Canada Line | Completed

[amor de cosmos]

2009 WAN award nominee:

YVR-Airport Station, Richmond, Canada
Canada Line Station rooted in British Columbia



As the starting point of the new Canada Line rapid transit route, the YVR-Airport Station features sweeping west coast views, a direct connection to the city of Vancouver which will welcome the world when it hosts the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the largest green wall in North America.

The YVR-Airport Station is all about connections. This will be one of the first impressions - that ‘Kodak moment’ that visitors get of British Columbia and Canada. Considered the ‘jewel in the crown’ station of the new Canada Line ALRT expansion, YVR Airport station exemplifies connecting visitors, tourists and daily commuters emotionally to the city, the West Coast environment, and the extraordinary British Columbia experience.

Wrapped in structural glass, the station reinforces through visual connections the YVR thematic plan of land, sea, and sky of British Columbia and an overall easy wayfinding visual connection to the airport terminals. The $25-million (CAD) YVR-Airport Station sits 18m off the ground and acts as a ‘pavilion in the park’, connecting the station to the adjacent beautiful Chester Johnson Park which marks the entry experience to the airport. From the platform visitors can see across the main airport runways to the south airport terminal, the historic Fraser River, the North Shore Mountains, and the Georgia Strait.

On the north side of the transit station, a 17m high and 12m wide green wall offers a living gateway for arriving international passengers and marks the ground entry concourse to the station. Kasian conceptualized the green wall as part of the overall station experience and collaborated with Sharp & Diamond landscape architects to realize the intent. The wall is composed entirely of local flora, including bergenia, fern, common nana and white and green euonymus, and will imbue a rich, calming, and seasonally changing experience for travellers and tourists.

The YVR-Airport Station provides a strong first impression for travellers along with a beautiful transport experience.

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=12236

[metroXpress]

^ I do agree that the living green wall is an excellent picece of work!!

[vanman]

^Thanks for posting that. I agree YVR station is really nice, however, I think it could have been much, much better. It's bright and airy and spacious, and very well connected physically to everything around it. That green wall is a standout, and the rest of the landscaping is very well done. But you really don't get that westcoast vibe from being inside it like you do inside the airport. It's way too sterile, and would fit much better at Pearson rather than YVR. I think Brentwood station should have been used as the template. Wood should have been used extensively, along with more glass and less sheet metal.

[whatnext]

YVR may look nice but its way too narrow. Every time I've been its a fight between people getting off with luggage and people trying to get on. Not just entering the train, but down past the ticket machines. The station should have been wider, with better traffic flow.

[metroXpress]

^ and they should built the station with two tracks so that people don't have to wait on the guideway when there is a delay...

[mr.x]

I think the success of the YVR route is probably why we're seeing all these problems....it doesn't seem like they were anticipating for this to happen.

And that could be said for the entire line. The entire line is simply too darn small.

I agree, some wood elements like Braid or even Brentwood would have been nice.

[nname]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

Getting on the 28 in Burnaby ( or even along Boundary in Vancouver ) you have to ask for a zone 2/3 if going to Ikea, for example. The Driver (who is travelling in Zone 1), usually just ups the fare to 3-zones. Likewise coming back, the driver will never ask for an add fare if you get on the 28 from Gilmore station.

The entire route 28 south of Kootenay Loop to Joyce station is actually designated as common zone 1/2. So unless you have a zone 3 ticket, you do not have to upgrade while boarding the 28.

Now...

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

The most "unfair" are the ones that travel 1 or two stops (Joyce to Metrotown) and have to up the fare.

Technically, you can get from Metrotown to Joyce legally with only a 1 zone fare: take the #129 to Moscrop and Smith, then transfer to the #28.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Is Pro-transit B.C. solely responsible the ordering more trainsets ?

Not sure, but I don't think so.

There was an "option" for Canada Line Co. to include 2 more trains (I thnk it was 2) under the contract - but that option was not exercised (other options to add the bike/pedestrian bridge and double tracking at Capstan were exercised).

That suggests that Canada Line Co./TranLink could order more trains for use on the line. Not sure who would pay for them though. I'm not sure how the payment for trains would work since InTransitBC/ProTrans owns the trains (while Canada Line Co./TranLink owns the stations and guideway). Presumably, if the extra train option had been exercised, an adjustment would have been made to the funding formula/operating payments to allow for the extra capital cost - that can probably be done even now.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Not sure, but I don't think so.

There was an "option" for Canada Line Co. to include 2 more trains (I thnk it was 2) under the contract - but that option was not exercised (other options to add the bike/pedestrian bridge and double tracking at Capstan were exercised).

That suggests that Canada Line Co./TranLink could order more trains for use on the line. Not sure who would pay for them though. I'm not sure how the payment for trains would work since InTransitBC/ProTrans owns the trains (while Canada Line Co./TranLink owns the stations and guideway). Presumably, if the extra train option had been exercised, an adjustment would have been made to the funding formula/operating payments to allow for the extra capital cost - that can probably be done even now.

