Broadway Station construction update for December 2008
Broadway Station construction update for December 2008
Hey, the Broadway Station upgrade project released its first update yesterday!
(If you hadn’t heard, Broadway Station is getting an upgrade to better handle customer traffic and security. I wrote all about the details of the upgrade on the blog in November.)
Anyway, if you’ve been to the station lately, you’ve probably already seen that the first phase of construction is underway, focusing on the south side of the station at both ground and platform level.
As you can see in the photo, construction hoarding (plywood wall) is up on the south platform level around the former emergency exit stairway. This is where the new south-side stairs, elevator, and escalator will eventually go, connecting down to the new entrance on 10th Avenue at the ground level.
| Demolition of the south side at ground level is 90 per cent complete, again making way for the new 10th Avenue entrance.
As you can see in the photos on the right, the stairway and associated metal enclosure and guardrails have been demolished. You can already see the improved view at the ground level to 10th Avenue, giving a glimpse of the future “openness” that the new south entrance will provide. As well, the ground level asphalt on the south side of the station have been removed. Garbage and recycling bins from nearby properties have been moved from against the station to the west side of the lane area, to allow station construction to proceed. |
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At the ground level, we’ve also removed the chain link fence enclosing the area underneath the south end of the station. TransLink’s recycling and garbage bins, which formerly resided there, are now located in a new enclosure by Nanaimo Station.
And here’s the work projected for the rest of December 2008:
- Demolition of the ground level retaining wall and curbs
- Layout will begin for the new elevator and escalator pits
- Excavation for footings and electrical and mechanical services
- Footings and new retaining west wall/curb
- Existing hoarding on the platform level may be extended to the north to allow for isolated cutting in the platform for the installation of the new escalator, elevator and stairs
Grab the official PDF with the upgrade details here, or check it out at the Broadway Station Upgrades page. Full, illustrated details of the upgrades are again available in my earlier Broadway Station post. I’ll continue to keep you posted at the Buzzer blog with the latest news on the construction.
No emergency exit for the time being, yikes.
Going off topic here,
Jhenifer, do you know of a place I can find where bus routes were first implemented?
JoshN,
Unfortunately, I’m at a loss. And I would also have recommended the Wikipedia page on buses to you, but the first line says “A bus (or omnibus or autobus) is a road vehicle designed to destroy passengers.” Awesome, but mostly untrue.
Also, since your question is so much about the general history of buses, too, it’s hard for me to recommend any specific people who you could e-mail/call for more information. (TRAMS is a very useful resource, but I think their expertise is largely in Vancouver-area transport rather than history of transit in general.)
I’d try the library, actually, since this sounds like one of those subjects where a general book has probably been written on it. That’s probably going to lead you to a few names you can look up, write to, etc.
Uh, did this just turn into a research advice column? Sorry–hope this might be helpful though!
Sorry for not being clearer,
I meant TransLink routes implemented
Okay, that’s a question I can answer.
Yes, try TRAMS. You also might look up Chuck Davis, who knows all about Vancouver-area history. Also look up Henry Ewert, who wrote several history books about streetcars in Vancouver. He is a great guy!
Hey Donald,
You raised an interesting question, so I asked the planners in charge of the project about it. Turns out we have a code consultant on board who outlined the emergency requirements for the construction phase, and we are following those requirements. While the old emergency exit is gone, there are still multiple exits off the platform maintained while construction is happening—the existing stairs on the north end, existing escalators that can be used as stairs, and the overhead passenger walkway across Broadway Avenue.
Hope that helps you feel a little better. If not, why not check out the bike rack rap for a pick me up?
SkyTrain is 23 years old this month; I bet in those 23 years that emergency exit was never used in an emergency.
http://members.shaw.ca/dave_too2/bus/1985.jpg
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