Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[Dengler Avenue]

Here's the thing, though: 403 used to be part of FTN.
Perhaps they're increasing its frequency again because there are actually more people (or more bus users) in Richmond now.
I remember seeing a lot of people getting off the 407 at RC on one summer day in 2015 and being really surprised.

[Reecemartin]

indeed off peak service in Metro Vancouver is pretty poor. Just thank yourself you aren't in one of the numerous areas of Langley and Surrey that only receive hourly service. Can't help but think the reason ridership in MO and TO is so high is the extremely good service even in the off peak.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

indeed off peak service in Metro Vancouver is pretty poor. Just thank yourself you aren't in one of the numerous areas of Langley and Surrey that only receive hourly service. Can't help but think the reason ridership in MO and TO is so high is the extremely good service even in the off peak.

It's worse in Maple Ridge where shuttles come every 2 hours.

IIRC though frequency on C45/C46 has been improved, so the only bi-hourly service now is C48/C49 just because 272nd Street (Maple Ridge) has barely anything on it (and possibly C41 on weekends?).

[logicbomb]

Very disappointed to see Richmond narrowing and severing the old CP ROW to Cambie Rd. One development will be putting a road on it. Would have been great to preserve the old line to connect a future LRT line to Steveston via the old Railway Ave ROW.Or... at least a cycling trail.

[stump]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Very disappointed to see Richmond narrowing and severing the old CP ROW to Cambie Rd. One development will be putting a road on it. Would have been great to preserve the old line to connect a future LRT line to Steveston via the old Railway Ave ROW.Or... at least a cycling trail.

We need that arterial road in that area because the City of Richmond is getting rid of River Road from No 2 Road to Bridgeport to build condos up to the 🞵🞵🞵🞵.

There already is a cycling trail North-South from the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 down to Moncton which follows the old railway line. Additionally people can cycle on the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 so I don't know why they would need an additional cycling trail like half a block over in the area you are talking about.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Very disappointed to see Richmond narrowing and severing the old CP ROW to Cambie Rd. One development will be putting a road on it. Would have been great to preserve the old line to connect a future LRT line to Steveston via the old Railway Ave ROW.Or... at least a cycling trail.

To be fair, the train routes are mostly for the industrial zones and completely out of the way for most of Richmond. I'm guessing that any light rail to Steveston would branch off the Arbutus Line and continue down Garden City/Granville, then Railway.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

To be fair, the train routes are mostly for the industrial zones and completely out of the way for most of Richmond. I'm guessing that any light rail to Steveston would branch off the Arbutus Line and continue down Garden City/Granville, then Railway.

To be honest, and inb4 "The Canada line was never meant to be extended because it's oBvIoUsLy single tracked at the Richmond terminus", they should either extend the Canada line down No.3 and maybe have a frequent bus or a B-line between Steveston and Riverport, with connections to the future Steveston highway-99 interchange bus station, or have it go down No.3, turn left on Granville, Railway, and stop at a future Steveston interchange.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Nah, Steveston isn't exactly a regional centre; save the Canada for Riverport/Ladner (eventually).

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Very disappointed to see Richmond narrowing and severing the old CP ROW to Cambie Rd. One development will be putting a road on it. Would have been great to preserve the old line to connect a future LRT line to Steveston via the old Railway Ave ROW.Or... at least a cycling trail.

that old ROW was already useless when they built the recycling depot over it and zoned a bunch of apartments between Lynas Lane and No 2 Road, like 20 years ago.



And regarding about the extending Canada Line, we've been over this. It aint' happening. Yes, the single track at Brighouse already makes this highly impractical. Even if we were to disregard this very obvious fact, there isn't enough population to justify extension in the first place because it's mostly low density residential zones and some ALR.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

To be fair, the train routes are mostly for the industrial zones and completely out of the way for most of Richmond. I'm guessing that any light rail to Steveston would branch off the Arbutus Line and continue down Garden City/Granville, then Railway.

That's right - I had always heard that an LRT, etc. would travel down Granville Ave. then the Railway RoW.

