Canada Line | Completed

[Metro-One]

PS i really like Banzai Sushi near Brighouse (just went there tonight)

[Vancity]

A quick question. Does anyone know whether the North Arm Bridge will be lighted up? As far as I know whenever I cross the Oak Bridge at night, I see the North Arm Bridge lighted at the base, but that's it.

Anyone have any information on this?

[raggedy13]

The last page or so of biking-related discussion has been moved to the following thread: Metro Vancouver Bike/Pedestrian | Discussion

[SpongeG]

y'all are missing the obvious Lunch choice

Harveys in the airport

[ckkelley]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

y'all are missing the obvious Lunch choice

Harveys in the airport

I'm gonna load up on double cheeseburgers and then wheel 'em back downtown. Via Canada Line of course.

[officedweller]

Side note: Here's a report on Tunnel Boring (Link from Seattle Times wrt the proposed Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel bore)

http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=3591

[officedweller]

Back on topic:

Canada Line on track to open ahead of schedule

Alan Campbell, Richmond News
Published: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Richmond section of the Canada Line is about two months ahead of schedule, according to the company charged with its operation.

The entire rapid transit project, which will eventually link Richmond Centre, YVR and downtown Vancouver, is forecast to be open slightly earlier than the planned Nov. 30 launch date and within its $2 billion budget. But Richmond's guideways and bridges, on Sea Island and the city centre, are already complete.

And the three Sea Island stations should be finished in March, while the four city centre stations (Bridgeport, Aberdeen, Lansdowne and Brighouse) are expected to be completed by April, two months ahead of the Vancouver stations.

"The whole project is either on schedule or ahead of schedule," said Steve Crombie, vice president of public affairs with InTransitBC, which is responsible for the running of the Canada Line.

"In Richmond the stations in particular are doing very well and construction is going much faster than anticipated.

"The testing and commissioning of the trains is also progressing much quicker than we planned."

Crombie said the test trains have been running from Richmond city centre out to YVR for some time now, but it will take longer before they're running to Vancouver.

"There's still things that can happen, but so far we're in good shape all round," he said.

"How far ahead exactly we are, I'm not quite sure, and that remains to be seen."

Another hurdle to overcome before Canada Line gets the green light will be testing from the BC Safety Authority, which may find areas to improve on.

Station finishings will be the next difference that people may notice over the coming weeks and months, Crombie said.

"I reckon people will notice even more the streetscape work being carried out by the City of Richmond on No. 3 Road," he said.

Meanwhile, InTransitBC has been investigating its first case of graffiti on the Richmond section of Canada Line.

And the company still can't work out how the tagger managed on New Year's Eve to get past two locked gates at Lansdowne station, one with barbed wire, and up onto the guideway elevation to spray-paint a Canada Line car.

"We've looked at all the possibilities and this must have been a very determined individual," Crombie said.

"But when the line is eventually up and running it will be a lot more difficult for this kind of thing to happen as there will be security cameras and staff in the area."

© Richmond News 2009

[mr.x]

I wonder if the recent winter weather impacted construction...

[SpongeG]

and the politicians can all bask in the glory for being ahead of timeeven though they probably made the start date later than they knew it would be - gotta love politics

[ravman]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

and the politicians can all bask in the glory for being ahead of timeeven though they probably made the start date later than they knew it would be - gotta love politics

its the BC liberal insurance policy... quote a higher budget and longer timeline and then boast that it is ontime and on budget... but yeah... drove over the oak a few days ago and it looks neat

[Spork]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

and the politicians can all bask in the glory for being ahead of timeeven though they probably made the start date later than they knew it would be - gotta love politics

It is not political - it is a common project management practice to add some slack time on the end of a project to account for the occurance of risks and unforseen circumstances.

[geoff's two cents]

Originally Posted by Spork

It is not political - it is a common project management practice to add some slack time on the end of a project to account for the occurance of risks and unforseen circumstances.

Indeed, it is commonsensical if nothing else.

[SpongeG]

well they didn't do that with the M line - it was extremely behind schedule - like a few months

I am sure this new government decided to cover their ass by making the deadline longer than need be

[johnjimbc]

Actually, they probably did, SpongeG. Allowing additional time and resources in a project schedule for unforeseen risk doesn't guarantee there won't still be delays. It is an attempt to mitigate the possibility.

