Millennium Line - Evergreen Extension | Completed

[metroXpress]

^ And they love bus rides too (frequent stops, no transfers to Skytrain...)

[deasine]

Originally Posted by kylemacmac

This would be a great B-Line route. People really like to travel on lines.

Probably. I can see the original vision of the Surrey-Coquitlam "Bullet" becoming real.

[nname]

Originally Posted by Zassk

Conversely, are you overvaluing Surrey as a destination? The Hwy 1 traffic diagram is very interesting, but it doesn't reflect the same commuters that will be eligible for take transit via Expo-to-Evergreen. Most of those commuters taking Port Mann to Tri-Cities are coming from places far to the east of the SkyTrain network.

What percentage of travellers currently commute from Lougheed to Columbia and then switch trains to Surrey (or vice versa)? I haven't witnessed what Columbia is like during commuter hours, is it full of people taking this route today? If this route is a priority then there should be evidence of it today.

7500 transfers per day back in 2007.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by Allen

^ And they love bus rides too (frequent stops, no transfers to Skytrain...)

And where on Hwy #1 or #7 would you propose it stop? Every bus doesn't have to transfer to SkyTrain to be successful.

Maybe they can use the comfy coaches that were used in White Rock as a Surrey - Coquitlam bus line.

Surrey Central - Guildford - Como Lake - Dewdney Trunk - Coquitlam Central. Definitely would be faster and more convenient than SkyTrain and no transfers.

[usog]

Someone else mentioned a good question, I wonder how easy it is to add a third platform to columbia? Just turn the eastbound one into a center and add another track. Probably would be expensive as hell but eventually it would probably have to be done since it's a major transfer point.

[Spork]

Originally Posted by kylemacmac

Sorry, but just because young-looking people get off the train in New West doesn't mean they're going to SFU. But for a moment, let's say they are....then you know what would be even sweeter than a cushy ride from Surrey to SFU? If SFU had more places nearby where students could live!

The whole point of transport is to move people and things between places they need to go. Students living closer to where they need to go solves a lot of this issue. The lack of student housing close to schools in Vancouver is quite shocking. Univercity is kinda neat, and UBC has a decent stock of sanctioned places where can apply to get in, but market driven, wild-west landlord type places? A LOT of kids need to go East of Main or off the mountain to find that.

Remember that a huge proportion of the student population at SFU is from the Lower Mainland. Why move from Surrey to Burnaby and spend an extra $12,000+/yr to live on your own? Further, SFU has a campus in both Surrey and Burnaby, and students can take classes at either. Before I graduated, I took classes at both campuses, frequently transferring from one to the other between classes or for group meetings. This is all while living in White Rock, Vancouver, or New West (I like to move).

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

Without enhancements at Columbia, those routes are difficult.

As for Lougheed, half the train gets off there ( coming from Braid ), then half the train gets back on. It's a very busy station.

If school's in and it's during the school rush hours, 25-50% get on/off at Production Way too. Brentwood and Gilmore are also busy.

Braid is busy as it's the fastest route from Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, but it's all bus traffic. Lots of full buses pull up there. This could change if North road gets its dedicated transit ramps... as some buses will go there instead.

After the PMB opens, I suspect a direct Surrey - Coquitlam Centre and Surrey - Lougheed Bus will be started which will take pressure off the Columbia transfer. That will be a popular bus route.

Just a guess here, but once the Evergreen line is completed. I do think you will see a drop in the number of people who use Braid. Of course that means there is going to be a major increase at Lougheed.

The other day I happened to be on the M-line going East in a MKI 4 car train in the front car going wb. Everyone except one person got off at lougheed. I then expected some people to get on at Production way. But the only other person in my car got off and nobody got on. I ended up with my own car all the way till Brentwood and this was at 5:30pm. It felt really weird. I had a choice of any seat I wanted in the entire car.

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by nname

7500 transfers per day back in 2007.

Ok, so is this high or low number? To me, it sounds like a low number, i.e. there is no reason to pay to reconfigure Columbia station for 7,500/day. It seems low enough to disregard when we lay out the line names after Evergreen.

Let the occasional train run from Coquitlam to Columbia, thus providing Braid-Sapperton with train traffic. But let all of the trains from VCC-Clark run to Coquitlam.

Millennium: Coquitlam - VCC-Clark
Evergreen: Coquitlam - Columbia
Expo: Waterfront - King George

Everyone can get from one station to another with 1 transfer or less.

[Chikinlittle]

Originally Posted by Zassk

Ok, so is this high or low number? To me, it sounds like a low number, i.e. there is no reason to pay to reconfigure Columbia station for 7,500/day. It seems low enough to disregard when we lay out the line names after Evergreen.

Let the occasional train run from Coquitlam to Columbia, thus providing Braid-Sapperton with train traffic. But let all of the trains from VCC-Clark run to Coquitlam.

Millennium: Coquitlam - VCC-Clark
Evergreen: Coquitlam - Columbia
Expo: Waterfront - King George

Everyone can get from one station to another with 1 transfer or less.

