Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[Caliplanner1]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Oh lovely - two parties are for light rail in Surrey. The only good thing about it I saw in the article was: "Electrically powered trains on three arterials would serve up to 7,500 riders per direction per hour, travelling down the centre of King George Boulevard, 104 Avenue and Fraser Highway in their own dedicated lanes at speeds similar to vehicle traffic." Whether or not that means they're going to physically separate the lanes with barriers...?

As an American I'm not sure if I'm getting this (electioneering posture) right but are the three main political leaders ignoring the UBC subway proposal?????

[Kisai]

Originally Posted by Caliplanner1

As an American I'm not sure if I'm getting this (electioneering posture) right but are the three main political leaders ignoring the UBC subway proposal?????

They aren't. It's just promising the same 1/3rd money already committed. None of them are promising to fund operating costs.

Like I really expect at this point that it's not going to happen because no single party will form the government, and the money will expire because the cities still won't come up with their 1/3rd.

Surrey is insane if they think any Federal Government is going to pay 2/3rds of their light rail project and the on-going operational cost with the poor business case.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by st7860

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/tories+promise+funds+surrey+light+rail/11395609/story.html
"The Conservatives are expected to announce Monday a pledge of major federal help for the $2.1-billion Surrey light rapid transit proposal.

Originally Posted by Sheba

Oh lovely - two parties are for light rail in Surrey. The only good thing about it I saw in the article was: "Electrically powered trains on three arterials would serve up to 7,500 riders per direction per hour, travelling down the centre of King George Boulevard, 104 Avenue and Fraser Highway in their own dedicated lanes at speeds similar to vehicle traffic." Whether or not that means they're going to physically separate the lanes with barriers...?

Uh-oh ..... "crunch, crash, smash" ... Houston here we come.

[officedweller]

However, during the press conference Moore also noted that the Conservative government’s promised funding is not dependent on using light rail technology. A business case for LRT over an extension of the existing SkyTrain system has not been made.

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/09/stephen-harper-promises-700-million-for-surrey-light-rail/

[WarrenC12]

Oh the re-announcement game...

[Mac Write]

Were is the $14B transit expansion promised in 2008?

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

Anyone know what's going on with the large fenced off area at the southern foot of the Cambie bridge? It covers almost half the parking lot behind Olympic village station and crosses over both unused rail lines to Commodore road in false creek, the temporary blue fences are oddly placed over a large area. I noticed them on Saturday

Soil remediation work. There are signs up on the fencing now.

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

Were is the $14B transit expansion promised in 2008?

It died with Gordon Campbell's Premiership

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by bluefox

Soil remediation work. There are signs up on the fencing now.

Makes sense considering the location. I wonder what used to be there decades ago. I thought that area was completely dug up during Canada line construction. I'm also hoping they build something on that parking lot behind the station. Some kinda badass cool piece of architecture would be perfect for there as its such an open area.

[Kisai]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

It died with Gordon Campbell's Premiership

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-co...ils-14b-transit-upgrade-for-b-c-1.728772

2008

A key part of the plan is $10.3 billion in funding to expand the Metro Vancouver rapid transit system. That cash will go toward a new Evergreen Line to the Tri-cities area, a new UBC Line, and upgrades to the Expo Line and the Canada Line.

I think that was the Province making that 1/3rd funding commitment then plus all the station upgrades.

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

Makes sense considering the location. I wonder what used to be there decades ago. I thought that area was completely dug up during Canada line construction. I'm also hoping they build something on that parking lot behind the station. Some kinda badass cool piece of architecture would be perfect for there as its such an open area.

Archival images show that that area was mixed industrial until the early 70's when it was redeveloped.


Image courtesy of The Windsor Star

Heck, all of false Creek was pretty industrial until the early 80's when they began preparing for Expo 86. I'm sure some of that digging during the Canada Line was for removal and treatment of contaminated soil that wasn't taken care of 40 years ago.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Caliplanner1

As an American I'm not sure if I'm getting this (electioneering posture) right but are the three main political leaders ignoring the UBC subway proposal?????

They are making promises they won't have to keep (and already made).

Surrey and Langley destroyed the transit funding referendum, when a huge portion of the money would have been spent there. Surrey in no way has the cash on hand (or borrowing leverage) to come up with their own 1/3 of the funding. So there is no money, and voters here don't want raised taxes. Even the provincial NDP stays out of the funding game (maybe they will run a campaign on funding 2/3 of the line in the next election, but I doubt it).

So it won't be built.

