Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Kisai

but you can get from the Airport to the Train station, something you can't do in Toronto. Likewise you can't get to the Airport in Montreal from the University by Subway either.

You can get to the airport from downtown Toronto now, for the princely sum of $27. What a joke.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by Kisai

That said... I'm not sure if the Gondola project is the right option right now. Wait to see how traffic adjusts after the Evergreen line opens and use that to consider more options. Most options are unsuitable for climbing grades, and those that are, either have environmental impacts or safety concerns that can't be resolved.

I wouldn't worry about the cabins falling. That's a completely different style of system, and it was in the commissioning and testing phase when that happened.

A SFU Gondola would likely have 2 carrier cables and 1 drive cable like the Whistler Peak-2-Peak gondola.

[SOSS]

Ah ha! I figured out a great funding model for the gondola. Build a for-profit zip-line that takes the desired route! How much fun would that be? And it gives people up top a new alternative to get off the mountain. if only...

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

How about the fact that their core competencies have pretty much nothing to do with designing and building transportation projects?

I'm not saying that they can't contribute, but I think that contribution should be in terms of funding, not management of the project.

To be clear, as a UBC alumnus, I think that it would be reasonable to sell off a portion of UBC's huge endowment to pay for the last few km of SkyTrain to UBC... perhaps a similar amount to what YVR ponied up. (And in my ideal world, the First Nation that is developing adjacent land would help pay for a 2nd station at the campus that would also serve their development.)

But the bottom line is that UBC's endowment is a public asset, and therefore, forcing UBC to spend part of their endowment on SkyTrain wouldn't really save the public money.

Is there really any difference between spending tax revenue on the last few km of SkyTrain to UBC, versus spending UBC's endowment on the last few km of SkyTrain to UBC?

[WarrenC12]

YVR also had the reasonable business model of being able to charge $5 for their portion of the line. Not possible with UBC.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

YVR also had the reasonable business model of being able to charge $5 for their portion of the line. Not possible with UBC.

The surcharge apparently goes to TransLink's operating costs, rather than YVR's capital contribution, but the distinction is noted.

Instead, you have UBC discounting their passengers' fares with U-Pass.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The surcharge apparently goes to TransLink's operating costs, rather than YVR's capital contribution, but the distinction is noted.

Instead, you have UBC discounting their passengers' fares with U-Pass.

Really? So Translink is having their cake ($400M from YVR) and eating it too ($5 per trip)?

Not that I care, it's still far cheaper than other major city airport trains.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Really? So Translink is having their cake ($400M from YVR) and eating it too ($5 per trip)?

Not that I care, it's still far cheaper than other major city airport trains.

It was $300 million from YVR and the use of that that money was restricted to paying for the cost of the line on Sea Island and ensuring that it complied with the airport master plan and its long-range aircraft movement system (eastern taxiway). Translink does take the $5 premium add-fare revenue; it does not go back to YVR.

http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/Canada-Line-YVR-AddFare.aspx

Who will collect revenue from the Canada Line YVR AddFare?

TransLink is responsible for setting and collecting all transit fares. Vancouver Airport Authority will not receive any portion of the revenue collected from the AddFare. The Airport Authority has paid for 100 per cent of the costs associated with all portions of the Canada Line on Sea Island including the three stations.

[officedweller]

$300M from YVR - to pay for the capital costs of building the YVR branch
$5.00 Addfare revenue - to help pay for the operating costs of maintaining YVR's required level of service on the YVR branch.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by officedweller

$300M from YVR - to pay for the capital costs of building the YVR branch
$5.00 Addfare revenue - to help pay for the operating costs of maintaining YVR's required level of service on the YVR branch.

Does anybody know how that breaks down? I would think this is a pretty sweet cash cow for Translink. The YVR spur is pretty busy, particularly later at night.

[nname]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Does anybody know how that breaks down? I would think this is a pretty sweet cash cow for Translink. The YVR spur is pretty busy, particularly later at night.

Keep in mind that TransLink has to repay the $720M worth of private sector contributions as part of the operating cost, which is currently ~$110M per year. The add-fare covers less than 20% of that.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by nname

Keep in mind that TransLink has to repay the $720M worth of private sector contributions as part of the operating cost, which is currently ~$110M per year. The add-fare covers less than 20% of that.

Ya, that's the way this P3 was structured, due to the whining and bickering and lack of Translink funding... /rant off.

But the perception is/was that YVR is ripping people off "because they can", much like the AIF. But the truth is, Translink is using this connection to YVR to ding people a bit extra. I'm not complaining, just getting to the truth.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Does anybody know how that breaks down? I would think this is a pretty sweet cash cow for Translink. The YVR spur is pretty busy, particularly later at night.

Translink pays InTransitBC an annual 'concessionaire payment' of about $23 million for 35 years to repay its investment in the line, then Translink pays the lines' operating costs to InTransitBC under a fixed price contract.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Does anybody know how that breaks down? I would think this is a pretty sweet cash cow for Translink. The YVR spur is pretty busy, particularly later at night.

I suspect most people riding that portion of the line are savvy enough to buy their faresavers somewhere other than the airport. You only need to pay the surcharge if you buy fares from the airport ticket machines.

[MIPS]

This month in history
May 1985

Installation of track nears completion. It is now possible to travel the line end to end however no trains are yet operating.
Construction at the OMC nears completion as trains continue to arrive from Ontario and installation of the VCC's is finalized. Construction is now 60-80% complete for most stations. Should construction remain on schedule, public demonstrations may be possible as early as next month. It is expected that the line will still enter full service on schedule just over seven months from now.


Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

Screengrab courtesy of Yaletown Productions

[quobobo]

^Awesome, thanks.

[xd_1771]

FIRST LOOK: Bombardier MARK III SKYTRAIN PROTOTYPE (Innovia Metro 300) was under construction at Bombardier's Kingston testing facility as of 2014.
Say hello to the next generation


Screenshot taken from Bombardier document http://www.bombardier.com/content/dam/We...Testing_Services_Brochure_2014_05_V1.pdf

[SFUVancouver]

^ Love it!

[xd_1771]

^ haha, gotta love the timing too with classic SkyTrains just 2 posts above for comparison

[MIPS]

We have indeed gone a long way since those first two prototypes in terms of style.


Image courtesy of Argenta Images


Image courtesy of Corbis Images

Moreso with the MKII.


Image courtesy of News 1130 (?)