I think that's how it would work. There would be a formula in the contract that would spread the cost of the new train, either capital cost + operating cost (or just operating cost if Translink has to buy the train) and adds it onto the money intransitBC already gets. inTransitBC would not say "no" because they get extra profit in the situation. I think it would be all up to Translink deciding if it's worth the extra money for the trains, and inTransitBC does what they are told because either way they are making profit. Infact, inTransitBC would probably be all for adding new trains because over the term of the contract it would be more profit.

[radacal]

why can't translink implement a 'distance travelled fair' like in japan and get rid of this zone nonsense? the farther you go, the more you pay?

took canada line home yesterday from the airport again at about 6pm and impressed with the number of people with luggage using the C-line. the car was standing room only all the way from the airport.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Spork

It seems like a lot of people are having experiences with low passenger loads around rush hour, but abnormally high passenger loads around non-peak periods. Perhaps this is just an issue of them expecting the line to be more commute-heavy than it currently is? That is, September 7th won't be nearly as bad as we expect, but they should increase frequencies in off-peak periods (including weekends)?

If this is case, I bet that they are still in the process of collecting passenger data to make these changes sometime this week or early next week.

I think its an indication of the impact the Canada Line can have on the way people travel in Vancouver. The C-Line is more than just commuter rail for people who don't/can't drive. It's a faster than driving mode of transportation linking many popular and high density destinations. And I think that is showing already. People are using the line to just get out and get around, for fun. People who used to avoid transit at all costs love it. I think it shows in how unexpectedly busy Yaletown Station is. The line is giving people in Yaletown (the stick to downtown only type) a chance to get around, and they are taking it.

And this is just the beginning. A station everyone is forgetting about is Marine. Buses from Main to Granville are going to connect there. There are a lot of apartments in the Marpole area, and if you are going into Downtown Proper, busing over to the Canada Line on the 3, 10, or 17, or across on the 49 or 41 is going to grow in popularity. I used to bus from 70th and Granville, and on the 10 (when the 98 was too busy), the bus would take twice as long to travel between 16th and Georgia as it did to go from 70th to 16th, I would have given anything for the Canada Line back then. It seems there are already a lot of people who connect at Marine to/from the 100 bus because each time I've been on the Canada line a surprisingly large number of people get on/off there.

And the potential future ridership is large too. There will be future riders that will live at new developments in SEFC, Oakridge, Marine, and all over Richmond. And then add to that the impact a UBC Skytrain Extension would have. It's already faster to take the 99 from UBC to the Canada Line then train into downtown than to take a direct bus route across a bridge.

Yes, the Canada Line will be busy in September once all the buses connect. Not only because of the buses from Surrey/Delta but the increased frequency in Richmond itself is going to bring a lot of riders to the Canada Line.

But, I think everyone (involved in the project) didn't really fathom the popularity the Canada Line could achieve with non-commuters and infrequent transit users. The trains are going to have to run at peak frequencies for most of the day to keep up with the kind of demand we are going to see for off peak travel.

It's going to be nuts, not Expo Line nuts, but definitely more nuts than we thought.

[TransitJack]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Not sure, but I don't think so.

There was an "option" for Canada Line Co. to include 2 more trains (I thnk it was 2) under the contract - but that option was not exercised (other options to add the bike/pedestrian bridge and double tracking at Capstan were exercised).

That suggests that Canada Line Co./TranLink could order more trains for use on the line. Not sure who would pay for them though. I'm not sure how the payment for trains would work since InTransitBC/ProTrans owns the trains (while Canada Line Co./TranLink owns the stations and guideway). Presumably, if the extra train option had been exercised, an adjustment would have been made to the funding formula/operating payments to allow for the extra capital cost - that can probably be done even now.

Translink owns ALL the infrastructure, including the trains. I think there is a buildup over the contract to utilize a few more trains, however, any capital expenditure to add trains beyond that would be Translinks responsibility, and in turn any such additional trains would have to be renegotiated in the operating contract.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by TransitJack

Translink owns ALL the infrastructure, including the trains.

http://www.canadaline.ca/files/uploads/docs/doc448.pdf

Here are the relevent sections of the Concession Agreement - "Vehicles" are "Equpment" which are "Non-Fixed Assets" owned by the Concessionaire (probably separate ownership for tax purposes, like a sale and lease-back arrangement):

Originally Posted by radacal

why can't translink implement a 'distance travelled fair' like in japan and get rid of this zone nonsense? the farther you go, the more you pay?

Chances are that'll be implemented with the faregates and regional fare card.

[duener]

With regards to the post about the cabbies' business suffering because of the Canada Line... I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but really Vancouver needs more cabs.

Freeing them up from the airport run can only be good for everyone else. I recall Vancouver city council raising the number of licenses recently and it was mentioned that per-capita the city has less than most and is quite underserved. You should be able to flag a cab anywhere with ease and I think the market should decide the numbers of cabs available not the government.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by radacal

took canada line home yesterday from the airport again at about 6pm and impressed with the number of people with luggage using the C-line. the car was standing room only all the way from the airport.

