Millennium Line - Evergreen Extension | Completed

[nname]

With dedicated lanes and signal priority, the 97 B-Line would operate as bus rapid transit, whisking riders along at near-SkyTrain speeds.

Obviously he has never taken the B-Line. That would never happen, unless:

1. North Road, Clarke, St John/Barnet, Guildford, and Pinetree are all upgraded to freeway
2. Build a completely grade separated (elevated or underground) busway that allows bus to travel up to 90km/h

I doubt these options is any cheaper than building the Evergreen Line.

[Metro-One]

SkyTrain blights the neighbourhoods it crosses. Just look at No. 3 Road in Richmond, Begbie Square in New Westminster and Terminal Avenue in Vancouver.

Haha, has this guy even been to Richmond since the Canada Line has opened?

Honestly, I love #3 road now! It is in the best shape it has even been. It is a clean, functioning urban artery now, with nice wide sidewalks, good street furniture, and nice uses of greenery and art helping incorporate the skytrain pillars into the urban fabric. It gets a huge thumbs up in my books!

I dont really see the problem he is referring to in New West either and i highly doubt Terminal Ave was some urban paradise before skytrain was built along it. Something tells me that street was always a shit hole and it is the city of Vancouver that has caused it to remain so gritty today, not skytrain. It could easily be refurbished akin to #3 road in Richmond.

I just wish Richmond would make good on its plan to instal a few LED screens along the line and more lighting effects on the columns.

[cabotp]

The longer it takes to get this thing done.

The more time the wackos will have to sprout idiotic facts to support their system.

[tybuilding]

Originally Posted by cabotp

The longer it takes to get this thing done.

The more time the wackos will have to sprout idiotic facts to support their system.

Its really too bad you can comment on the Vancouver Sun website. Terminal Ave would look nicer as a large tree lined boulevard and this likely wont happen any time soon with or without skytrain. It is an industrial area in the middle of a rail yard. I doubt it ever had a nice street scape. What is wrong with the square in New West?

[WarrenC12]

I'm not sure if this is news, but Gordo is promising construction of the Evergreen line will start in "Spring 2011". Weren't we previsouly promised shovels in the ground by 2010?

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/109327--gordon-campbell-addresses-ubcm-convention

Also talked about expediting a Skytrain to Langley.

[racc]

Originally Posted by tybuilding

Its really too bad you can comment on the Vancouver Sun website. Terminal Ave would look nicer as a large tree lined boulevard and this likely wont happen any time soon with or without skytrain. It is an industrial area in the middle of a rail yard. I doubt it ever had a nice street scape. What is wrong with the square in New West?

People can always send a letter to the editor in response [email protected]

[BurnabyAaron]

"It's time to get started doing a Skytrain to Langley City, which has planned itself to provide the opportunities for the future that are required to make sure transit works. It's time to get ready to build a rapid bus from Langley to Chilliwack. It's time to build rapid transit to UBC," said Campbell.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/10/01/bc-campbell-ubcm.html#ixzz1195w3qC1

I like how "its time" really means "10 years from tomorrow".

[Gordon]

Skytrain to Langley:

Is there enough density between Surrye & Langley City?

Skytrain to Fleetwood than Rapid Bus To Langley City would maKe more sense

Hopefully The Mayor's Council on transit will make some substantial headway on sustainable longtern funding?

[wrenegade]

How about less empty promises and more action? There still isn't any money for Evergreen and the project is supposed to start in Spring 2011? I don't understand.

And Skytrain to Langley? WTF?!?!? That doesn't make any sense right now OR in 10 years, perhaps 20.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by tybuilding

What is wrong with the square in New West?

SkyTrain cuts through a narrow alley or sidestreet there - the original New Westminster tailtrack was very high over one of the streets and then they sharply dove it underground in trench for Columbia, so the transition is a bit awkward and there's a bit of at-grade for the portal that creates a chainlink fence barrier.

[mr.x]

To Campbell: Why not fill the Evergreen Line's funding gap first?

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

SkyTrain blights the neighbourhoods it crosses. Just look at No. 3 Road in Richmond, Begbie Square in New Westminster and Terminal Avenue in Vancouver.

Haha, has this guy even been to Richmond since the Canada Line has opened?

