Millennium Line - Broadway Extension: Planning & Pre-Construction

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

And hope that the next government and/or city council won't order it to be filled in because it happened in Toronto.

what? did they actually fill in a tunnel that was prebuilt for transit? that cant be real...

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

It was posted three entries above your post, in plain sight.

I thought it'd be confusing because the Mayor's Council just endorsed the line, and before that, it was the council of Transportation, and so one would have thought it was just the council of Transportation vote...

Originally Posted by dleung

Agreed.

York University in Toronto is surrounded by industrial and greenfield, and has not one but TWO brand new subway stations at either end, each more palatial than even the Montreal metro stations... and the university chipped in nothing. Just let that sink in as we penny pinch and delay upgrades to the busiest bus corridor in North America...

The only reason I would expect the Federal and Provincial Government to chip in is for votes. Another $3 Billion, even for such a popular expansion, is a bit much to chew.

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

How long ago did we get approved funding for the Arbutus line? After how many years of planning. And yet we don't even have an RFP out to market for the actual line.

Remember Evergreen?

If the Arbutus line is running in 2025, and the UBC line is running in 2030, I'll be pleasantly surprised. I wish it was faster, but that's reality.

Edit: Check out when this thread started... 2007.

Wasn't Evergreen due to the Canada Line? (at least much of it)

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

And hope that the next government and/or city council won't order it to be filled in because it happened in Toronto.

wut

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by fredinno

Wasn't Evergreen due to the Canada Line? (at least much of it)

wut

Change from NDP to Liberals ended up in postponing Phase II of the M-Line (Broadway Extension and PMC (Evergreen) Extension. Liberals then changed priorities to RAV (Canada) Line, leaving the M-Line truncated for many years.

WRT Tornoto, one Provincial government approved an Eglinton West subway line in the 1990s. Excavation stated at Eglinton West subway station. New Provincial government came in and cancelled the project. The pit (not really a tunnel) had to be filled in.
Eglinton now has an LRT under construction which includes bored tunnel through central Eglinton (might be at grade at Eglinton West).

[SpongeG]

what if they could construct it all the way to UBC and add in the stations in the future if doing the tunnel all it once is more cost effective. so it could be used to get you to UBC. Fully developed to Arbutus worry about Arbutus to UBC in the future.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

what if they could construct it all the way to UBC and add in the stations in the future if doing the tunnel all it once is more cost effective. so it could be used to get you to UBC. Fully developed to Arbutus worry about Arbutus to UBC in the future.

Great idea. And it would probably save money in the long run, too. ... Plus it's original, what you suggest. I don't recall this concept being mentioned before, correct me if I'm wrong.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

what? did they actually fill in a tunnel that was prebuilt for transit? that cant be real...

Originally Posted by fredinno

I thought it'd be confusing because the Mayor's Council just endorsed the line, and before that, it was the council of Transportation, and so one would have thought it was just the council of Transportation vote...



The only reason I would expect the Federal and Provincial Government to chip in is for votes. Another $3 Billion, even for such a popular expansion, is a bit much to chew.



Wasn't Evergreen due to the Canada Line? (at least much of it)



wut

This was back at the turn of the century when Ontario PC got into power...

[misher]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Great idea. And it would probably save money in the long run, too. ... Plus it's original, what you suggest. I don't recall this concept being mentioned before, correct me if I'm wrong.

Likely they need exits, machinery, etc. at each station that are mandatory.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

what if they could construct it all the way to UBC and add in the stations in the future if doing the tunnel all it once is more cost effective. so it could be used to get you to UBC. Fully developed to Arbutus worry about Arbutus to UBC in the future.

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Great idea. And it would probably save money in the long run, too. ... Plus it's original, what you suggest. I don't recall this concept being mentioned before, correct me if I'm wrong.

Might not even have to go that far - a creative alignment could have the tunnel end at Alma or Blanca, which'll help the sales pitch.

[misher]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Might not even have to go that far - a creative alignment could have the tunnel end at Alma or Blanca, which'll help the sales pitch.

Couldn’t we stop it at the forest and have it go over land the rest of the way? Don’t necessarily need it to go below a forest.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

what? did they actually fill in a tunnel that was prebuilt for transit? that cant be real...

Why not? We've essentially done it twice. Once for the pedestrian tunnel under Beatty street servicing the Stadium Skytrain station, and again for the bus tunnel under Hastings beside the highway 1 tunnel. OK, that last one didn't actually get filled in, but it did get turned into a skateboard park...

