Beyond Downtown in Public Transit

8/14/2019 Beyond Downtown in Public Transit

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livable city sus ta ina

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Beyond Downtown

On Public Transit

Neighbourhoods, Parks,Planning and Transportation


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What Youll See

This tour of Vancouver on public transit outside the

downtown core takes you around several Vancouver

residential neighbourhoods. Youll see some of the

results of the Citys community and transportation

planning, as well as a transit-oriented development and

several City parks. The main section of the tour,

between the Arbutus Neighbourhood and Collingwood

Village, takes about 3.5 hours, including travel time

and strolling. This brochure also describes some side

trips you can take in addition to the main tour.

Getting Started

The tour starts at the Arbutus Neighbourhood. From downtown,

take bus #16 Arbutus and get off at Broadway and Arbutus.

You can also start the tour at any one of the sites throughout

the tour. Just follow the transit directions from where you start.

Taking the Streetcar to Growth

Vancouvers population ballooned from about 5,000 in 1887

to 100,000 in 1900. The streetcar routes, nearly invisible today,

played a vital role in how the city grew. Streetcar expansion

and residential development often went hand in hand. As raillines pushed into the forest, they allowed average citizens

to buy lots at affordable prices beyond downtown and still

commute to work. Along with local routes, North Americas

earliest Interurban line opened in 1891, connecting downtown

Vancouver and New Westminster. The Interurban opened vast

tracts of land for agricultural and residential development.

The first transit portion of the tour takes you along the old

Broadway streetcar route and part of the old Interurban route

to Collingwood Village. Electric trolley buses began replacing

the streetcar system in 1948. Today, Vancouver is one of seven

cities in North America still operating quiet, pollution-freetrolleys. The regional transit authority, TransLink, has committed

to fully replacing the aging trolley fleet with zero-emission,

low-floor trolleys by 2007.

See centrefold for map.


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Planning on Display

This tour will show you how planning has helped shaped

Vancouvers residential communities. The Citys planning

programs include area planning and Community Vision

implementation. In 1995, CityPlan was adopted as a broadvision for Vancouver. Community Visions bring CityPlan policies

to life at the neighbourhood level. You will see examples of the

Citys general policy directions for communities, such as

strengthening neighbourhood centres, reducing reliance on the

car, increasing housing variety and affordability, and involving

residents in planning their communities.

CityPlan: Directions for Vancouver (1995)

Create and strengthen

neighbourhood centres

Improve safety and better

target community services

Reduce reliance on the car by

locating jobs, shops, and

services near housing

Increase the variety and

affordability of housing

Define neighbourhood character

Diversify parks and public

places

Involve people and redirect

resources

Site 1: Arbutus Neighbourhood

From Broadway, walk two blocks south along Arbutus Street

to the W. 11th Avenue greenway and park, a focal point

for the community. This 10-hectare (25-acre) site originally

contained a brewery and factories. Today, it is a medium-

density, low- to mid-rise residential precinct that will eventually

house 2,100 residents. About 145 non-market housing units

(10 per cent of the total units on the site) are fully integrated

with market housing. City-required amenities provided by the

developer include a seniors housing project, the retention of alearning institution, and one hectare (2.2 acres) of park.

The community gardens next to the railway tracks along

W. 6th Avenue are a few of many throughout the City that

showcase gardenings recreational and community building

value. Community gardening brings people together for a

common purpose, raises environmental awareness and

teaches people valuable skills. Local residents volunteer to

plant and tend these gardens.

