While voting continues on the city’s re:CONNECT project, a Vision city councillor has already thrown his support behind one of the viaduct/Eastern Core proposals.

Geoff Meggs has been championing for the removal of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts for some time. So it’s no surprise he’s endorsing architect Craig Henschel’s plan that would see the highway overpasses lowered or taken out completely. From Meggs' blog:

As media interest heats up in the re:CONNECT competition to re-imagine the Georgia Viaducts and East False Creek flats, more people are wondering how they’ll get downtown if the Viaducts are gone.

Phase 1 of the city’s study confirmed that there are no “deal-breakers” to worry about — traffic is declining anyway, will continue to decline as transit is built and new connections are relatively straightforward. Removal of one viaduct in five years would produce little traffic impact.

One submission focuses on just this point. Although architect Craig Henschel missed the deadline and is not in contention for a prize, the former appointee to the city’s development permit board advisory panel shows one way Georgia and Dunsmuir could be connected to existing roads on the ground. There are other options, but this is one.

Henschel’s plan also calls for more foot and bicycle paths that are “straight, safe and mostly level”. Henschel says that by removing the viaducts, the city would open up room for more development which could pay for a new roadway and park in False Creek.

Check out Henschel’s colourful proposal yourself and see what you think of the plan. Also, be sure to cast a vote for one of the eligible plans.

And for a video bonus, here is Megg’s spring 2011 video pitch to do away with viaducts.