What about people traveling from Surrey to SFU? That would still require two transfers, wouldn't it?

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by cabotp

The other day I happened to be on the M-line going East in a MKI 4 car train in the front car going wb.

So you were going East in the Westbound direction?

One of the peculiarities of the M-Line looping around, I suppose.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

So you were going East in the Westbound direction?

One of the peculiarities of the M-Line looping around, I suppose.

Oops I'm blaming that to being it late at night and my brain wasn't all there

[DKaz]

A week ago there was a messup at Commercial-Broadway Platforms 1 and 2 there was a train on Platform 1 heading to VCC-Clark, then a train in the WESTbound direction went into Platform 2 which is normally for Lougheed bound trains... no signs though. A lot of people came on... then as the train left EAST, an annoucement came on "Attention passengers, this train is a VCC-Clark bound train. The train will switch over onto the other tracks and return to Commercial-Broadway Station. Passengers heading to Brentwood, Lougheed, and Columbia, please wait for the next train" The announcement would've been helpful BEFORE the doors closed, ma'am! The train did cross over then return to Platform 1, there was a real Lougheed bound train on Platform 2 but as our train arrived onto Platform 1, that train left. I was pretty angry that day to say the last, got to Braid a couple minutes late and missed my 791 bus.

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by Chikinlittle

What about people traveling from Surrey to SFU? That would still require two transfers, wouldn't it?

They can go to Bdwy/Commercial and head to SFU from there. The Translink website says it is only 5 minutes longer, and they'll have more frequent trains on that part of Millennium, which would mean a faster transfer.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Zassk

Ok, so is this high or low number? To me, it sounds like a low number, i.e. there is no reason to pay to reconfigure Columbia station for 7,500/day. It seems low enough to disregard when we lay out the line names after Evergreen.

Let the occasional train run from Coquitlam to Columbia, thus providing Braid-Sapperton with train traffic. But let all of the trains from VCC-Clark run to Coquitlam.

Millennium: Coquitlam - VCC-Clark
Evergreen: Coquitlam - Columbia
Expo: Waterfront - King George

Everyone can get from one station to another with 1 transfer or less.

The problem is now you have twice as many trains running on the Lougheed-> Coquitlam section as you do from VCC->Lougheed, and VCC->Lougheed will be the busiest part.

I think it is unavoidable to have people from Surrey make 2 transfers to get to Coquitlam. We can't have all these trains stopping and turning around all over the place. It will bottle neck things.

At least people travelling between Surrey and Coquitlam will now have the option of rapid transit, even with 2 transfers it is an improvement over the current situation. But we if we have a shuttle people who currently head to SFU with 1 or 0 transfers will now have to make 2. Evergreen will bring them inconvenience, unless every single station sees increased frequency with the shuttle. 2 transfers wouldn't be bad if the longest you had to wait for each one was 2 minutes. 4 minutes in transfers might be better than 6 minutes waiting for the proper train (but not by much).

[Mac Write]

I think they should keep the current service once Evergreen opens and add of course VCC - Douglas. So it would be.

• Waterfront > King Goerge
• Water Front > VCC-Clark
• VCC-Clark > Douglas
• VCC-Clark > Waterfront via Columbia

If demand warrents it, add a King George > Douglas. with double stops at Columbia (Westbound and then Eastbound both directions).

[Zassk]

Honestly, I can't think of a reasonable way to make it easier for Surrey travellers to get to/from Coquitlam. Maybe some of you are smarter than me and can think of a way that is workable. The system may all be integrated, but those travellers are going to have to transfer 1-2 times somewhere.

How about this: designate Columbia-to-Lougheed as a spur of the Expo line AND a spur of the Millennium line. Every 3rd or 4th train on each line will take the spur instead of going to the eastern terminus.

[metroXpress]

^ Surrey doesn't need a direct connection to Coquitlam right at the moment when Mayor Watts suggested that a light rail option should be implemented to save budget for Evergreen Line.

[Dave2]

Originally Posted by vansky

just a 10km project, can't believe it has to be discussed for 5 yrs, and there's no conclusion...hahaha, no hope for the city.

LOL, it could be worse:

The long proposed Chelsea-Hackney line, which is planned to begin operation in 2025, may be part of the London Underground[...]However it is still on the drawing board. It was first proposed in 1901 and has been in planning since then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_underground

[Dave2]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

Lots of buildings missing from that Burquitlam rendering.. then again, that strip mall is in dire need of redevelopment (especially the Safeway - I imagine they are holding off on renovations until the Evergreen plans are firmed up. Walking into that store is like walking into the 60s..).

That would be a shame, that Safeway is one of the last unaltered Marina style Safeways we have left... http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&safe=off&sa=1&q=marina+style+safeway&aq=f&oq=&start=0

[Dave2]

Originally Posted by mr.x

Could we call VCC to Douglas the Millennium Line instead? I much prefer that name, instead of *cringe* "Evergreen

Sadly the name selection committee did not accept my submission of "Tragic Mistake" during their name the LRT line contest