Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[Mac Write]

is some of the $370M going to get us more rolling stock (aka at bare min another 7 4-car Mark III transets and 40 more rotten cars for the Canada line, and maybe even a 3rd new sea bus?

[Stingray2004]

Right off the bat... I agree with everyone here that the Broadway subway line should have been built yesterday.

But here, today, living in the real world, things are more complicated than that. For example, the Broadway subway line is not "shovel ready" by any means. Just a couple of reasons:

1. While the line has had various "studies" undertaken thereto... that's it. No funds have been committed, to date, for the important FEED (front-end engineering and design). That, unto itself, requires a major capital outlay and will also pin down a capex figure for the project;

2. No application has been made to the BCEAO. At all. One needs BCEAO enviro certification before any construction can commence. As an example, just look at the Evergreen Line - BCEAO enviro application was commenced on March 15, 2006. Final BCEAO enviro certification was not received until February 3, 2011 - just under 5 years later!

Unfortunately, aside from the various 3 political jurisdictions involved, which always complicates matters, the foregoing FEED and regulatory requirements have not yet even begun. Or even been contemplated.

Again, these large projects (Broadway subway line/Surrey LRT) take years before shovels eventually hit the ground. Unfortunately.

[carlos_danger]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

is some of the $370M going to get us more rolling stock (aka at bare min another 7 4-car Mark III transets and 40 more rotten cars for the Canada line, and maybe even a 3rd new sea bus?

There are currently four seabuses in use but no operational budget to run more than two of them at once. Two of those vessels are old (1976) but are still regularly used as spares. They will need to be retired eventually, but in the interim higher frequencies could be achieved without a new build, as was done during the Olympics.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Stingray2004

...

2. No application has been made to the BCEAO. At all. .

Yeah, for Canada Line a reference alignment was submitted, then when the proponent was selected, the application was revised to reflect the actual project as proposed.

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yeah, for Canada Line a reference alignment was submitted, then when the proponent was selected, the application was revised to reflect the actual project as proposed.

In terms of the Canada Line, the BCEAO enviro assessment period was much shorter than the Evergreen Line - application filed February 22, 2003 with final enviro certification on June 7, 2005 - under 2 1/2 years.

So... if there's a will... there's a way. So to speak.

And news reports tonight indicate that any construction commencement on the Broadway line is at least until 2018 - "at the earliest".

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Looks like you're right - might be a good thing if LRT in Surrey is rethought:

http://www.cknw.com/2016/03/23/pm-says-m...cket-transit-projects-not-ready-to-roll/

http://www.cknw.com/2016/03/22/mayors-province-already-clashing-over-new-transit-funding-formula/

The whole "not ready to roll" thing kinda brings a sombre weight to the line in Surrey's LRT promotional video where there is a claim that the LRT project is "shovel ready", don't you think???

In any case, the real reason the LRT project is going to need a review was revealed just a few days ago: the cost has increased to $2.6b, something the city's representative blamed on land cost increases. It's no secret that an at-grade rail line on a street median is going to require a LOT of land acquisition...

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by carlos_danger

There are currently four seabuses in use but no operational budget to run more than two of them at once. Two of those vessels are old (1976) but are still regularly used as spares. They will need to be retired eventually, but in the interim higher frequencies could be achieved without a new build, as was done during the Olympics.

The major cost in running a third seabus is increasing the frequencies of all the north shore buses that are timed to meet it. A third seabus does little good if there are no buses to deliver people to it or pick up people disembarking from it.

[Kisai]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

The whole "not ready to roll" thing kinda brings a sombre weight to the line in Surrey's LRT promotional video where there is a claim that the LRT project is "shovel ready", don't you think???

In any case, the real reason the LRT project is going to need a review was revealed just a few days ago: the cost has increased to $2.6b, something the city's representative blamed on land cost increases. It's no secret that an at-grade rail line on a street median is going to require a LOT of land acquisition...

By the time that LRT gets built, if Surrey City Council keeps their heads in the sand about the poor business case for light rail, it's going to cost over 5 billion. Just from the rate of land acquisition prices and construction costs. Let's just hope that interest rates don't jump back to 1980's rates or nothing is getting built.

https://www.biv.com/article/2015/10/astonishing-land-prices-skew-surrey-real-estate-ma/

It is not uncommon for multi-family residential sites in South Surrey to sell for $2.5 million per acre, he said, up from $1.8 million to $2 million an acre just five months ago.

So 25% average every 5 months or so.

[officedweller]

I guess the artwork at the end of the Canada Line is rotating (like at the various stations).

The SkyDam replaces another art plinth project called Cluster.


