Millennium Line - Broadway Extension: Planning & Pre-Construction

[deasine]

yeah i'm interested too =P

[SpongeG]

may as well stick this in here

SkyTrain ridership near forecasted levels

SkyTrain’s Millennium Line has been seen as an underachiever since it opened in September 2002.

And its lower-than-expected ridership was one of several reasons floated at to why plans for a rapid transit line running between Lougheed and Coquitlam town centres never progressed beyond the conceptual stage. A funding shortfall and disagreements about routing and the kind of rapid transit line to build are other reasons why the Evergreen Line is still on the drawing board.

But a report to TransLink this week may change whether people view the $1.2-billion Millennium Line as a success or failure.

According to the latest survey, ridership on the line that follows Lougheed Highway and the Grandview Cut between New Westminster and Vancouver is nearly at the levels it was forecast to be at by now.

The ridership survey, which was conducted last fall, estimates the line is averaging just under 70,000 riders per day, and that’s only slightly lower than the forecast of 75,000 daily users by 2006 provided by the provincial government’s Rapid Transit Project Office (RTPO) in 1999.

What’s more impressive, the RTPO forecast assumed that a rapid transit extension to Coquitlam Centre would be in place by 2006. That line, now known as the Evergreen Line, is yet to be built, and it’s not anticipated to be in place until after 2010.

When compared to the first ridership survey in 2003, use of the Millennium Line has increased 56 per cent (up from 44,900), while regional transit ridership has gone up by 28.4 per cent.

The stats are good news for Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, who has been critical of those that held up low ridership figures to oppose proceeding with the Evergreen Line.

“It proves that people will get out of single-occupancy vehicles and use transit if it’s convenient and if it’s accessible to them,” Corrigan said. “The biggest issue is that it’s got to be affordable to the region, which is why we have to look at alternatives like light rail out to Coquitlam Centre.

“I think the ridership on the Millennium Line only supports that if we improve transit out to the Coquitlam Centre area that we’re going to reduce single-occupancy vehicles and increase transit usage.”

Of the 13 stations along the Millennium Line, Commercial Drive and Lougheed Town Centre were by far the busiest with 13,532 and 11,833 average weekday boardings respectively. Third busiest was the Production Way-University station (6,361), followed by Brentwood Town Centre (4,782) and Braid (4,230).

Corrigan predicts numbers at the Holdom station will increase dramatically in coming years as the area around the station is redeveloped with a mix of apartments and townhomes.

Still, the future of the Evergreen Line is increasingly being questioned.

Friday, the Greater Vancouver Regional District Board of Directors approved a study looking at improving transportation along the Broadway Corridor to the University of B.C. That study, which was endorsed by the TransLink board last month, will look at rapid transit alternatives for the Broadway Corridor, something that Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan is pushing for.

And that has some projecting rapid transit will come to the Broadway corridor ahead of Coquitlam, much the same way the Canada Line (formerly known as the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Line) jumped the queue ahead of Evergreen.

But TransLink Chair Malcolm Broad said rapid transit for the Northeast Sector “is the number-one rapid transit priority for TransLink.

“We have defined the project, and now we are waiting for funding to be confirmed from senior levels of government,” Brodie said in a press release Thursday.

“The business case prepared last year by TransLink staff proves that the Evergreen Line is vital for maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in the Northeast Sector. The Broadway Alternatives Study is something completely different and must not be seen as a case of one part of the region jumping the queue over another.”


Passengers make their way on and off SkyTrain’s Millennium Line at the Lougheed Town Centre station. Ridership on the $1.2-billion line that opened in September 2002 is just slightly below a forecast that assumed a rapid transit line extension to Coquitlam Centre would be in place by 2006. The Lougheed Town Centre station is the second-busiest on the Millennium Line.

http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=41&cat=23&id=1030700&more=0

[squeezied]

i seriously dont see any good and practical reasons why evergreen line should go first. so what if the government promised it, they make dumb decisions anyway. evergreen line does not need a rapid transit line right now, m-line extenstion does.

“The business case prepared last year by TransLink staff proves that the Evergreen Line is vital for maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in the Northeast Sector."

it's a no-brainer the same can be said for m-line ext

"The Broadway Alternatives Study is something completely different and must not be seen as a case of one part of the region jumping the queue over another.”

why not?

[SpongeG]

i think it all ties into the GVRD plan that the NE sector absorb x amount of population and in order to meet the numbers that the GVRD set they need the evergreen line blah blah blah

but i am with ya that it could be backtabled for a while

[EastVanMark]

With dozens of apartment buildings to be built all along the M-Line, there is little doubt that the numbers will continue to rise. Glad to see Derek Corrigan adding his moronic 2 cents. With leaders like him, its only a matter of time before they screw things up and the Broadway extension gets built instead. (See Olympic Oval debacle).

