Millennium Line - Evergreen Extension | Completed

[BCPhil]

I don't think Evergreen line was really a part of the Stimulus Action Plan. It's been on the books since before the economy went in the crapper. Many people worried that by helping the BC liberals build the Canada Line, the Evergreen line would never get built; so the feds offered money to prove the Evergreen line would still be a priority after Canada Line.

And those fears have never again materialized.....

[GeeCee]

Yeah, the federal contribution is not stimulus funding. And in any case, it would not be eligible for stimulus funding.

[jlousa]

Progression.

[GeeCee]

edit: disregard, can't count

[hollywoodnorth]

Go Falcon/Clark/Gordo Go!

[crazyjoeda]

Construction will start in 2011 and finish in 4 years, so that's 2015! They've already been working on this for how long? It has got to be at least over 2 years! This line extension is short how could it take so long? The Canada Line was a much larger project and took much less time. How long before we see an extension to UBC?

Maybe the transit fantasies and UBC Line threads should be merged!

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by crazyjoeda

Construction will start in 2011 and finish in 4 years, so that's 2015! They've already been working on this for how long? It has got to be at least over 2 years! This line extension is short how could it take so long? The Canada Line was a much larger project and took much less time. How long before we see an extension to UBC?

Maybe the transit fantasies and UBC Line threads should be merged!

Canada Line had to be finished & running before the Olympics (even though Gordo et.al. always insisted that building the RAV / Canada Line had nothing to do with the Olympics - ditto the Sea to Sky upgrades and the new Convention Centre). If PoCo or Coquitlam was an official Olympic City with some event sites, no doubt Evergreen would have been built in time for the Olympics too.

Since there isn't a hard & fast deadline for Evergreen to be running, its completion has always been 'about five years from now'

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by crazyjoeda

Construction will start in 2011 and finish in 4 years, so that's 2015! They've already been working on this for how long? It has got to be at least over 2 years! This line extension is short how could it take so long? The Canada Line was a much larger project and took much less time. How long before we see an extension to UBC?

Maybe the transit fantasies and UBC Line threads should be merged!

Two years??? Try 23 years when the line was first proposed when Vander Zalm was still premier!

Can't complain about the "progress". Though its interesting that "Early Works" includes the CP track relocation. I'm always curious how that will take place given what was shown in the renderings of PoMo and Ioco stations.

Kinda scary that Kevin Falcon is running for leadership...dunno what I'm more worried about...his scrappy style may kill the project yet again due to a potential disagreement with the mayors (note it was Raymond Louie, not Kevin Falcon, that saved Canada Line), or his scrappy style in other aspects of the provincial government will ensure a BC NDP victory in 2013 (though his best friend right now seems to be Carol James). I must say...Go Clark go??

[golog]

A rapid rail transit line to Port Moody was actually considered in 1987?

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Canada Line had to be finished & running before the Olympics (even though Gordo et.al. always insisted that building the RAV / Canada Line had nothing to do with the Olympics - ditto the Sea to Sky upgrades and the new Convention Centre). If PoCo or Coquitlam was an official Olympic City with some event sites, no doubt Evergreen would have been built in time for the Olympics too.

Since there isn't a hard & fast deadline for Evergreen to be running, its completion has always been 'about five years from now'

Originally Posted by queetz@home

Two years??? Try 23 years when the line was first proposed when Vander Zalm was still premier!

Can't complain about the "progress". Though its interesting that "Early Works" includes the CP track relocation. I'm always curious how that will take place given what was shown in the renderings of PoMo and Ioco stations.

Kinda scary that Kevin Falcon is running for leadership...dunno what I'm more worried about...his scrappy style may kill the project yet again due to a potential disagreement with the mayors (note it was Raymond Louie, not Kevin Falcon, that saved Canada Line), or his scrappy style in other aspects of the provincial government will ensure a BC NDP victory in 2013 (though his best friend right now seems to be Carol James). I must say...Go Clark go??

I've always believed that "where there's the will, there's a way."
If Canada Line was able to be pushed through on time - and ahead of schedule to boot - why can't they get on with building the Evergreen Line?

Additionally, think of of all the time and money that reports, consultations, reviews, studies, reviews of the studies, bla bla have cost.

The plans are in place. The engineering studies have been done. Why oh why can't they "just do it??" Is it ONLY the financing that's holding them back? If so, that's a valid reason.
IF NOT, then they're just a bunch of pathetic airheads.

Excuse me.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by golog

A rapid rail transit line to Port Moody was actually considered in 1987?

guildford in coquitlam - the street - was designed in the 80s with the idea of skytrain or something - thats why its been built as it is separated by a grass boulevard which was intended to be where the tracks would go - elevated or not i am not sure - when the idea finally came back stronger and they were looking at routes the people along guildford poopooed the idea of using it and the route we see now was chosen even though it was designed for the skytrain or whatever it was gonna be

so yes rapid transit line was considered in 1987

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I've always believed that "where there's the will, there's a way."
If Canada Line was able to be pushed through on time - and ahead of schedule to boot - why can't they get on with building the Evergreen Line?

Additionally, think of of all the time and money that reports, consultations, reviews, studies, reviews of the studies, bla bla have cost.

The plans are in place. The engineering studies have been done. Why oh why can't they "just do it??" Is it ONLY the financing that's holding them back? If so, that's a valid reason.
IF NOT, then they're just a bunch of pathetic airheads.