Since when is a project getting completed ahead of schedule a source of derision on this forum?

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by johnjimbc

Actually, they probably did, SpongeG. Allowing additional time and resources in a project schedule for unforeseen risk doesn't guarantee there won't still be delays. It is an attempt to mitigate the possibility.

Since when is a project getting completed ahead of schedule a source of derision on this forum?

i'm not being negative

i'm just saying the liberals are gonna milk this for all its worth

its great news stupendous news incredible news

just hate the way the liberals are gonna say - look at us - we are so wonderful we did it BC! the best place one earth did it!

I'm not anti-liberal but i hate gordon the drunk driving campbell

[agrant]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

I wonder if the recent winter weather impacted construction...

Hardly a dent I would think. Maybe a few guys and some supplies had problems getting to the site one or two of the days. Most of the work would be covered, so the conditions they had to work in must have been as good as any construction site.

[johnjimbc]

I understand, SpongeG. No worries

[amor de cosmos]

I think we all knew this stuff, but here it is all in one place:

Jan. 14, 2009
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
CANADA LINE BY THE NUMBERS

• No. 1 – It is the largest infrastructure project in the history of B.C.
  
• 20 years – A study to determine the need and viability of a rapid transit line in the Richmond-Vancouver corridor began about 20 years ago.
• 7,000 jobs – Direct employment of the Canada Line project is 1,400 person years per year, or 7,000 person years over the five-year construction period.
• $415 million – The direct provincial GDP contribution by the Canada Line is approximately $83 million per year, or $415 million over the five-year construction period.
• $2 billion – The Canada Line is funded by the government of British Columbia, TransLink, and the Vancouver International Airport Authority and is supported by the cities of Vancouver and Richmond.
  
• 500,000 people – The number of people who travel each day between downtown Vancouver, central Richmond and Vancouver International Airport along Main, Cambie, Oak and Granville streets.
• 19 kilometres – The Canada Line rapid transit system will run 19 kilometres fully separated from traffic between Waterfront Centre in Vancouver, the heart of Richmond’s civic precinct, and Vancouver International Airport.
  
• 16 stations – The Canada Line will have 16 stations, as well as two bridges, more than nine kilometres of tunnel, parking and bus facilities.
  
• 10 lanes – The Canada Line has a transit capacity equivalent to 10 lanes of road.
  
• 36 per cent – The average commuter trip time in the Vancouver-Richmond corridor has increased 36 per cent in the last 10 years, from 19.5 minutes to 26.5 minutes.
• 23 per cent – The population of Vancouver’s downtown peninsula is expected to increase 23 per cent by 2021.
  
• 70 per cent – The population of Richmond is expected to increase 70 per cent by 2021.
  
• 28 per cent – The percentage of people in a June 2005 poll who ranked transportation as the most important local issue facing Lower Mainland residents.
• 450,000 – The population of Greater Vancouver is expected to increase by 450,000 in the next 10 years, and to exceed three million by 2021.
• 100 years – The Canada Line is built to last 100 years, is a key component of the Provincial Transit Plan and is a vital link in the expanding transit network in the Lower Mainland.
• 100,000 people – The Canada Line will move 100,000 people each day, and is expected to move 120,000 people each day in 15 years.
• 2009 – Construction began in November 2005 and the Canada Line is scheduled to be operational in November 2009.
  
• The project is on budget and ahead of schedule.

http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2009TRAN0002-000047.htm

[ravman]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i'm not being negative

i'm just saying the liberals are gonna milk this for all its worth

its great news stupendous news incredible news

just hate the way the liberals are gonna say - look at us - we are so wonderful we did it BC! the best place one earth did it!

I'm not anti-liberal but i hate gordon the drunk driving campbell

though i am slightly more anti liberal than you

btw the press release is more govt propoganda

[DKaz]

20 years – A study to determine the need and viability of a rapid transit line in the Richmond-Vancouver corridor began about 20 years ago.

I remember reading some old rapid transit studies from the 70s at the library when they were identifying the Expo Line corridor and the Richmond Line was definitely included in that study! So more like almost 40 years ago!