The Vancouver Compost Demonstration Garden at 2150

Maple Street showcases a variety of green technologies

that city dwellers can use for food, waste and water

conservation. This public garden includes a large organic

food and flower garden, a composting system, a waterwise

garden, rain barrels, a compost toilet, and sustainable

buildings including a cob shed. Funded by the City, the

garden embodies Vancouvers support for environmental

conservation. Staff are in the garden Monday to Saturday

from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but you can enter the side gate and

tour the site anytime. www.cityfarmer.org

Wayfinding:Walk back north along Arbutus Street and

turn right at W. 6th Avenue. Walk one block and turn left

at Maple Street.
http://www.cityfarmer.org/http://www.cityfarmer.org/


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The lane east of Maple Street, between W. 5th and 6th

Avenues on the City Farmer property, is one of the Citys

earliest examples of sustainable country lanes. Two narrow

bands of hard surface are surrounded by a structural compo-

nent that can support vehicles as well as accommodate topsoil

planted with grass. Country lanes absorb rainwater thereby

helping to reduce surface runoff and associated discharges

into the City storm/sewer system. They are an innovative

alternative to asphalt lane paving.

As you ride along W. Broadway, take note of the housing

above the shops in these commercial districts. Designed to

be compatible with the commercial uses, the dwelling units

contribute to the citys sustainability by being close to shopsand services.

In transit:At Broadway and Arbutus Street, take the #9

or #17 bus east to Granville Street and transfer to the

#99 B-Line eastbound. Get off at Cambie Street.

Side trip:

University of British Columbia

(UBC) (#99 bus stop: UBC)

Founded by the provincial

government in 1908, UBC

consistently ranks among the

top 50 universities in theworld. A research-intensive

university, UBC has more

than 50,000 undergraduate,

graduate and international

students and has an economic

impact of $4 billion on the

local economy.

UBC is evolving from a

traditional commuter campus

into a more self-contained

University Town. The

university is engaging the

campus community in aplanning and visioning process

to help create a sustainable

new mixed-use community.

This, in turn, supports and

strengthens the universitys

academic mission.

Attractions at UBC include the

Museum of Anthropology, the

Chan Centre for the Performing

Arts, and the Japanese Nitobe

Memorial Garden. Spectacular

views of the Gulf Islands can

be seen from the Rose Gardens

at the intersection of Main Mall

and Chancellor Boulevard.

www.ubc.ca

Note:

#99 B-Line: a popular route that

cuts cross-town travel time

The #99 B-Line express bus

service travels along Broadway

between UBC and the Commercial

Drive SkyTrain station. Launched

in 1996, this limited-stop service

has become heavily used, with

ridership increasing from 10,000

passengers daily in 1996 to over

30,000 passengers daily today.

Many of them are students

travelling to UBC. A universal

transportation pass program

called U-Pass encourages

university students to take

public transit. Students pay a

mandatory fee with their tuitionin exchange for unlimited transit

services in the Greater Vancouver

Regional District.

www.translink.bc.ca

Trips on buses, rapid transit,

SeaBus and the West Coast

Express account for approximately

20 per cent of all trips within the

City of Vancouver.

In transit: At Broadway and Arbutus Street, take the #9 or #17

bus west along Broadway to Macdonald Street and transfer to the

#99 B-Line westbound to UBC.
http://www.ubc.ca/http://www.translink.bc.ca/http://www.translink.bc.ca/http://www.ubc.ca/


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The tree-lined streets south

of Broadway contain many

examples of infill housing,

in which smaller houses

are built behind existing

houses to add residential

density while respecting the

neighbourhoods character

(e.g. 2632 Alberta St., 174

W. 11th Ave.). Appropriate

setbacks and use of the roofspace over carports create

opportunities for open space

and sunlight. Many homes in

this area are on the Citys heritage register. The new

houses reference the older houses in their massing and

architectural form.

Vancouvers public streets are lined with more than 124,000

boulevard trees that are cared for by Vancouver Park Board

staff. Arborists at Vancouvers own tree nursery grow and

plant thousands of new trees each year to enhance and

diversify the urban forest. In this Mount Pleasant community,

you will see species ranging from oaks and maples to the

Japanese flowering cherry. The Vancouver Tree Bylaw limits

tree removal on private properties and mandates that

replacement trees be planted whenever trees are removed.