Honestly, I love #3 road now! It is in the best shape it has even been. It is a clean, functioning urban artery now, with nice wide sidewalks, good street furniture, and nice uses of greenery and art helping incorporate the skytrain pillars into the urban fabric. It gets a huge thumbs up in my books!

I dont really see the problem he is referring to in New West either and i highly doubt Terminal Ave was some urban paradise before skytrain was built along it. Something tells me that street was always a shit hole and it is the city of Vancouver that has caused it to remain so gritty today, not skytrain. It could easily be refurbished akin to #3 road in Richmond.

I just wish Richmond would make good on its plan to instal a few LED screens along the line and more lighting effects on the columns.

I love Number 3 road. The sidewalk under the guideway is one of the best sidewalks in Metro Vancouver. My only complaint would be that most of the actual buildings are too far back from the street or cluttered with horrible parking lots. I can't wait to see what it will be like in 10 years, when some of the older plazas are redeveloped into street adjacent shops with offce/residential above.

Terminal has always been industrial. New Westminster was becoming an incurable cesspool before Skytrain arrived, and is what is is today (and still transforming for the better) BECAUSE of Skytrain. And the Guideway above the Lougheed highway in Burnaby is an incredibly efficient use of space.

[Zassk]

Of course there's money for Evergreen - Campbell is just determined to make it "look" like the money comes from the region rather than the province.

If a long-term strategy was adopted to spend say $400 million/year on rapid transit, we could easily meet the 2020 and 2030 targets.

[SpongeG]

i got a couple evergreen line things in the mail today - one from an MP and one about upcoming open houses on station design - if you want the dates and locations i have em and can type em in here if wanted

[DKaz]

Why you gotta be like that SpongeG, just post the dates you'll know at least some of us will wanna go.

[CLC]

Remind that Evergreen Line has a website with info about consultation dates
http://www.evergreenline.gov.bc.ca/public_consultation.htm

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by tybuilding

Its really too bad you can comment on the Vancouver Sun website. Terminal Ave would look nicer as a large tree lined boulevard and this likely wont happen any time soon with or without skytrain. It is an industrial area in the middle of a rail yard. I doubt it ever had a nice street scape. What is wrong with the square in New West?

My comment wasn't pointed at what is happening along Terminal or in New West.

It had to do with the story and how it talks about skytrain blighting every thing.

My wacko comment is in regards to the pro street car / anti-skytrain crowd.

As for Terminal. Well considering its history I wouldn't expect anything drastic to happen down there. A few trees would be nice though.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by mr.x

To Campbell: Why not fill the Evergreen Line's funding gap first?

Because it would set a precedent away from the traditional 1/3 (Feds), 1/3 (Province) and 1/3 (TransLink) funding formula.

If push comes to shove - the Province will likely step up to the plate - but not easily - as there are lots of projects begging for funding.

[madmigs]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Because it would set a precedent away from the traditional 1/3 (Feds), 1/3 (Province) and 1/3 (TransLink) funding formula.

If push comes to shove - the Province will likely step up to the plate - but not easily - as there are lots of projects begging for funding.

But, the skytrain lines do eventually pay for themselves, and so essentially the province could just finance the rest and then once the project is completed, translink could start paying down that debt. Granted the operating costs and capital repayment in the initial few years, might be a drain on the general budget but after that, it should start to be self-sufficient. Or simply the province could cover capital payments(or at least the part that translink can't initially pay), for a few years, and then transfer all the costs from those extra capital payments to translink, in addition to translink's portion of the capital costs, once the line starts paying for itself. So just think of it as a do not pay until 2015 type of deal similar to that you can find in stores.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by madmigs

Or simply the province could cover capital payments(or at least the part that translink can't initially pay), for a few years, and then transfer all the costs from those extra capital payments to translink, in addition to translink's portion of the capital costs, once the line starts paying for itself. So just think of it as a do not pay until 2015 type of deal similar to that you can find in stores.

I suspect that's what's going to happen with the Province saying it will start construction despite the fiunding gap.

If I recall correctly, back in the Expo Line days (original line and Surrey extension) before TransLink (when operated by BC Transit (Crown Corporation)), the Province paid 100% of the capital costs for SkyTrain expansion (i.e. because BC Transit didn't have its own revenue sources to apply to capital projects).