Richmond Moves to Acquire CPR Spur
26 September 2005
The City of Richmond is negotiating an agreement to purchase the west leg of CPR’s Van Horne Spur.
The purchase includes the railway corridor extending from No. 2 Road to Sea Island Way in northwest Richmond and includes approximately 13.2 acres in land.
“This would be a significant acquisition for the City as it would allow us to fulfil a number of strategic objectives,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Over the long term it will allow us to improve traffic flow throughout the City Centre and achieve our goals of linking the City Centre to the waterfront and improving public access to the waterfront. It will also enhance the viability of the Richmond Oval, a critical part of our long term vision for the City.”
In anticipation of an agreement, CPR is now in the process of fulfilling customer transition requirements for the railway spur. This process is expected to be completed in phases over a number of years. The City is seeking to gain access to an initial section of the corridor, extending from No. 2 Road to Gilbert Road in early 2006.
The acquisition would allow the City to proceed with the planned realignment of River Road from No. 2 Road to Hollybridge Way, which is part of the Richmond Oval project. The realignment also supports the City Centre Transportation Plan, which calls for creation of a new North Loop Road, a vital part of the City Centre ring road network.
The North Loop Road will be a new four lane arterial road, which will become a major link in the City Centre road network, improving traffic flow throughout the downtown and replacing River Road as the primary bypass for crosstown traffic travelling from West Richmond to or through City Centre North. The City Centre ring road network is a series of north-west and east-west links throughout downtown Richmond that provide alternatives to travelling along the City’s main street, No. 3 Road. Much of the ring road network consists of existing roadways such as Minoru Boulevard, Garden City Road, Cooney Road and others. In recent years, the City has made significant additions to the ring road network, including extensions of Garden City Road/Great Canadian Way, Hazelbridge Way, Browngate Road and Lansdowne Road.
Future plans include the further extension of Lansdowne Road to Hollybridge Way, providing another important east-west route through the downtown and linking the Richmond Oval site to the major Lansdowne station on the Richmond Airport Vancouver rapid transit line. The first step in this process will be construction of a new section of Lansdowne Road from Alderbridge Way to Gilbert Road, scheduled to start next year. As part of this project, Gilbert Road will also be widened to four lanes from the new intersection to the south end of the Dinsmore Bridge.
Other transportation improvements, including new north-south connections, are also being planned as the entire Richmond Oval area and surrounding neighbourhood redevelop.
Acquisition of the CPR corridor reinforces the ability of the City to realign River Road, fulfilling its Official Community Plan objective of connecting the City Centre to the waterfront and also providing improved public access to the waterfront. The River Road realignment will also enhance the long term viability of the Richmond Oval by providing enhanced access and allowing creation of the waterfront plaza and park and other amenities, which will help draw users to the facility. By shifting the River Road realignment onto the railway corridor, a greater portion of the 29-acre Richmond Oval site is preserved for future development. Revenue from the development and sale of portions of that property is a key component in the financing of the Richmond Oval and will ensure no property tax increases or borrowing is required to design and build the facility.
The agreement to purchase the CPR corridor is currently being negotiated and is subject to certain conditions. Financial terms and other details of the agreement would be announced once it is finalized.
For more information on the Richmond Oval project, please visit the City’s website at www.richmond.ca/discover/events/oval/oval.htm