Side trip: City Square is located

on the northwest corner of

W. 12th Avenue and Cambie.

This development exemplifies

urban design strategies including

heritage preservation, tree

retention and architectural

character while adding density to

the site. Two turn-of-the-century

school buildings are integrated

with retail, office and educational

facilities. Pedestrian linkagesthroughout connect people to

project components as well as

to the surrounding community.

Site 2: Broadway and Cambie(#99 bus stop: Cambie)

This intersection is the location of a future station for the

Canada Line (rapid transit), to be completed by 2009. The

Canada Line will reduce travel time between downtown

and the airport and Richmond to 25 minutes. It will serve

one-third of the regions workforce and 20 per cent of itspopulation. The station at this intersection will serve those who

live and work around City Hall, Vancouver General Hospital

and the Broadway corridor. www.canadaline.ca

Vancouver City Hall will be on your right as you walk up

the hill toward W. 12th Avenue. Opened in 1936 and

designated a heritage building in 1976, the buildings style

stands at a transitional point between the vertical, highlyornamented Art Deco style and the simpler, more horizontal

Moderne.

Wayfinding:Walk up Yukon Street (one block east of

Cambie St.) and turn left on W. 10th, 11th, 13th or 14th

Avenues.
http://canadaline.ca/http://canadaline.ca/


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C I T Y O F V A N C O U V E R


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The Citys Green Streets Program offers Vancouver residents

an opportunity to become volunteer street gardeners in their

neighbourhoods by sponsoring a traffic circle or corner bulge

garden. This creates not only a more colourful and interesting

street and a more personalized neighbourhood, but also

encourages and promotes a sense of community pride and

ownership that ultimately benefits the entire city. Examples of

Green Streets projects are found at the intersections of Alberta

and W. 10th Ave., Ontario Street and W. 16th Ave., and

Quebec and W. 10th Ave.

Site 3: Blooming Boulevards(#99 bus stop: Clark Drive)

China Creek Park takes its name from the creek that once ran

through the area. Named for Chinese pioneers who farmed

here in the 1880s, the creek was home to coho and chum

salmon. It was given to the City to settle an unpaid tax bill

in 1923, though construction of the park did not begin until

1951. The park has one of the regions oldest skateboard

bowls, while on the north side of Broadway, the King Edwardcampus of Vancouver Community College sits on the site of

the velodrome built for the British Empire Games of 1954.

Wayfinding/In transit: You can either walk back to

Yukon Street to catch the eastbound #99 B-Line at

Broadway, or continue walking several blocks east along

the landscaped streets to catch the #99 B-Line at Main

Street and Broadway to Clark Drive.

Wayfinding: From the bus stop, walk west to Clark Drive.

Cross Clark and walk one block south. Turn right at E. 10th

Avenue to get to China Creek Park.

Between E. 12th and E. 41st Avenues on Windsor Street is the

Windsor Way Blooming Boulevards Demonstration Project.

More than 40 residents have helped beautify Windsor Street

by planting gardens in the area between the curb and side-

walk. Launched in 2001, the Blooming Boulevards project is

partially funded by the City through the Park Board. City staffcoordinate the project and arrange for the delivery of City

compost. Community members promote the project and

residents maintain their own gardens. This demonstration

project is an example of the Community Visions Program

bringing to life some of the goals identified in CityPlan. The

success of Windsor Way has led to policy changes that allow

residents to garden boulevards throughout the city.

Vancouver has developed many policies that encourage

walking and cycling. Vancouvers city-wide network of

commuter and recreational bikeways is an example of how

such policies can help produce results on the ground. Here

on Windsor Street a recent addition to the bikeway network youll see traffic calming measures and improvements to

traffic signals that help improve the environment for cyclists

and discourage non-local drivers. These include curbside push

buttons at pedestrian/cyclist signals, painted bicycle logos on

the roadway, traffic circles, diverters and medians.

Wayfinding: Continue along E. 10th Avenue to Windsor

Street and turn left. Walk to E. 12th Avenue. Return to

the bus stop at Clark Drive.