[cc85]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The Translink probably doesn't have the power to impose a development cost levy on property developers. Plus, municipalities won't impose a hefty levy on projects they are trying to encourage (Surrey lowered its DCLs which finally spurred development at Whalley). Not to mention that municipalities subject to that sort of scheme would complain that they are being unfairly treated as other municpalities got rapid transit without bearing the costs (i.e. DCLs would otherwise go to the municipality).

Actually, Surrey has increased thier DCCs to help pay for amenities and infrastructure. They went up roughly 40% as of June 25/26.

[mr.x]

So does anyone know the results of last weeks vote on whether or not to spend $1 million to study on the UBC M-Line extension?

[hollywoodnorth]

did you not read the above news story? it says in there.......

[jlousa]

Opps wrong forum. moved to suburb thread.

[crazyjoeda]

They should extend the M-Line to the 2nd Avenue Station ASAP. I was looking on Google Earth its only 2.6KM and most of that could be elevated along the rail corredor that goes all the way down to 2nd Ave. Then along 2nd Ave to the Canada Line is only 1km which would most likely have to be tunneled. Only one additional station would need to be built between VCC and 2nd Avenue, the best spot would be at Main Street.

Here is a map I made showing the extention from VCC Station to the Future 2nd Avenue Station.

After the line is built to 2nd Avenue it can easily go up to and along West Broadway.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by cc85

Actually, Surrey has increased thier DCCs to help pay for amenities and infrastructure. They went up roughly 40% as of June 25/26

Yeah, that was the end of the temporary reduction.

**********

The proposed M-Line route would hit Mt. Pleasant then continue west under 10th Ave. Going along 2nd Ave. would miss out a good ridership base (esp. since SEFC is so close to Main Street Station and Olympic Village Station at each end)

[deasine]

But then there is a future StreetCar too, so I guess that will serve the people. However, more transfers for the residents.

[Lee_Haber8]

Originally Posted by crazyjoeda

They should extend the M-Line to the 2nd Avenue Station ASAP. I was looking on Google Earth its only 2.6KM and most of that could be elevated along the rail corredor that goes all the way down to 2nd Ave. Then along 2nd Ave to the Canada Line is only 1km which would most likely have to be tunneled. Only one additional station would need to be built between VCC and 2nd Avenue, the best spot would be at Main Street.

Here is a map I made showing the extention from VCC Station to the Future 2nd Avenue Station.

After the line is built to 2nd Avenue it can easily go up to and along West Broadway.

Even though that is shorter, it still makes sense to turn down to Broadway to Kingsway and Main as that is where many bus routes converge and is an important destination.

[fever]

Here are the proposals, as I understand them...

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=U...12,-123.118629&spn=0.030302,0.10849&z=14

[twoNeurons]

The likely route:

It would enter a tunnel at Prince Edward.

[officedweller]

Nice map, Mike.

[Jared]

Nice map mike. A pity there doesnt seem to be a way to connect the M-Line directly to the streetcar (i.e. without transfering onto the Canada line for 1 stop) somewhere without missing some major ridership areas along Broadway, such as Cambie. I suppose if the streetcar ever ends up turning down Arbutus, they could hook up there.

[cornholio]

^There are plans for extending the streetcar through fals creek to VCC station. Not sure if down industrial avenue or 1st or 2nd). It qwas part of the plan of making it a green sustainabel and planed hightech business hub. In anycase this likely wont hapen anytime soon since that area is not developing like the city wanted to.

[fever]

Are there any plans to modify 6th/2nd ave to make the streetcar more accessible at Spruce. It's not easy to get there from the south.

I think for this line (and any other streetcar) to be successful its route has to be understood. I doubt many people will notice the line there to begin with. It's not easy to picture where it goes. It has a few too many corners. Maybe if it continued down 4th on the west and Industrial on the East instead of dipping north or south it would have more of an identity as the direct east-west line south of False Creek.

[Hot Rod]

Guys,

Is there something that can be done to fast track the Millennium Line extension? Is there an initiative process in BC (similar to in Washington State) where we can get signatures of the people of Vancouver and get this subway line built on the fast???

I mean, this is not rocket science here, the skytrain is the technology and it needs to be extended from Clark to UBC Central. Why are we having yet another study (and one that takes two years to complete???)?????

GET 'ER Done, already.

Oh, and build the Evergreen Line as SkyTrain also - already!!

It would be nice if we can get the M-Line fast tracked so construction could begin immediately and we could have the M-Line connected at Cambie/City Hall before the Olympics.