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

what? did they actually fill in a tunnel that was prebuilt for transit? that cant be real...

Now, mind you it was filled with sand and gravel so that you did not need to re-excavate at a high cost later. but yes, They did do that. Ontario has a long running reputation for questionably poor transit decisions.

[svlt]

Does anyone here know what & when the next political/approval hurdle that needs to be cleared is for approval to UBC? Still fuzzy on the whole process map.

[officedweller]

Mayors' Council, I think.

[Feathered Friend]

The Vancouver City Council minutes containing the wording of the approved motion are up.

FINAL MOTION AS APPROVED

• A. THAT Council endorse a SkyTrain extension from Arbutus Street to UBC.
  
• B. THAT Council direct staff to work with partners to advance the design development including public consultation to determine station locations, vertical and horizontal alignment.
  
• C. THAT staff write a letter to the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation (“Mayors’ Council”) to inform them of Council’s support for the selection of SkyTrain and further design and consultation on alignment. Standing Committee of Council on Policy on Strategic Priorities Minutes, Wednesday, January 30, 2019 7
  
• D. THAT Council acknowledge that delivery of such extension would be subject to securing federal and provincial partner funding as well as funding contribution discussions with UBC and other potential funding partners.
  
• E. THAT staff report back to Council at key design development milestones.
  
• F. THAT Council direct staff to communicate to the public, on the City of Vancouver website and social media, that staff recommendations are to endorse technology and do not have any budget implications that require funding outside of the 2019 Budget.
  
• G. THAT Council continues to support other needed investments in the expansion of transit services, in the interest of a comprehensive regional approach, serving individual neighborhoods in Vancouver and throughout the region of Metro Vancouver.
  
• H. THAT staff are guided by principles of Equitable Transit-Oriented Development as an integral component of future Broadway-UBC subway planning and as part of a larger city-wide plan.
• FURTHER THAT staff engage with a broad cross-section of the public that reflect diverse communities; encourages the creation of housing options near transit, with priority given to affordability; and encourages convenient, safe, multi modal access to the transit system, with an emphasis on non-motorized access.
  
• I. THAT the form, type and density of development along the route will be determined collaboratively with residents through the city planning process.

https://council.vancouver.ca/20190130/documents/pspc20190130min.pdf

[SpongeG]

and then funding? which could take??

[misher]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

and then funding? which could take??

Forever, both Federal and Provincial are anticipating deficits. No extra money to go around. Tons of high priority projects that cannot wait. Plus Surrey is infront of the line for extra money.

This was solely a PR move unless they get UBC to foot most of the bill or suddenly raise money from somewhere else.

Remember that every level of government was relying on real estate sales & development and that industry is not doing too well so I doubt there going to be willing to go over what was planned. Plus delays for LNG and oil prices are down.

[officedweller]

There's positioning themselves (with a clear focus) for Federal money in advance of the election:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/b...r-vancouver-council-to-push-its-transit/

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by misher

This was solely a PR move unless they get UBC to foot most of the bill or suddenly raise money from somewhere else.

I think it's better described as a necessary step in a long process.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh supports UBC SkyTrain extension

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/jagmeet-singh-ubc-skytrain-extension

The proposed SkyTrain extension to the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus has the support of federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

In a recent sit-down interview with Daily Hive, Singh said the extension from the Millennium Line’s future Arbutus Street terminus to UBC “desperately” needs funding.

“There’s a lot of great work the university does, but people can’t get there and it’s harder and harder for students to have access to this institution… and this is exactly what the federal government should be doing; partnering with municipalities and provinces on infrastructure that would help unlock other infrastructure,” he said.

He went on to explain his thoughts on how housing and transportation are interconnected.

“[I] found the SkyTrain to be pretty cool, it’s a good way to get around and I’m lucky that I live not too far away from a station,” he said. “But I think it highlights that when we talk about housing as a crisis, we also have to talk about transit and getting around, because having people move an hour out of the city and having to commute by car is not a solution, nor is it sustainable.”

We all know he won't be PM, but if he makes it an election promise, it might make Trudeau or Scheer promise the same.

Originally Posted by officedweller

Mayors' Council, I think.

Retracted. Thanks CanSpice.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Mayors' Council voted Yes, though - just a few days before City Council.

They only voted to receive a report on the UBC extension, and have not yet voted on the UBC extension.