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In transit: From Clark Drive, take the #99 B-Line east

to Broadway/Commercial Drive. The Broadway/Commercial

SkyTrain Station is a terminus for the #99 B-Line bus

service and a major transfer point for people going to

and from downtown on SkyTrain.

City Policies to Promote Walking and Cycling

A walkable and accessible

Central Area (Central Area

Plan, 1991)

Transit, walking and biking as

a priority (CityPlan, 1995)

Expand opportunities for

urban recreation and the

experience of nature and city

life (Vancouver Greenways

Plan, 1995)

Share the road network: Allocate

space for cyclists and improve

pedestrian comfort and safety.

(Vancouver Transportation Plan,1997)

Promote a walkable downtown

"Pedestrians First Policy" and

create a network of downtown

bike lanes (Downtown

Transportation Plan, 2002)

Site 4: Broadway/Commercial SkyTrainStation (#99 bus stop: Commercial Drive;SkyTrain stop: Broadway/Commercial)

The Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain Station is a terminus

for the #99 B-Line bus service and a major transfer point for

people going to and from downtown on SkyTrain. Plans to

improve this Transit Village are underway through the

Urban Transportation Showcase Program, a partnership

between the City, the federal government, the regional

transportation authority and other municipalities. The project

will integrate the two SkyTrain stations and improve safety,

circulation, and access for pedestrians, passengers, and

cyclists. It will also determine how new development and

commercial activity around the stations can support even

higher transit use and provide ongoing benefit to the

community. www.translink.bc.ca

From where the bus stops, you have a good view of the

Grandview Cut, a manmade ravine that runs parallel to

Grandview Highway North. When the Great Northern Railwaydug the Cut in 1913, it used the excavated material as fill

under rail tracks in the eastern basin of False Creek. The City

bought the north and south banks of the Grandview Cut in

1990 as a transportation corridor. Burlington Northern Santa

Fe Railway owns the land at the bottom of the ravine. Its

trains, along with those of VIA Rail and Amtrak, still run

through the Cut today.

The first phase of the Central Valley Greenway runs along

Grandview Highway North between Commercial Drive

and Slocan Street. Greenways are linear parks or street

improvements that favour cyclists and pedestrians while

discouraging motor vehicles. The multi-use, landscaped paths

Wayfinding: From the bus stop, walk north to Grandview

Highway North and turn right.
http://www.translink.bc.ca/http://www.translink.bc.ca/


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accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and other wheeled users.

Narrow street widths and other traffic calming measures

contribute to a pleasant walking and cycling environment.

When complete, the Central Valley Greenway one of

sixteen routes in the city will span four Lower Mainland

municipalities following the SkyTrain Millennium Line from

Vancouver to Coquitlam. Walk two or three blocks to view

the various treatments along this greenway.

SkyTrain travels along much of the route of the original 1891

Interurban line between Vancouver and New Westminster.

From the train there are good views to the north of the

mountains, downtown and Burrard Inlet.

In transit: Catch the SkyTrain at Broadway Station east-

bound in the direction of King George. (From Commercial

Station, walk up the stairs to Broadway Station.) Ride

three stops to Joyce-Collingwood Station.

Site 5: Collingwood Village(SkyTrain stop: Joyce-Collingwood)

Originally settled by farmers and orchardists in the 1880s,

Collingwood is a long established community. Collingwood

Village is a prime example of transit-oriented development inthe City of Vancouver, focusing residential, commercial and

recreational uses within easy walking distance from a rapid

transit station. The developer assembled about 11 hectares

(27 acres) of former industrial land that was comprehensively

rezoned in 1993. The City required the developer to provide

a range of amenities, including a Neighbourhood House, a

community gymnasium, a childcare facility, an elementary

school and 3 hectares (7.4 acres) dedicated to public open

space.

Once completed, Collingwood Village will be home to

about 4,500 new residents in an active, pedestrian-friendly

environment. The housing mix combines affordable markethousing and rentals, with 20 per cent of all residential units

designed for families with children. Housing types include

townhouses, mid-rise apartments and high-rise towers to a

maximum of 26 storeys.

