New Westminster Front Street closure

» Bad conditions met with demolition decision

Aaron Guillen Staff Reoorter

or pedestrians, walking along New Westminster’s Front Street can be hectic. With large commercial vehicles heading in both directions under an elevated parking lot, there isn’t much room for safety. To this end, the City of New Westminster is going forward with tearing down the west end of the lot along the busy road. This controversial decision

three years, as the notion of taking down a section of the parkade brought angry residents to city hall. The generally empty lot, even during peak times, has been called an eye-sore by many. Yet others appreciate its priceless waterfront views. Mayor Jonathan Cote said to the New Westminster Record that he respects people’s opinions, but he’s always viewed the parkade as a barrier that separates the downtown from

: the waterfront.

“There is no doubt that

: moving forward with the partial : deconstruction of the parkade

: is going to cost public money to

: move forward with that, but I

: think the reality is the lifecycle

: cost of maintaining the parkade : is going to be greater.”

With the go-ahead on

construction, which will take : : place between February and July, : : many problems are expected : to arise. First and foremost is : traffic.

has been in the works for almost :

“There may be disruption

: to normal traffic volume while

: Front Street is closed, but

: we are asking for everyone’s

: patience while the construction : is underway,” stated Media

: Relations Officer Acting

: Sergeant Jeff Scott on the

: NWPD website.

From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.,

: eastbound truck traffic will

: be allowed on Royal Avenue

: and westbound traffic open on : Columbia Street. In the night, : 10th Avenue will permit trucks

: to head in both directions.

Additional concerns are

: noise pollution and decreased : foot traffic for Front Street : business owners.

Luckily, “there will still be

: access down to the local road,

: and definitely pedestrian access : so people will be able to access

: the businesses there,” Cote told : the Record.

“The city has been working

: on putting up signage on

: Columbia Street letting people

: know. We are doing everything : we can to make sure the public

: is aware that Front Street is still : going to be open for business as : acommercial street.”

Within the next five

: months, expect big changes to

: take place to one of New West’s

: busiest streets. The city plans to : redesign the available space into : a “mews” that includes vibrant

: businesses, wider sidewalks,

: street furniture, lighting,

: trees, and angled parking, thus

: opening the downtown core to

: the waterfront.

Image via www.visionnetbc.com

Evergreen Line extremely close to completion

» SkyTrain stations modern, safe, and accessible

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

he Evergreen Line,

TransLink’s latest addition to SkyTrain service stations, is speeding up on completion. The track branches off the current ones, extending into Coquitlam with six new stops spread over 10.9 km, according to CBC. The line originates at VCC-Clark and turns off the Millennium Line track at Lougheed Town Centre, ending at LaFarge Lake/Douglas. This stop will primarily be of service to David Lam students and faculty, as well as patrons of Coquitlam Town Centre.

While touring the line with media, project director Amanda Farrell reported to News 1130 that the line was 80 per cent complete overall, with each specific station between go and gg per cent complete.

are expected to be constructed around the areas after the specific stations are complete.

In a modernized update, the stations will be primarily enclosed in glass. Passengers waiting or travelling on trains will be able to see parking lots, the city, and mountains, whether standing on a platform or using escalators and elevators. The stations also feature lots of wood-

: based construction, adding an : “earthy” feel to the stations.

In addition to being an

: aesthetic feature, the design : emphasizes safety and visibility.

“It’s a design concept to

; support crime prevention so

: that goes to the glass, it goes

: to the line of sight, it goes to

: the wide spaces so that people : feel safe and that they’re

: easy to see,” Farrell further

: explained to News 1130.

Escalators going both up

: and down will be featured at

: every single station. This is

: the first time TransLink has

: installed these as a priority

: at each station. Currently,

: few stations feature both

: directions—yet TransLink has : indicated all future projects

: will feature both. This is a

: move to increase accessibility

: for passengers, particularly the : growing senior population. Plazas, parking spaces, and hubs :

While six stations have

: been built to facilitate the line, : two more have been allocated

: in designs if ridership warrants : such construction: Queens

: Street in Port Moody, and

: Falcon Drive in Coquitlam.

Originally, the Evergreen

: Line was scheduled to be

: operational for this spring.

: However, its current projections : estimate an opening for early

: 2017. This delay was announced : by the BC Government on

: November 27. It is the second : delay for the project, first

: announced on February 27

: to be delayed to fall 2016.

: TransLink has pointed to tunnel : burrowing issues for the main : cause in delay. Construction

: of underground tunnels is

: expected to continue until

: summer 2016. The project

: is operating on a fixed cost

: of $1.43 billion, and these

CEELLEE EE

F

‘Pal

delays will not cost taxpayers : anything, as any overflow in : costs will instead be paid by : the contractor, SNC Lavalin.

In addition to new station

: construction, Lougheed Town : Centre and Commercial-

: Broadway are both receiving

: major upgrades to facilitate

: the increased ridership.

: Lougheed in particular will

: be receiving a third platform,

: allowing it to operate as

: a terminus and cross-line

: service between the Evergreen : and Millennium Lines.

Expected ridership figures

: are 50,000 people a day in 2017, increasing to 70,000 by 2021.

: After completion, the entire

: SkyTrain track will be almost

: 80 km long, making it the

: longest fully automated rapid

: transit system in the world.

Image via wikimedia