REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

PeanutButter · 03-25-2017, 08:45 AM

Happy day everyone,

I was wondering if anyone lives in the Queensborough area?

I am considering a rental unit there as it's a little closer to my friends and family, but i'm worried about the Queensborough bridge... I work in New West and whenever I see that bridge, I get anxiety...

How bad is the bridge during rush hour?

Is it like the knight street bridge? Because even with the crazy traffic Knight Street, it takes about 15-20mins to get through.

My wife works in Surrey, so I believe she'll be going against traffic, but every time I see that bridge, It looks like a death trap.

ie. Is the bridge that bad? Do you get used to it? Knowing what you know now, would you not have moved there?

Any input would be helpful. Thanks!

fliptuner · 03-25-2017, 09:33 AM

Why not just move to new west and have her take pattullo?

jtanner_ · 03-25-2017, 10:09 AM

I live in Queensborough along the water facing New Westminster... have been here for just over a year and have absolutely no regrets about moving here (I was pretty skeptical at first largely due to the change in commute).

Both my gf and I work in Burnaby, but we commute to Surrey once or twice a week to visit my family and friends. In the year that I've lived here there have been less than a handful of times where I have been in what I would consider to be genuinely horrible traffic and this is usually triggered by a car accident along the bridge. When this happens it's almost like a hard stop on this bridge and causes ridiculous delays in all directions... and two of these times I was essentially forced to detour through river road to get around the QB bridge.

Overall I've been really happy with the area. If you can spare the time to do it maybe head out early enough to get to Queensborough so you could mimic driving to work around the usual time you might head out to get to work and see if it's as bad as you think, or if it's tolerable.

FerrariEnzo · 03-25-2017, 11:52 AM

I live nearby but as close as you or jtanner_, Im near McLean park/Firehall... the traffic is nothing like Knight bridge. Once you get past the merging or the lanes, its pretty much slowly but always moving traffic... only time if its really bad is because of accident or something major...

I love this area, its quiet and close to shops, Walmart is great for most things and some shops, then across the river is Market crossing, a ton more shopping. I honestly prefer going there then going into fucking richmond.

Hehe · 03-25-2017, 01:29 PM

I lived there for 2 years, and I think it depends heavily on your commute time and direction. If you are usually in the rush hour in the popular direction (west in the morning and east in the afternoon), I'd be a bit worried.

The last half year or so there was brutal during rush hours. There's only a single lane merging onto the bridges with 2 roads leading there (it's a circle, so you can take either way there). When it's bad, you'd have a hard time even making it to the Walmart at Queensborough landing. My kid used to go to a daycare right by the new translink bus center thing. It's usually a 5min drive. On the worst day, it took me almost an hour.

With the new highrise (Penninsula) near completion and hundreds of new families (hence cars) moving into that area, I don't even want to imagine. There's no plan on the infrastructure. They shouldn't have built that highrise there. It's a double lanes (1/direction) street with parking on both sides.

It's a very nice area, park, riverwalk and quiet (except the train). But if commute is in your mind, I'd think twice.

CharlesInCharge · 03-25-2017, 11:13 PM

You might get AIDS living next to a highway but what do I know... Ive lived next to Georgia street for 15 years now.

Ronin · 03-25-2017, 11:22 PM

I used to go east in the morning and west back in the afternoon. That way is against traffic and usually pretty clear.

flagella · 03-26-2017, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlesInCharge

You might get AIDS living next to a highway but what do I know... Ive lived next to Georgia street for 15 years now.

I have higher chance of catching AIDS reading your comments.

PeanutButter · 03-26-2017, 01:22 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone.

It's a good opportunity to move there, but I think the traffic on the bridge might just be too much.

I get fridays off, so I think i'm going to drive around the area around 8am and see what it's like. though, I don't think that'll change my mind much.

I'll probably lean towards somewhere else..

Thanks anyway

iamed · 03-27-2017, 11:30 AM

Used to live near Mclean Park as well and commuted to Burnaby during rush hour. Traffic isnt really that bad considering you will merge right to the entrance onto Queensborough.
Once you merge on, then its relatively good flowing traffic unless there's an accident.

Indy · 03-27-2017, 12:05 PM

wow lots of people on QB. I've been on queensborough for 4 years and yes at times it's gridlock and ridiculous(as another poster stated because of an accident on the bridge) but that's rare. I actually have a really weird commute where I go from QB and go North bound to 22nd station to drop off the wife/son and then head back over south bound cause I find 9/10 times hwy 91 is faster than taking marine to work.