On the flip side, Vancouver voters almost approved the tax levy. The city also has the kind of leverage to come up with a lot of funding on their own if they want. Many other cities are also on board with extending the line as it benefits their residents who live in their cities but work in Vancouver (so it would probably be an easier pass through the Translink board than Surrey, for almost the same kind of money).

So Broadway subway might actually happen.

I guess it is easier to make promises you will never have to keep vs making promises that might come back and bite you.

However,

The parties could also be saving these bigger promises for closer to the voting day. You know, leave a good impression going into the voting booth. We are not used to these long elections and maybe the parties are trying to pace themselves.

I would actually like it if the Liberals (who are promising a lot of infrastructure and transit spending to stimulate the economy) came out and said the Broadway subway was a priority for Canada, and funded at least 50% of it.

The conservatives are putting up a lot of money in Calgary for the green line. I think the Liberals should do the same here (for something that is even more important IMO, sorry Calgary).

[Reecemartin]

What do you guys think the prospects are for the Surrey LRT? When do you think construction might start when do you think we might get more information? The same for the Broadway subway I'm curious when your predictions are that announcements will be in and construction will start I'm aware that funding doesn't even exist yet .

[nname]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

Surrey and Langley destroyed the transit funding referendum, when a huge portion of the money would have been spent there. Surrey in no way has the cash on hand (or borrowing leverage) to come up with their own 1/3 of the funding. So there is no money, and voters here don't want raised taxes. Even the provincial NDP stays out of the funding game (maybe they will run a campaign on funding 2/3 of the line in the next election, but I doubt it).

So it won't be built.

On the flip side, Vancouver voters almost approved the tax levy. The city also has the kind of leverage to come up with a lot of funding on their own if they want. Many other cities are also on board with extending the line as it benefits their residents who live in their cities but work in Vancouver (so it would probably be an easier pass through the Translink board than Surrey, for almost the same kind of money).

So Broadway subway might actually happen.

Maybe Vancouver could do what the City of Seattle did last year. The county-wide referendum for transit funding failed due to the majority of NO-votes in the suburbs, so the city decided to vote again and passed, with the tax collected only within the city and benefiting only routes serving the city.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by nname

Maybe Vancouver could do what the City of Seattle did last year. The county-wide referendum for transit funding failed due to the majority of NO-votes in the suburbs, so the city decided to vote again and passed, with the tax collected only within the city and benefiting only routes serving the city.

That would be EXCELLENT. But the chances of that happening with translink being the hegemony it currently is...

[st7860]

Originally Posted by nname

Maybe Vancouver could do what the City of Seattle did last year. The county-wide referendum for transit funding failed due to the majority of NO-votes in the suburbs, so the city decided to vote again and passed, with the tax collected only within the city and benefiting only routes serving the city.

Sudden outbreak of common sense . A great idea ! Keep the tax for the Broadway subway, improving busy trolley routes, and restoring the 26 27 29 to something more than every 20 minutes in the daytime

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by st7860

Sudden outbreak of common sense . A great idea ! Keep the tax for the Broadway subway, improving busy trolley routes, and restoring the 26 27 29 to something more than every 20 minutes in the daytime

So the ad-fare that you pay crossing from zone 2 into zone 1 would go back into Vancouver coffers to help pay for this right?

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

What do you guys think the prospects are for the Surrey LRT? When do you think construction might start when do you think we might get more information? The same for the Broadway subway I'm curious when your predictions are that announcements will be in and construction will start I'm aware that funding doesn't even exist yet .

Realistically speaking, I don't think we will see construction of the LRT network until 2025 at the earliest. That would be phase I.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

What do you guys think the prospects are for the Surrey LRT? When do you think construction might start when do you think we might get more information? The same for the Broadway subway I'm curious when your predictions are that announcements will be in and construction will start I'm aware that funding doesn't even exist yet .

Come join us in the Surrey rapid transit thread for the ongoing, raging debate about Surrey LRT:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=162194

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

So the ad-fare that you pay crossing from zone 2 into zone 1 would go back into Vancouver coffers to help pay for this right?

Well, what I think is what if Vancouver acted like the private partner in a PPP?

So, Vancouver finds a way to come up with funding the line. Like a development levy on properties near the Broadway Corridor (they already have DCL districts, just add a new large one for Broadway subway). They could use that to secure a loan. Then they finance part of the Broadway line and become the private operator. Then Translink pays the city of Vancouver a portion of the fare for riders on the line, like they do to ProTrans on the Canada Line.