3-way stop coming to Goring and Holdom

According to the following City of Burnaby report, a 3-way stop has been approved for the currently uncontrolled intersection at Goring St and Holdom Ave.  Of further interest is the fact that the report has mentioned the future Dawson Street extension from Beta Ave to Douglas Rd within the next 5 years.

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PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HIS WORSHIP, THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS SUBJECT: INTERSECTION OPERATIONS – GORING STREET AT HOLDOM AVENUE RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT Council authorize the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue, as detailed in this report. REPORT The Public Safety Committee, at its meeting held on 2017 July 11, received and adopted the attached report proposing upgrade of the traffic control at the intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue.

RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT the Committee recommend to Council the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Goring St at Holdom Ave as detailed in this report. REPORT BACKGROUND The City of Burnaby has received several requests to improve traffic operations and pedestrian safety at the 'T' -intersection of Goring Street and Holdom Avenue. The intersection is currently unsignalized wilh stop control for traffic arriving on Goring St while traffic on Holdom Ave has through priority. Motorists on the stop-controlled west leg experience extended delays at this intersection in the peak hours under the current configurations. Safety concerns have also been expressed by pedestrians due to the lack of crosswalks and suitable waiting areas. A traffic engineering review was completed based on the standard warrant analysis procedure from the Transportation Association of Canada (T AC) and the findings are summarized herein.

SITE LOCATION Figure I shows the location of the subject unsignalized 'T' -intersection of Goring St/Holdom Ave. The signalized intersection of Lougheed Hwy/Holdom Ave and the Holdom SkyTrain Station are located 160 metres to the north of this intersection. The surrounding area consists of high density residential developments, industrial land uses and mixed commercial and retail developments.

 EXISTING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND FUTURE CHANGES Traffic counts have been conducted for the purpose of this review. The analysis takes into account current operating conditions. The Holdom Station Area Plan envisions significant residential development activity in the next few years leading to a traffic volume increase. In addition, the easterly extension of Dawson St from Beta Ave to Douglas Rd anticipated in the next five years will impact Goring SI. This intersection will eventually require a higher form of traffic control such as a roundabout or a traffic signal due to developments and network expansions.

WARRANT ANALYSIS The City follows the Transportation Association of Canada (T AC) intersection traffic control warrant analysis procedure. This takes into account traffic and pedestrian volumes, roadway geometrics, crash history and nearby traffic control and network connecti vity. This procedure ensures consistency, addresses the safety of pedestrians and meets driver expectations. Applying the recent traffic count data and existing conditions, a warrant analysis was undertaken to assess the adequacy of the existing one-way stop control and determine any necessary upgrades. Based on the analysis, all-way stop control is recommended for this intersection. In conjunction with this traffic control upgrade, crosswalks and a corner right turn channelization island are also recommended. The southbound and eastbound approaches will be designed to include two separate lanes clearly delineated with adequate queue storage. Figure 2 shows the recommended changes.

CONCLUSIONS The existing traffic control at the Goring StiHoldom Ave intersection is inadequate under the existing peak hour traffic volumes. Staff has now completed a traffic engineering review and allway stop control is warranted under current conditions. This upgrade will improve the level of service and reduce delays experienced by motorists. The proposed design will also enhance the safety of pedestrians at the intersection. The recommended upgrades are estimated to cost approximately $60,000 and funding is available within the 2017 Capital Budget for Minor Traffic Management Projects (EMF.0063). Funding contributions from ICBC's Road Improvement Program will also be sought to help offset some of the City's cost for this proposed road safety improvement.

Escala following Aviara

Now that the Aviara tower is all but completed, Ledingham McAllister is moving ahead with the 2nd tower of its project with the 42 story Escala tower at 1710 Gilmore Ave. The area in the map that is highlighted in blue is where the Aviara phase is located.  The red area is the site of the Escala phase.

The green-shaded area north of Escala is where Willingdon Heights park will be expanded to close off Douglas Rd to make room for an extension of 1st Ave across Gilmore eastward into Douglas Rd.

The Escala will replace the old Tierra Sol tile business at Halifax and Gilmore.

Another Douglas Rd site prime for development

The site at 2360 Douglas Rd is up for sale as a future apartment development.  With Douglas Rd having begun to change with the Perspectives and Affinity towers being completed just west of this, 2360 Douglas Rd will begin to further connect the area around Holdom Station with the area just east of Brentwood Station.  As Concord Pacific's Dragonwood industrial site moves forward at Beta Ave and Dawson and Douglas Rd is eventually closed off at Lougheed Hwy, the rest of the industrial land will begin to give way to similar developments on Douglas Rd north of the railway tracks.

The following photo and description are from a listing at apartmentlocks.ca

The subject property is part of a high-rise development site under the Brentwood official community plan in Burnaby. The area has seen major efforts by both developers and the city to gentrify the area and create a vibrant community for people to live and have easy commutes to the downtown core for work. The skytrain station is approximately 550 meters away ( 7 minute walk).  Brentwood is quickly becoming a charming and desirable place to live that will continue to grow and evolve. Currently the property is improved with an industrial warehouse.

Aviara quietly continuing along

As the majority of the focus lately seems to be on Solo District and Brentwood Mall, a few blocks away at the end of Halifax Street at Douglas Road, the Aviara tower is beginning to cast a larger shadow as time goes on.

More roadwork at Douglas and Still Creek

Burnaby Council has approved more road improvements for Douglas Rd and Still Creek Ave (Engineering Agreement E-14 2009).  This is a continuation of previous work that saw the widening of Douglas Road between Goring and Still Creek Avenues.  The next phase will see the widening of Still Creek Avenue between Douglas Ave and Westminster Ave.