Excuse me.

probably because there is no urgent need - the area isn't that populated and is well served by the west coast express and bus connections to the m line from coq centre already

its been designated as a "growth" area and has many many years to acheive that at least 2 decades before it gets to where they expect it to be

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

probably because there is no urgent need - the area isn't that populated and is well served by the west coast express and bus connections to the m line from coq centre already

its been designated as a "growth" area and has many many years to acheive that at least 2 decades before it gets to where they expect it to be

Good point, SpongeG; in that case, where do you think the emphasis for extending the Skytrain should go next? I mean, what is your priority? (for me it would be getting it built to UBC, but that's a billion dollar baby, to say the least, and people are always quibbling over it)

[SpongeG]

as a coquitlam resident i would say use the money to extend the m line to arbutus first than think about the evergreen - i would even put a surrey extension before the evergreen line

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

probably because there is no urgent need - the area isn't that populated and is well served by the west coast express and bus connections to the m line from coq centre already

its been designated as a "growth" area and has many many years to acheive that at least 2 decades before it gets to where they expect it to be

My brother still lives in Coquitlam and when he is unavailable to take my sister in law to BCIT, she takes transit as she cannot drive (but will when she gets her license). It takes her two hours by bus, then Millenium Line, then bus again from Coquitlam Centre to BCIT (there is such a thing as wait times, traffic, etc). I hardly call that "well served" and note that Westcoast Express don't exactly travel outside the peak hours and only goes to downtown.

Nevermind that the intent of Evergreen is to actually get people out of cars and into transit since examples such as I mentioned above is simply unacceptable for most peeps but whatever, I'm sure you'll get your wish. I was thinking...if Kevin Falcon becomes Premier, he will use the squabbling with the mayors with the property tax as an excuse to cancel Evergreen yet again (do you really think he will allow the Vehicle Levy to pass when it will hurt his jurisdiction the most?). Then you will see Skytrain extended in Surrey and Langley (with a branch line to Cloverdale) for sure, as well as UBC since the area there is the BC Liberal power base. By the time we have colonies in Mars with Coquitlam choking in overpopulation, only then will Evergreen be built...and only after Canada Line is re-done to make it more high capacity. Sounds like Evergreen Line is really no diffferent than science fiction, maybe we won't even need it cuz by the time there is population to justify it, we'd have transporters...

[SpongeG]

evergreen isn't going make the trip any much quicker - its only good if u live walking distance to coquitlam centre or douglas college - its not like the bus service to most of coquitlam will get any better its not gonna change

if you live on blue mountain aka old coquitlam or westwood plateau the bus service sucks now and will suck than

the B-line is pretty fast i've used it and it's not that bad and it is quite frequent

my point is the bline that runs the route that the e-line will travel does a good job now and can handle the areas population fine

[queetz@home]

Like many immigrants (which is something Coquitlam will continue to have en masse), they live in Westwood Plateau. I tried the B-Line one time....talk about time sink! The 147 that I used to take back in my SFU days were much faster! Using my sister in law as an example, it would have taken her 45 minutes at most with Evergreen since it would eliminate bus transfers and waiting periods (the only bus she would take is in Willingdon, which is at least 15 minutes based on my own experience back in my Creo days). But even her journey, she was taking 169 to Braid, which is suppose to be faster than the B-Line.

Have you heard of park and rides? PoCo residents and beyond would use that, you know, as well as those people in Westwood and Blue Mountain. Hell, if New West wasn't such a b*tch, that vacant lot beside Braid which has had that Bentall for lease sign since even before Millenium Line was open could be a park and ride. And I believe not only is there an existing Park and Ride in Coquitlam Central station, they also propose one in Douglas which would serve Westwood.

[SpongeG]

we don't build park n rides

i live within walking distance of lougheed station so i am lucky and whenever there is a game or event downtown the mall parking lot fills up despite the fact that mall is shut

just build a damn park n ride soemwhere in the area already

i don't see how you get the 45 minute ride time

its supposed to take 25 mins from douglas to lougheed and than you have transfer to the other platform based on the plans i have seen plus whatever bus someone needs to take from westwood plateau which are not good at all a joke if you wanna call what they get for service

the bline usually takes 30-35 mins thats not bad at all

[SpongeG]

i'm not saying it should never be built just take what money we have for it now and use it to extend the m line to at least cambie to make that transfer to the canada line make the m-line viable

and than get evergreen going in 10 years when we have more population

i just think the money is better spent doing that at the moment

[nname]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

evergreen isn't going make the trip any much quicker - its only good if u live walking distance to coquitlam centre or douglas college - its not like the bus service to most of coquitlam will get any better its not gonna change

Even the bus service is unchanged, you save a transfer to skytrain.

Originally Posted by SpongeG

if you live on blue mountain aka old coquitlam or westwood plateau the bus service sucks now and will suck than

You'd expect bus service to increase alongside with SkyTrain.

Right now, they really want to increase service to some CS routes, but the new buses will generally be useless because the bus/WCE runs on a 30min interval and it doesn't really connect to anything. Instead of using conventional bus, the C28, C30 can run every 10 and 15min during peak.

And Evergreen Line also create new connections. Right now on Como Lake, you can only take the 156 to SkyTrain. After Evergreen Line, the 143 connects as well. So that turns a connection every 30min to every 8min (peak) and 15min (off-peak) without any addition of service.

Originally Posted by SpongeG

the B-line is pretty fast i've used it and it's not that bad and it is quite frequent

35min from Coquitlam Station to Lougheed and you call it fast? You can almost go from Surrey Central to Downtown in 35min!

Originally Posted by SpongeG

my point is the bline that runs the route that the e-line will travel does a good job now and can handle the areas population fine

If you ask people in the Coquitlam Central, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, and Maple Ridge, probably most would disagree with you.