser Valley into Vancouver. MetroVan is a port city and a gateway to Asia and the investment is a reflection of that.
We need both: truck & car routes and a livable region with parks, pedestrian areas, quiet zones, trees and bike path.
It is not either/or, but AND.