Once work begins, expect delays to be exacerbated by the scheduled trains that cross at Douglas Rd as was the case with the first phase.

Aviara site excavation underway

Ledingham McAllister's Aviara project at Douglas Road and Halifax Street is underway as the site excavation nears completion and cranes have been installed to begin construction.  The sleek-looking site office is located on Gilmore Ave.

Details missed when driving

Having lived in North Burnaby most of my life, I 'd like to think that I know the place quite well.  At least I thought I did until I took a stroll along Douglas Rd south of Lougheed Hwy.  It made me realize (aside from the fact that I AM focused on my driving) that driving really prevents us from appreciating the intricacies that give our neighbourhoods their character.

Walking along Douglas Road towards Habitat for Humanity at Douglas and Goring, I was surprised to find R2O Coffee House, and even more surprised that I have never noticed it considering that I have been an occasional browser at Habitat For Humanity's Restore over the past 7 years.

Changing Views

Affinity and Perspectives have taken their places at Douglas and Lougheed.  In the not too distant future, the following sightline will disappear by the time phase 2 of the Brentwood Mall Redevelopment is concluded.

The northwest corner of Lougheed and Beta will see a high-rise tower making up part of a village district on the eastern edge of the Brentwood Mall site.

Prep for Aviara has begun

Another development by Ledingham McAllister began preparation this past summer with the levelling of a warehouse on the southeast corner of Gilmore Ave and Douglas Rd.  The longtime presence of the Fiji Canada Association at the corner of Douglas Rd and Halifax St will be gone as the property it has occupied for over 2 decades was sold by the Association to McAllister Properties on December 8, 2009.

McAllister Properties in turn sold the property to LM Aviara Properties which leased the property back to the Association, rent free for 1 year.  The Association has been looking for a new home while it has been allowed to continue renting the building on a temporary basis.  A sign advertising the future Aviara development has been installed at Douglas and Gilmore as well as at Douglas and Halifax.

The project is described on the City of Burnaby site under Major Projects as being a residential high-rise, townhousing, and public park expansion at 1680 & 1710 Gilmore Ave and 1771, 1779 & 1791 Douglas Rd which will include 235 residential units.  The project will also involve the closing of Douglas Rd to allow Willingdon Heights Park to take up the closed portion of the road space.  The project, referenced as REZ # 07-59, is at the second reading stage.

Affinity at Douglas and Dawson

Dawson and Douglas has been a busy place over the past few months as the Affinity project progresses.  Along with the towers, the townhouses fronting Douglas Rd are taking shape.

This development is one of the many steps required to build an east-west connection between the growing neighbourhoods around Gilmore and Holdom Stations.  Although residential development is a benefit to the area, Burnaby must ensure that enough commercial space is interspersed throughout to encourage local neighbourhood shopping habits essential to creating "green" communities.

Affinity rising at Douglas and Dawson

In May of 2010, the site of the Affinity project on Douglas Rd was just being excavated for the 2-tower development.  In less than 10 months, the towers are beginning to take shape as they rise out of the ground as seen from Brentwood Mall.  The project is scheduled for completion in 2012.

  

New intersection: Dawson and Douglas

During late summer of 2010, a new intersection began to take shape to accommodate the construction of the new Perspectives development on Douglas road.

Intersection at Douglas Rd and Dawson Ave

The townhouse component of the project (below) has been built behind the high-rise residential tower and fronts onto the new section of Dawson Rd.

   

This part of Dawson Rd (below) will eventually be paved further west over an unnamed creek (by bridge) to the part of Dawson Ave immediately east of Beta Ave.  It will eventually be possible to drive from Douglas Rd all the way to Boundary Rd.  The unnamed creek that runs north-south into Still Creek will be rehabilitated (and hopefully named) in the future.

Dawson Ave looking east (left) and Dawson Ave looking west (right)

The construction of the Affinity Project by Bosa Development is under way across the street from the eastern end of the new section of Dawson Rd (below).  The towers at Holdom Station can be seen in the near distance.

Perspectives changing at Douglas and Lougheed

The 29-story Perspectives high-rise development being built by Ledingham Mcallister at Douglas Rd and Lougheed Hwy has begun the transformation of the area between Beta Ave and the Holdom SkyTrain Station from an industrial to a mixed-use residential and retail, pedestrian oriented neighbourhood. Situated south of Lougheed Hwy across the street from the recently built Brentwood Gate complex (Delta and Lougheed), the Perspectives development will include 8 townhomes on Dawson Ave which will be extended eastward and be connected with Douglas Rd. With Perspectives nearing completion and the site of the Affinity high-rise development by Bosa just having been excavated nearby, the area around Douglas Road will look much different a few years from now.

The Affinity development will consist of a 24-story and 29-story tower and 10 townhomes. According to Bosa's website, the phase 1 tower is more than 90 percent sold. Another project that is to be built by Qualex-Landmark and titled The Luxe is currently on hold. The Luxe project will consist of 2 highrise towers along with townhomes and will be built next to the Perspectives site between Douglas Rd and the Dawson Ave extension.

Along with the extension of Dawson Ave from Yukon Court to link up with Douglas Rd, traffic changes will include the closing off of Douglas Rd to and from Lougheed Hwy. Future plans include the building of a pedestrian overpass from Delta Ave to Douglas Rd to provide safe north-south access for residents on either side of Lougheed Hwy. More mixed-use development will lead to the availability of more local retail and community amenities to serve long-time and new residents.