And this is with low visitor awareness. Usually people travelling here will plan their trip, including transportation, before they get here. So if you are arriving now, you most likely planned everything a few weeks ago, before Canada Line was on Translinks website. It's still not on Google maps yet, and once it is, so many more visitors will be aware of it.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

I think its an indication of the impact the Canada Line can have on the way people travel in Vancouver. The C-Line is more than just commuter rail for people who don't/can't drive. It's a faster than driving mode of transportation linking many popular and high density destinations. And I think that is showing already. People are using the line to just get out and get around, for fun. People who used to avoid transit at all costs love it. I think it shows in how unexpectedly busy Yaletown Station is. The line is giving people in Yaletown (the stick to downtown only type) a chance to get around, and they are taking it.

And this is just the beginning. A station everyone is forgetting about is Marine. Buses from Main to Granville are going to connect there. There are a lot of apartments in the Marpole area, and if you are going into Downtown Proper, busing over to the Canada Line on the 3, 10, or 17, or across on the 49 or 41 is going to grow in popularity. I used to bus from 70th and Granville, and on the 10 (when the 98 was too busy), the bus would take twice as long to travel between 16th and Georgia as it did to go from 70th to 16th, I would have given anything for the Canada Line back then. It seems there are already a lot of people who connect at Marine to/from the 100 bus because each time I've been on the Canada line a surprisingly large number of people get on/off there.

And the potential future ridership is large too. There will be future riders that will live at new developments in SEFC, Oakridge, Marine, and all over Richmond. And then add to that the impact a UBC Skytrain Extension would have. It's already faster to take the 99 from UBC to the Canada Line then train into downtown than to take a direct bus route across a bridge.

Yes, the Canada Line will be busy in September once all the buses connect. Not only because of the buses from Surrey/Delta but the increased frequency in Richmond itself is going to bring a lot of riders to the Canada Line.

But, I think everyone (involved in the project) didn't really fathom the popularity the Canada Line could achieve with non-commuters and infrequent transit users. The trains are going to have to run at peak frequencies for most of the day to keep up with the kind of demand we are going to see for off peak travel.

It's going to be nuts, not Expo Line nuts, but definitely more nuts than we thought.

That's a great post....I actually do think it will be Expo Line nuts - of course not total ridership wise, but there will be big crowds.

Get ready for the gong show that will be September 7th!

But, I think everyone (involved in the project) didn't really fathom the popularity the Canada Line could achieve with non-commuters and infrequent transit users.

Unbelievably shortsighted and grossly underestimated ridership projections....I don't know how it could not have been more obvious that a line with more muscle would be needed.

[metroXpress]

that means the line would reach its capacity in anytime....

[CLC]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

And this is just the beginning. A station everyone is forgetting about is Marine. Buses from Main to Granville are going to connect there. There are a lot of apartments in the Marpole area, and if you are going into Downtown Proper, busing over to the Canada Line on the 3, 10, or 17, or across on the 49 or 41 is going to grow in popularity. I used to bus from 70th and Granville, and on the 10 (when the 98 was too busy), the bus would take twice as long to travel between 16th and Georgia as it did to go from 70th to 16th, I would have given anything for the Canada Line back then. It seems there are already a lot of people who connect at Marine to/from the 100 bus because each time I've been on the Canada line a surprisingly large number of people get on/off there.

I can firmly say a lot of people already connect to Canada Line through #41 and #49. Take #49 westbound for example , I take on a bus stop between Knight and Victoria, but in order to see effect of Canada Line I boarded on major stop Victoria@49th last time: several people that boarded #49 with me went into Langara station, a few more which had been on #49 bus before me (I guess those live in Killarney and Champlain Heights) also went into Langara station.
About the Marine Drive station, #100 is one effect, and I also know people "park-n-ride" in street parking around the station.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by nname

The entire route 28 south of Kootenay Loop to Joyce station is actually designated as common zone 1/2. So unless you have a zone 3 ticket, you do not have to upgrade while boarding the 28.

However, if that's where you're starting your journey, you still need to tell the driver you need a Zone 2/3, otherwise, when you get to Zone 3, it would take some explaining or an addFare.

Technically, you can get from Metrotown to Joyce legally with only a 1 zone fare: take the #129 to Moscrop and Smith, then transfer to the #28.

Or... any way you can get to Gilmore Station ( 130 to Brentwood, M-line all the way around )

[CLC]

Originally Posted by mr.x

That's a great post....I actually do think it will be Expo Line nuts - of course not total ridership wise, but there will be big crowds.

Get ready for the gong show that will be September 7th!


Unbelievably shortsighted and grossly underestimated ridership projections....I don't know how it could not have been more obvious that a line with more muscle would be needed.

Last time Mr.x predicted gong show on the opening day , I didn't quite believe it would happen(because of my M-Line memory), but turned out to be very true. But this time I do agree , you will be right again.

I am now thinking whether the next Canada Line train order would arrive first or the projected 140,000 daily ridership (slated for 2020) will become reality first