SkyDam, created by artist Nathan Lee, is part of the Art Plinth exhibition, designed to bring some vibrancy
and art to the otherwise blank and bland end of the Canada Line’s concrete guideway.
http://www.richmond-news.com/news/beaver-dam-awaits-canada-line-passengers-at-brighouse-1.2217145

[officedweller]

Looks like the "future" Canada Line Station at 57th Ave will move ahead:

New SkyTrain station will be privately funded
by Jill Drews
Posted Mar 29, 2016 5:51 pm PDT

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There’s a rather unique feature included in one of the upcoming developments slated to transform South Vancouver. It will be the site of a new privately-funded Canada Line station.

This will be the first time a new SkyTrain station will be built in Vancouver with private funds as part of a condo development. The complex will be built on the old hospital site at Cambie and 57th. It includes a mix of market and social housing.

...

Meggs says there is a possibility for more new privately-funded stops in the future. “There are places where we’ve had SkyTrain stations put in and we haven’t seen the development that we’d like to see, so it’s good when it works the other way and the development actually pays for the SkyTrain station.”

Another possible location is Cambie and 33rd. Construction is expected to start in 2018.

http://www.news1130.com/2016/03/29/new-skytrain-station-will-be-privately-funded/

[Mac Write]

and the continuous construction of of Skytrain since 1998 continues.

M-Line after opening Lake City way opened a year or so later, then VCC Clark started construction, then the Canada Line. we seem to only get a year or 2 break at most between construction phases.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Looks like the "future" Canada Line Station at 57th Ave will move ahead:


http://www.news1130.com/2016/03/29/new-skytrain-station-will-be-privately-funded/

I really wish New Westminster council had had the foresight to require development fees in Victoria Hill so the Woodlands SkyTrain Station could have been built. Sadly, they weren't forward-thinking at the time.

[Express691]

http://m.translink.ca/Schedules/Transit%20Service%20Changes
April service chnges are now live.

[go_leafs_go02]

Transit Network Consultation Report is up:

http://www.translink.ca/tnc

Recommendation highlights

Create a B-Line along Hastings
Improve travel time and reliability along the 49
Implement a number of changes to provide new connections to the Evergreen Extension
Increase reliability and travel time for passengers travelling to and from ferry services
Introduce new service areas in South of Fraser on the 501 and 595
Improve the efficiency of NightBus services

[Kokkei Mizu]

Hey there. First time posting in the Vancouver subforum. Just travelled to Vancouver recently and loved it. I took footage of all of the open SkyTrain lines. (Too bad Evergreen wasn't open yet). Anyway, I have uploaded all of the Expo Line so far. Looking for some feedback

Here's a playlist that will play all videos automatically:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkL0xkcZrNxDOb5Y7jmwC3q3okm26bGOB

And here's the first video as a taste:
• Video Link

[finalcoolman]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

I really wish New Westminster council had had the foresight to require development fees in Victoria Hill so the Woodlands SkyTrain Station could have been built. Sadly, they weren't forward-thinking at the time.

Eww hell no. More stations is not a good thing. The travel times are already slow enough and I wish Lake City was never built.

[idunno]

Originally Posted by finalcoolman

Eww hell no. More stations is not a good thing. The travel times are already slow enough and I wish Lake City was never built.

Don't worry about it, the Canada Line was built to maintain its 25/26 minute end-to-end time, even with all of the additional 'future' stations put in. This is why it seems so slow right now (apparently).

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by Kokkei Mizu

Hey there. First time posting in the Vancouver subforum. Just travelled to Vancouver recently and loved it. I took footage of all of the open SkyTrain lines. (Too bad Evergreen wasn't open yet). Anyway, I have uploaded all of the Expo Line so far. Looking for some feedback

Here's a playlist that will play all videos automatically:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkL0xkcZrNxDOb5Y7jmwC3q3okm26bGOB

And here's the first video as a taste:
• Video Link

Welcome to the subforum! Thanks for posting the video.

[finalcoolman]

Originally Posted by idunno

Don't worry about it, the Canada Line was built to maintain its 25/26 minute end-to-end time, even with all of the additional 'future' stations put in. This is why it seems so slow right now (apparently).

Yes I know that but this is regarding the Millennium Line not the Canada Line.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by finalcoolman

Eww hell no. More stations is not a good thing. The travel times are already slow enough and I wish Lake City was never built.

Woodlands / Victoria Hill has a whole whack of townhouses and towers, with only one community shuttle route to service the entire thing. It's the ideal location for a SkyTrain station to help reduce the car-dependent nature of that neighbourhood, especially in New Westminster, and even more especially because of its proximity to the north end of the Pattullo Bridge and all the traffic associated with it.

I'm not asking for six more stops, I'm asking for one in a location that sorely needs better transit access. If it increases your commute by a minute or two, well, too bad.