The tour ends here.

Take the SkyTrain back downtown (Expo Line westbound in the

direction of Waterfront), or to Broadway/Commercial Station

where you can hop on the #99 B-Line bus westbound back to

UBC. Or, take a side trip.

Wayfinding: Leave the SkyTrain station, walk to the

southeast corner of Joyce Street and Vanness Avenue,

then walk east to the Collingwood Village development.


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a natural area, lake and forest. Year-round uses such as a

skateboard park have also been added. The City continues to

work on accommodating the annual fair, sports (the park is

home to the horse racing industry in Vancouver), and special

events within the park while providing a green space for the

neighbourhood. www.vancouver.ca/pnepark

From Renfrew and Hastings,

walk down Renfrew Street to

McGill, head east and look for

the parking lot signs pointingto New Brighton Park. Follow

the road under the rail tracks.

Set on the waterfront, the park

has great views of downtown

and the working harbour. The

Port of Vancouver, with one of

the worlds best natural har-

bours, is the largest in Canada

and one of the busiest in North

America.

Side Trips

You may choose to take the following side trips.

1. Metrotown. From Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain Station,

ride SkyTrain eastbound two stops to Metrotown in the City of

Burnaby. Metrotown is one of eight regional town centres that,

along with the Metropolitan Core of Vancouvers Central Area,

help to create a compact, livable metropolitan region. Town

centres feature a concentration of jobs and housing, a variety of

shopping, services and community facilities, and serve as hubs

for road and transit connections to the rest of the region. The

provinces largest retail and entertainment centre, located next

to the SkyTrain station, is the heart of the Metrotown regional

centre. www.gvrd.bc.ca/livablecentres/metrotown.htm

To view the region, continue riding SkyTrain to Surrey. On

the way back, you can take the Millennium Line past

Lougheed Mall and through Central Burnaby to Broadway

and Commercial, where you can transfer to downtown.

2. Hastings Park Area. From the 29th Avenue SkyTrain Station,

look for bus #16 Arbutus. Ride the #16 north to Hastings Park

at Renfrew and Hastings. The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE)

at Hastings Park is a Vancouver institution dating to the late

1800s. It is one of North Americas few remaining urban

agricultural summer fairs. In 2004, the City of Vancouver

acquired responsibility for the fair and the grounds. Significant

greening of the property has taken place with the creation of

Note: The Vancouver Park Board

manages Vancouvers parks and

recreation system. The Park Board

is one of the only elected bodies

of its kind in Canada. The Boards

mission is to provide, preserve

and advocate for parks, open

spaces and leisure services

to enhance the well being of

individuals and communities.

Since Stanley Park became

Vancouvers first park in the late

1800s, the parks and recreation

system has grown to include

more than 200 parks (1,298

hectares) with community centres,

swimming pools, skating rinks,

golf courses, food concessions,marinas and street trees among

its many features.

In transit: It is about a ten-block walk south through the

Beacon Hill neighbourhood (Renfrew or Kaslo St.) to return

to Hastings Street. On Hastings, the #10 Granville and

#16 Arbutus buses westbound will take you to downtown.
http://www.vancouver.ca/pneparkhttp://www.gvrd.bc.ca/livablecentres/metrotown.htmhttp://www.vancouver.ca/pneparkhttp://www.gvrd.bc.ca/livablecentres/metrotown.htm


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453 West 12th Avenue

Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4

For more information on any of the topics below, visit

vancouver.ca/ourcity

Blooming Boulevards

Country Lanes

Cycling Green Streets Program

Greenways

Hastings Park

Parks and Recreation

Planning

Tree Bylaw

Urban Design

Other self-guided tours in this series:

Coal Harbour

Downtown

Downtown Eastside False Creek

Printed

on

recycled

paper
http://www.vancouver.ca/ourcityhttp://www.vancouver.ca/ourcity

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Beyond Downtown in Public Transit