Quote:
Originally Posted by allan_kuan
I don't think that covers enough territory though. Specifically it misses University Bvld, the main significant corridor into UBC. Note that the golf course to the north of the bvld. may eventually get redeveloped by the Musqueam FN for more housing, and also note that there's a significant commercial centre just to the east of the intersection with Westbrook Mall. At the moment all three alignments miss those two important areas.
In addition, I have strong doubts as to whether the university or the region will be willing to fund that deviation. If anything it'll only serve the interests of the university and its residents at a possible doubling or tripling of any theoretical length and costs for that segment.
A UBC circulatory streetcar, on the other hand, may be able to cover additional territory and provide better service at a much cheaper cost and would fit in nicely with UBC's generally large road right of ways. In addition it'd also be a good "test case" of the theories of UBC's urban planning department.
(This map is my creation, save for the underlying imagery, which comes from OpenStreetMap.) |
I think that would really help circulate students really well around the school. But I would put the stations at Westbrook and University (where your point grey station is), and a second station at West Mall and University (where your Vanier station is). The second one would be optional but it would pretty close to many residents, thus offering students a shorter walk home if they are coming into the school after being in the city at night (work, partying, whatever). It could be single tracked, and basically allow better loading and unloading at the more popular station University Station, and function as the turn around point for trains. But that's just an option. You are going to need a tail track off University station to turn trains around (University would be too busy for just one platform), so you could extend it a hundred meters and have a second station.
What I do think a lot of people are forgetting is what you said about the golf course. I believe it is first nations land, and when the lease is up, they want to redevelop it. So that is one of the main reasons for cut and cover, it allows them to add a station near the present golf course when it is redeveloped as a high density neighborhood, thus contributing to the ridership of the line. Be it student housing, rental apartments, leasehold condos or office space, that will be a busy station when the golf course is gone.
The other thing, concerning the 41st ave line, is that it would be better as LRT/streetcar. It is quite a busy bus, cuts through much of the city and Kerrisdale, but isn't a regional destination like Broadway/UBC. I don't think it would ever need to by Skytrain. And LRT at grade would function quite well on SW Marine Dr parkway hitting some pretty good speeds, and the local service on the rest of the route is what is needed most.
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