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

To be honest, and inb4 "The Canada line was never meant to be extended because it's oBvIoUsLy single tracked at the Richmond terminus", they should either extend the Canada line down No.3 and maybe have a frequent bus or a B-line between Steveston and Riverport, with connections to the future Steveston highway-99 interchange bus station, or have it go down No.3, turn left on Granville, Railway, and stop at a future Steveston interchange.

One the of the requirements was that it be capable of being extended southwards.
Now that doesn't require a 2-track guideway.
Remember when there were plans for the No. 3 Rd. guideway to be single tracked for a segment near Capstan, then return to being 2-track south of there? It was eventually rejected because of the impact on train operations - but it was seriously considered.

So if the guideway is extended south of Brighouse Station, I would expect poorer frequencies on that segment, simply due to the intervening single track section (if it is not replaced).

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by officedweller

So if the guideway is extended south of Brighouse Station, I would expect poorer frequencies on that segment, simply due to the intervening single track section (if it is not replaced).

I think it would make sense to rebuild Brighouse with double track and island platform with a concourse between the street entrance and platform level with a walkway direct to Richmond centre, temporarily reroute all busses to Lansdowne, maybe put in a temporary busloop in the parking lot during reconstruction.

My reasoning for this is because all other skytrain termini are double-tracked, and also it would allow for increased service to become more viable and will make future extensions/branching more practical.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

not this 🞵🞵🞵🞵 about the Canada-Line again. ugh.

with regards to the LRT/Interurban in Richmond, the old railway RoW where river road is being moved is useless for that. was all industrial as that was the freight railway. the old interurban used to run over the Arbutus Railway Bridge, down Garden City, onto Granville, onto Railway down to Steveston. that is why Garden City/Granville and Railway/Granville intersections are curved like that. they never bother to fix them when the tracks were removed. same reason Garden City and Granville have wide medians and why Railway has a huge walk/biking trial next to it.

that route would serve Richmond much better.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I think it would make sense to rebuild Brighouse with double track and island platform with a concourse between the street entrance and platform level with a walkway direct to Richmond centre, temporarily reroute all busses to Lansdowne, maybe put in a temporary busloop in the parking lot during reconstruction.

My reasoning for this is because all other skytrain termini are double-tracked, and also it would allow for increased service to become more viable and will make future extensions/branching more practical.

Agreed, I'm just saying it's not out of the realm of possibilities, esp. given the limited population base in south Richmond.

[Reecemartin]

There are so many other lines that need to happen before any extension in Richmond. And if anywhere is deserving of less permanent infra and a BRT it's Richmond which will be totally inundated in a major earthquake.

[CanSpice]

TransLink just sent out a survey gathering opinions about public washrooms. It's about time we actually get washrooms at SkyTrain stations, at the very least.

[Zassk]

Enough about the single-tracking at Brighouse. Any meaningful extension of the Canada line would cost $1 billion plus, and that price would include say $100 million to replace the 800 meters of single-track guideway with double-track.

Anyway, there's no way the line would be extended. You think extending the Expo Line across the greenbelt to Langley (almost doubling the length of Expo in the process) is hard to justify? The greenbelt is even wider at Ladner and includes a super-wide river. And there's no destination in Ladner worth this level of service.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by Zassk

Anyway, there's no way the line would be extended. You think extending the Expo Line across the greenbelt to Langley (almost doubling the length of Expo in the process) is hard to justify? The greenbelt is even wider at Ladner and includes a super-wide river. And there's no destination in Ladner worth this level of service.

...yet. Not yet.

Start with a B-line as a way to study the corridor and build ridership and spur development.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

...yet. Not yet.

Start with a B-line as a way to study the corridor and build ridership and spur development.

Development is Ladner is practically a no-go. We might be able to have this conversation again in 25 years and I doubt it would be a priority then.

[Migrant_Coconut]

They ARE moving a casino to the 17A interchange. Not going to be much by itself, yes, but the point is that a lot can happen in 25 years or more.

The problem with SkyTrain to Delta is more to do with how even White Rock and Maple Ridge are higher up on the wishlist.

[Reecemartin]

A much bigger concern will be the Expo Lines capacity, if Surrey Central becomes as significant as some here expect it to.