Millennium Line - Broadway Extension: Planning & Pre-Construction

[eduardo88]

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

Babies' bedtimes are whenever and wherever they want to sleep. Which is pretty much all the time except when you're sleeping.

Ahhh don't remind me! Mine's due in February, which will definitely mean no more SSP time

[G-Slice]

Originally Posted by amor de cosmos

would it make sense to have the extension to UBC start from the station at commercial & broadway? so there would be two spurs from there, one going to UBC & one going to VCC-Clark, like how the Canada line goes to YVR & Richmond-Brighouse. that would cover that chunk of broadway between mt pleasant & commercial

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I like it. Direct service to downtown for the Millenium Line would be a huge boost to ridership. I expect extending the M-Line from VCC-Clark to Denman, and Beach via Vancouver City Centre could be done for the same cost as the Expo Line upgrades (about $2.8 billion if I recall), and would probably move enough ridership from the Expo Line that it would render the upgrades unnecessary. It would also put a station right in the middle of Millennium Water and spur the redevelopment of that sad little area between 2nd. Ave and Broadway.

I guess the problem is that building the UBC line from Broadway Station as opposed to VCC would basically make VCC useless until the extension to downtown, since it is likely that only 1/3 of Millennium/Evergreen trains would serve it. That would mean service at less than 10 minute frequencies for most of the day - enough time to walk to Broadway.

[Zassk]

It's never going to happen. We just got a 2nd line built to downtown. A 3rd line, if it ever happens, is sure to be on Hastings.

And if that ever happens, then it is probably 25 years out, unless somehow Expo Line can be extended east alongside the port lands for cheap.

[invisibleairwaves]

And SoF will probably secede from Translink if another downtown line happens before an eastern Expo Line extension, and rightly so. Connecting Coal Harbour and the West End to the Skytrain isn't such a bad idea though.

At this point, going from VCC-Clark is the only logical route unless the province somehow gets a multi-billion-dollar windfall and gives it all to Translink. We can't afford the Evergreen Line, let alone the UBC line plus another tunnel to downtown.

[paradigm4]

Hey, there could finally be a subway connection to Robson Square

Great fantasy. If we had a ton of money, it'd be a nice option, but there's more pressing priorities unfortunately.

[madmigs]

Originally Posted by Zassk

It's never going to happen. We just got a 2nd line built to downtown. A 3rd line, if it ever happens, is sure to be on Hastings.

And if that ever happens, then it is probably 25 years out, unless somehow Expo Line can be extended east alongside the port lands for cheap.

Extend the expo line from waterfront down hastings up to SFU!! I think we need a new thread! lol

[CLC]

^ There is already a Transit Fantasies thread.

A Hastings Line will draw M-Line ridership down. It is not a wise use of scarce money for at least next 20 years. If extra money for rapid transit is available for Vancouver Proper, build it along 41/49st corridor first, which guarantee higher ridership in the foreseeable future than a Hastings-SFU line.

[madmigs]

Originally Posted by CLC

^ There is already a Transit Fantasies thread.

A Hastings Line will draw M-Line ridership down. It is not a wise use of scarce money for at least next 20 years. If extra money for rapid transit is available for Vancouver Proper, build it along 41/49st corridor first, which guarantee higher ridership in the foreseeable future than a Hastings-SFU line.

It twas a joke

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by CLC

^ There is already a Transit Fantasies thread.

A Hastings Line will draw M-Line ridership down. It is not a wise use of scarce money for at least next 20 years. If extra money for rapid transit is available for Vancouver Proper, build it along 41/49st corridor first, which guarantee higher ridership in the foreseeable future than a Hastings-SFU line.

Besides the Evergreen Line, UBC Extension and skytrain extension in Surrey.

What I do see happening is a B-Line bus service along 41st, Hastings, East from the Coq centre from the Evergreen Line to Haney. And then depending on how the skytrain is extended in Surrey and station locations at least 1 or 2 B-Line routes most likely out to Langley and South Surrey/ White rock.

As for future skytrain or possibly lrt expansion in the future. I'd say it would depend on which B-Line routes have the highest ridership.

[Kodii]

An online/Facebook campaign by the AMS is exploding in response to the Regional Growth Strategy:

Check it out and support it!

http://ubclinenow.com/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160888543938964

http://www.facebook.com/ubclinenow

[CLC]

^ As of now on an average weekday Broadway corridor ridership is lower than C-Line. During weekends it is no match, C-Line win easily. Whoever post in this ubc facebook wall is giving misleading info. Don't use the same tactics as railofthevalley.

[Zassk]

If you add all university-bound traffic from 41, 49, 25, etc., I think the comparison to C-line probably comes out favourable for the UBC line.

[CLC]

Originally Posted by Zassk

If you add all university-bound traffic from 41, 49, 25, etc., I think the comparison to C-line probably comes out favourable for the UBC line.

The campaigner also says "every day", I am not convinced that you can get anywhere close to 100000 university-bound traffic on weekends

[geoff's two cents]

Originally Posted by Zassk

If you add all university-bound traffic from 41, 49, 25, etc., I think the comparison to C-line probably comes out favourable for the UBC line.

Don't forget the 4, 17 & 44. I've never seen the C-line as congested as the 99. The 99 is, bar none, the most consistently overcrowded and unpleasant transit experience I have had. Unlike the Expo line, which experiences similar levels of crowding at rush hour, over- (and often unsafe) congestion on the 99 is common throughout the day. Delays are also surprisingly common, due I'm sure to driver error or heavy traffic - which only augments the congestion issue when the long-awaited bus finally arrives.

[CLC]

^ People in Vancouver does have proven ability to pack a bus, during my almost daily ride of infrequent #25 for rush hour many years ago, it was not uncommon to pack 60+ people on a 40feet bus, to get off the bus even at major stop was a challenge. For skytrain, people seems willing to wait for the next one or even "ride backward" first to get a seat.

#99 may have the largest pass-ups (1000+ per weekday) by number, but my pick of most overcrowded/unpleasant ride are #25 or #49 (recent), the former #98-b might also be included.

[WarrenC12]

Is it possible to put more buses into service on the #99?

[Millennium2002]

It is possible although not very recommended either, as increasing the number of buses only makes the surface routes much more congested... and we're not talking about just the Broadway corridor being affected by east-west traffic; in fact, most of the routes that head to UBC suffer from generally extreme crowding. Also it's been mentioned that running more of these buses actually costs more per kilometre than using heavy rail rapid transit. Adding more buses may alleviate the short-term problem but won't solve the long-term one.

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

It is possible although not very recommended either, as increasing the number of buses only makes the surface routes much more congested... and we're not talking about just the Broadway corridor being affected by east-west traffic; in fact, most of the routes that head to UBC suffer from generally extreme crowding. Also it's been mentioned that running more of these buses actually costs more per kilometre than using heavy rail rapid transit. Adding more buses may alleviate the short-term problem but won't solve the long-term one.

Translink has reached the tipping point where adding more buses to Broadway will actually slow traffic and impede progress rather than smooth it. Broadway doesn't have the capacity for more buses at this point.

[Gordon]

One thing that might help is having the B Line buses having the ability to control the traffic lights along the route. this route is full in the opposite direction of peak from Cambie to Arbutus in the afternoons.

[WarrenC12]

What about re-instituting the bus-only lanes like the Olympics? At least during peak times.

If the buses are in fact passing up 4000 people/day, that is not acceptable.