Canada Line | Completed

[ryanmaccdn]

Originally Posted by lightrail

Apples and Oranges.

The Canada Line is a Subway Line, not a dedicated airport trains service. People using it will get crammed on crowded trains just like everybody else.

London Underground, Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and the fare is four pounds sterling from central London, same as for all other destinations in zone 6. Travelcards and passes are valid with no surcharges. There are three underground stations serving the Heathrow passenger terminals and one underground station serving the cargo area.

Chicago O'Hare is connected via the Blue Line. The fare is the same as the rest of the Subway system $2.25 flat fare. No surcharge to go to the airport.

Atlanta is connected by Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit rail lines. The fare is a flat $2.00 same as the rest of the area served by MARTA - no surcharges.

Portland airport is connect by the red MAX line. It is in zone three and cost $2.30 form downtown Portland - same as all other three zone destinations. There is no surcharge.

Some examples of subways/LRT connecting the airport to the city. I've not included dedicated rail services, such as Heathrow Express or the JFK Airtrain because they are dedicated purpose built people-movers for the airport only.

The point is - I don't know of another rapid transit line (subway/LRT) that imposes a surcharge for going to the airport.

Second, I don't like the half-assed why it appears to be implemented. Can only buy it as an add-fare and can only buy it from a machine on the Canada Line.

I think it is going to be so unpopular and hard to administer that Translink will drop it - but not until after the cash-cow of the Olympic Games.

Also the comment that Seattle LRT doesn't serve the airport because it requires a walk on a walkway to the terminal is just really stretching it. Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are served by a single Underground station and the walk is longer than at SeaTac to any of the terminals.

With those airports as example.... many of the lines continue on or will continue on to more stations after the airport... the SOLE PURPOSE of the Canada Line extension to the Airport is to take Airport passengers and give them easier access to transit options or get directly to DT.

With the other lines you have mentioned there is a commute aspect... with the Canada Line the only employee's will be the 500 or so during every shift change plus Airport passengers.

To be honest if there was no Olympics and the Canada line didn't pass so close to YVR I doubt we would have built the line and just put in a people mover to save cost.

Im glad they did, for continuity but it's really only an airport line like the JFK scenario you stated above...

I also don't see an issue with the add fare option... the only people who will need to use the add fare option will be the tourists/business people who visit the city. They very few commuters of YVR workers will have work ID's they just use in conjunction with their monthly fare-cards.