Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I should've been more clear, I mean specifically the part between VCC-Clark and Lougheed. From what I understand now it was just to connect Coquitlam to Vancouver?

In a way you are correct. While one of the purposes of the line is to connect the upcoming evergreen line. It was also built to help take some of the burden off the older expo line.

The section between columbia and waterfront on the expo line. Would be unable to handle hte number of trains that will be required from surrey if the trains from coquitlam were forced to from lougheed to columbia and then onto waterfront. The system would of be saturated.

So the millenium line was built between lougheed and vcc-clark to have the trains from coquitlam not use the expo line.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by cabotp

In a way you are correct. While one of the purposes of the line is to connect the upcoming evergreen line. It was also built to help take some of the burden off the older expo line.

The section between columbia and waterfront on the expo line. Would be unable to handle hte number of trains that will be required from surrey if the trains from coquitlam were forced to from lougheed to columbia and then onto waterfront. The system would of be saturated.

So the millenium line was built between lougheed and vcc-clark to have the trains from coquitlam not use the expo line.

Yeah, that makes sense, thanks a lot. It's too bad there isn't an actual arterial street that goes across northern Burnaby for a more urban transit line.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I should've been more clear, I mean specifically the part between VCC-Clark and Lougheed. From what I understand now it was just to connect Coquitlam to Vancouver?

Oops. I misread 'why' as 'when'.

[GMasterAres]

The biggest issue with the Millenium line is that it was supposed to go part and parcel with Evergreen. Evergreen had the feet dragged on for over a decade though and the majority of that stretch is not really going to be hugely built up. Burnaby is focusing nearly all efforts on Brentwood and Metrotown.

Lougheed has some density but that's from 20+ years ago and there really weren't any plans to do anything else until Evergreen got the official go ahead. The only reason you've seen more projects and hype around Lougheed is because of Evergreen.

The rest of the stretch between points is largely low density industrial. When Evergreen is complete it will make more sense as a line imo. I still think it was a good idea to build the line even with the lower ridership numbers because it is accommodating for the future and it has sparked a focus on Brentwood which I don't think would have had anywhere the drive it does these days had it not received access to Millenium line.

[Millennium2002]

$50 million surplus... mmm... and yet less ridership than last year. Most of it is also due to fare increases...

Q: If TransLink gets a surplus, how are the extra funds then distributed? Are there public consultations on such, or is it decided by the board?

My wishlist would be to see these funds redirected towards accelerated fleet replacement (buses), fleet refurbishment/replacement (SkyTrain), and also increased SkyTrain track maintenance. Why? Because TransLink often gets into a storm when buses or SkyTrain breaks down, and that's just bad for publicity.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Would anybody mind telling me why the Milennium Line was built? I was very young and had just move to Canada when it was completed. Looking at it now it just seems like a really stupid place to put a rapid transit line, and the ridership reflects that.

The 1996 Livable Region Strategic Plan set out the rapid transit corrdiors for the region:


http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=68iysms&s=1

The Millennium Line was a part of the "T-Line" connecting New West, Burnaby and Coquitlam - the Evergreen Line being one leg.

Before the 1996 LRSP, plans such as these (serving Coquitlam via a branch off the Expo Line) were proposed by the "then in control" BC Transit. They eventually decided that the additional capacity offered by a separate line was better.

Originally Posted by officedweller

++++++++++++

Guess its time to haul out the old Province newspaper articles again - dating from 1990. So remember that these
PREDATE Translink, the LRSP, the Westcoast Express and the M-Line.

[xd_1771]

Check this out. Here's Advanta's page on the design process they did for the next generation of INNOVIA Metro (SkyTrain) vehicles

http://advantadesign.com/64-bombardier-page/bombardier-acticle/112-innovia-300-for-bombardier.html

[TransitJack]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

Check this out. Here's Advanta's page on the design process they did for the next generation of INNOVIA Metro (SkyTrain) vehicles

http://advantadesign.com/64-bombardier-page/bombardier-acticle/112-innovia-300-for-bombardier.html

Nice find!

[officedweller]

Agreed! Nice find!

[gillty]

Looks like Brentwood Station will be getting a new elevator, I'm assuming this will be for the south street level access, should be a welcome improvement for those affected by the new 123 and 25 bay configuration.

Coun. Pietro Calendino said construction naturally causes inconvenience but noted there will be benefits to transit users. The distance to the SkyTrain station from new bus stops will be shorter than those for the bus loop. And the developer is giving money to TransLink to build a new elevator to the station to improve access for people with disabilities.

http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/news/255660501.html

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

Check this out. Here's Advanta's page on the design process they did for the next generation of INNOVIA Metro (SkyTrain) vehicles

http://advantadesign.com/64-bombardier-page/bombardier-acticle/112-innovia-300-for-bombardier.html

Is it too late to get the noses of the new four-car Mk.III sets changed to this design?
Would be nice to have the new four-car sets with a distinct look from the older two-car sets - different and 'more whoooosh' even standing still.

[SFUVancouver]

^ My recollection is that the order for 28 cars for the Evergreen Line system expansion is for the Mk3 model and that they would likely be configured into 4-car trains for a total of 7 4-car Mk3 trains. I can't source that, but I've been walking around with that in mind after having read it somewhere. The 4-car trains would run exclusively on the Expo Line 'mainline' and I would expect that the Evergreen Line would likely receive a mixed fleet of Mk1 and Mk2s, just the like the Expo and Millennium lines.

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Is it too late to get the noses of the new four-car Mk.III sets changed to this design?
Would be nice to have the new four-car sets with a distinct look from the older two-car sets - different and 'more whoooosh' even standing still.

This is the design.

@SFUVancouver: The Evergreen Line Project Team themselves confirmed that on Facebook.

[Gordon]

What will the capacity of Mark 3 trans be?

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by Gordon

What will the capacity of Mark 3 trans be?

Probably slightly more than the current Mk. II revised set. As far as we know they'll keep the same 2 by 1 seating, but gaining some standing room replacing the coupling between the trainsets with open space.

[xd_1771]

If any of the concepts are correct, there will be a revised seating plan with a new mix of front/rear-facing and side-facing seating which may allow for more capacity - plus there will be wider walkways between train cars, and one more walkway than usual (4-car train)

[Gordon]

will the mark3s be 4 cars be 2 married pairs or 1 articulated 4 car unit?

[officedweller]

We're expecting a full 4-car articulated train for the MKIII - but we're wondering about a maintenance facility that it can fit into.
When oornto got its articulated Rocket trains, it had to uild a new maintenace facility.

[logan5]

What are the lengths of these trains? I presume these 4 car sets can be configured to accept another car to increase capacity down the road.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by logan5

What are the lengths of these trains? I presume these 4 car sets can be configured to accept another car to increase capacity down the road.

The current Expo and Millennium platforms are a minimum of 250 Ft (80 M), so they are limited to 6-car Mk.I (A-B married pairs in A-B + A-B + A-B configuration) or 4-car Mk.II / Mk.III (A-B married pairs in A-B + A-B configuration) trains.

The new 4-car Mk.III train sets (in A-C-C-B configuration) might have room on the platforms to allow for a 5th middle car to be added in the future (in A-C-C-C-B configuration), but until then the new 4-car Mk.III set will be slightly shorter than 2 Mk.II sets joined together.

It is suspected that a 5-car Mk.III train set would have its first and last doors right at the platform ends (with the front and back ends of the train beyond the ends of the platform), which may disturb some people.

There are plans to have all Expo and Millennium platforms extended to 100 metres to accommodate longer trains in the future, so 5- and 6- car Mk.III trains may appear only after all the platform extensions are done.