The traffic isn't that bad, its heavy for sure but unless theres an actual problem its always moving. the afternoon rush hour traffic going north bound from QB is probably the worst with it taking around 15-20 minutes to get onto and across the bridge.

there are...tricks to get to faster routes. they may be a bit out of the way but sometimes there's a payoff. For example, if you're coming from new west stewartson/20th and it's just backed up(sometimes it gets like that) it may actually be faster to head down to marine and take that route back up...still a bit heavy but not as bad as 2 lanes and 3 feeder routes merging into one lane. Or if you're coming from 20th you could actually try to take the sidestreets and go to 22nd street and cut tons of the traffic coming down the hill.

If your wife is coming from the alex fraser, like I said the afternoon traffic going north on the QB Bridge sucks so in bad situations I've taken the annicis island exit and made my way to derwent way which connects the two islands together and you're back home and bypassed all the traffic. All the annicis island traffic is also going the opposite direction so you won't get caught up in their mayhem.

it's a great area that's really developing (for better or worse). ...just make sure you're at least a few blocks away from any visible traintracks. These tracks are actually quite active and it's all uncontrolled crossings so you'll hear horns blaring at any time of day(the middle of the night ones are real assholes that blare their horns for like 10-15 seconds each time...ugh.) but that too you get used to.

fsy82 · 03-27-2017, 07:30 PM

I've lived there for 25 years until 5 years ago when I moved to South Surrey. You will always be against traffic when going and coming home. In the last 10 years I can think of maybe a handful of times where the bridge was an issue.

New West is also pretty close to every city in the lower mainland.

If i could move back I would definitely!

nessiemonster · 05-15-2017, 11:20 AM

Hello everyone,

I just purchased a townhouse on Wood Street in Queensborough. I'm from Vancouver, originally, but the husband and I have decided that we need more space for the little one and Vancouver is just too expensive. I'm super anxious about moving out of Vancouver. I love being able to walk everywhere and have my favourite shops near. Is anyone here from Queensborough? Are there any cute shops, restaurants or pubs within walking distance? Is it safe to go for a run by myself? I'm afraid I will regret moving.

Also, I was checking out the elementary school just down the road to see if it's any good to send my little to when he's older. Based on the BC provincial governments website it's not good. Test scores are super low....not a good start.

Gh0st · 05-15-2017, 12:45 PM

^ I know it's your first post and you should get a warm welcome, but why would you not do your homework prior to such a big purchase? If you don't know anything about the area, worried for your own safety, and found out the nearby elementary schools suck, then you'll probably regret moving.

6o4__boi · 05-15-2017, 12:54 PM

I honestly can't tell if it's a troll post trying to elicit a response or actually serious.

Do people actually really think that Vancouver is the only place in the LM where one can walk everywhere and have favorite shops/restaurants/bars around? That whole mentality of there's no life outside of Vancouver and the sense of entitlement to Vancouver will honestly not net you any good responses.

I'm from Vancouver and I honestly would not go back to that clusterfuck of a city if I had a trillion dollars. (though I would definitely buy a shitload of properties)

Ch28 · 05-15-2017, 05:20 PM

nessiemonster's mention of being able to walk everywhere with all their favourite shops around could be applicable depending on where you live (Fairview, Kits, Downtown, Kerrisdale, #3 Road area of Richmond, etc)

Tapioca · 05-15-2017, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nessiemonster

Hello everyone,

I just purchased a townhouse on Wood Street in Queensborough. I'm from Vancouver, originally, but the husband and I have decided that we need more space for the little one and Vancouver is just too expensive. I'm super anxious about moving out of Vancouver. I love being able to walk everywhere and have my favourite shops near. Is anyone here from Queensborough? Are there any cute shops, restaurants or pubs within walking distance? Is it safe to go for a run by myself? I'm afraid I will regret moving.

Also, I was checking out the elementary school just down the road to see if it's any good to send my little to when he's older. Based on the BC provincial governments website it's not good. Test scores are super low....not a good start.

Queensborough has one major retail area and that is across the highway on the north side. There are a few restaurants and other businesses, but they're in Port Royal which is quite a ways east from where your townhouse is. Most people who live in Queensborough drive to the retail area since crossing the highway is not exactly pedestrian friendly.

It's too bad that the City of New West doesn't have the money to build a pedestrian bridge from Queensborough to the Quay. That would have made a big difference to people like you who value walkability.

Test scores are not just related to the quality of instruction, but to household incomes also. Parents with higher incomes tend to have children who do better in school. Considering all of the development in Port Royal and Queensborough in general, higher income people with small down payments will eventually start moving in as they're priced out of other areas like East Vancouver and Burnaby. So, test scores will improve with time.