NEWS: Broadway – SkyTrain or RAV II?

Posted January 20th, 2010
in

By Think City Staff

With Cambie Street back to normal and the Canada Line running smoothly, city planners and politicians are now turning their heads to what's next for rapid transit in Vancouver. Cue the debate about the future of transit on the Broadway corridor.

While it has been policy for years to upgrade public transport along the Broadway corridor there is no agreement on what sort of system to use, and there is no money in sight. But there is information. Lots of information.

City council reviewed a report this week, providing the public with a wealth of data on the proposed line. However, there is a wider set of issues that deserve consideration - issues that some transportation experts believe will play an important role in what the final decision will likely be.

The area of discussion is the corridor along Broadway from the end of the Millennium Line at Clark Drive out to University of British Columbia (UBC). The busses along Broadway are almost always full, often leaving passengers at stops, carrying some 80,000 passengers a day - more than the Millennium Line presently carries. Broadway also has high pedestrian usage and is the main truck route for the area.

The corridor serves the two largest travel destinations in Metro Vancouver after downtown Vancouver – UBC and central Broadway (between Burrard and Main Streets). But unlike downtown Vancouver, people travelling to these areas are much more likely to use a car. People traveling from outside Vancouver use transit for 49 per cent of their journeys to the downtown, but only 27 per cent ride transit to UBC and only 21 per cent to central Broadway.

The report also provides an interesting glimpse of the different communities along Broadway. Overall the city has a density of 50 people per hectare.

All areas along the Broadway corridor have a higher density than Vancouver's average, though density varies - 61 people/hectare in West Point Grey (Blanca to Alma Streets), 117 people/hectare in Kitsilano (Alma to Burrard Streets), 126 people/hectare in Fairview and parts of Mount Pleasant (Burrard to Main Streets), and 108 in the eastern part of Mount Pleasant (Main St. to Clark Dr.). The biggest growth in population and jobs is expected in the Burrard to Main Streets area.

In terms of housing form, West Point Grey residents live mainly in detached houses while for the rest of the corridor, 75 per cent of people live in apartments. In fact, over 95 per cent of residents in Fairview live in apartments.

How people travel to work is also related to where they live along Broadway. Over 60 per cent of West Point Grey residents travel to work by car, compared to the rest of corridor where it is under 50 per cent.

The question facing planners and politicians is how best to move large numbers of people through this linear concentration of residential and commercial density.
While most people would agree transit along Broadway needs upgrading there are many contentious issues including construction, technology, balancing regional priorities and financing.

At present, the lead contender is to extend the Millennium Line from the VCC-Clark station westwards. There are two options.

One option is to extend the line all the way to UBC. The other option is to stop at Arbutus St. where commuters would transfer to rapid bus or tram to UBC. After the experience of the construction of the Canada Line, people and businesses along the corridor are already showing significant opposition to a Cambie Street cut-and-cover approach.

There are also concerns about the cost of constructing an extension to the SkyTrain. Some advocates have proposed the cheaper alternative of street-level light rail – a tram line – which would be easier to build. However, there are significant questions about fitting it into the existing road space and its ability to deliver increased capacity and reduced travel times.

Then there is the question of regional priorities. The long promised but yet to be delivered Evergreen Line would connect the Millennium Line to Coquitlam and Port Moody. After several delays, it is TransLink's next priority for expansion. Politicians and residents in the Tri-Cities are demanding action on their transit needs, and there would be real anger in the suburbs if a line to UBC is built before the Evergreen Line.

In addition, there is an urgent need to expand bus services across the region. Rapid transit is also needed to connect residents in the Fraser Valley with other parts of Metro Vancouver.

But the biggest concern of all according to transportation watchers is financing. Does the political will exist at the provincial and federal levels to invest in public transit in Metro Vancouver? TransLink is already under funded for its present operations.

As for next steps, the city, along with TransLink and other stakeholders, is carrying out a study of options for rapid transit along the Broadway corridor to UBC. The city expects an initial report in the spring of 2010 after which there will be more public consultations.

Rapid Transit at any cost? Not for me.

On January 24th, 2010 Gretsch (not verified) says:
As far as who is missing the point KAM, it depends where you place your first priority. In my opinion, the first question to be answered is what the actual cost of what you envision would be. The second question is who is going to pay for it..... It appears that Think City has already determined that there will be a form of Rapid Transit in the East-West Corridor and the only question is what type. This is the typical left wing approach that results in boondoggles like the "fast ferries fiasco" - hundreds of millions of dollars wasted..... But hey! As long as the government or Translink is spending someone else's money, who cares?..... Develop your business case first and a good part of that business case will be the additional revenue produced and whether that revenue will be sufficient to sustain the line - or will it be just another bottomless pit created by politicians' egos?..... If you recognize that providing rapid trainsit to U.B.C. will NOT produce one extra dollar in revenue from the 25,000 or so students as they have already paid for their Transit Pass. So, does that mean we are being asked to provide a Rapid Transit Line primarily for the benefit of Point Grey residents?.....As far as reducing my carbon footprint, Al Gore's scare campaign is already starting to crumble as more and more research is being done and more and more of THEIR research is being acknowledged as either faulty or conveniently manipulated to produce the results they want, I'll start doing my part when the U.S.A., China and India start doing theirs. Until then, forget it! Your ego might find this hard to imagine, but those countries couldn't give a tinker's damn about what this little country does..... Do I take transit? Not if I can help it? Do the fat cats who tell us we should be taking transit take it themselves? I doubt it!..... People have learned their lesson from the Cambie Street fiasco. Don't believe anything that Translink says or politicians, for that matter..... when they pay their course fees..... While you may be obsessed with targeting single occupancy vehicles and reducing our carbon footprint, others don't consider it that important and Al Gore's predictions of impending disaster are being shot full of holes. As far as European cities having rapid transit, their transit system has developed over decades and, if you've ever been to London, Paris or other major European cities, the streets are still clogged with vehicles so you should be more selective of the examples you choose. And, in case you aren't aware of it, their undergrounds or subways were NOT constructed by the cut-and-cover method.

Rapid Transit along Broadway Corridor

On January 22nd, 2010 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Don't limit your perspective. There is no need to assume that rapid transit along Broadway will destroy the character of the neighbourhood: In fact, In my view, it will make the area more livable than ever, by decreasing traffic congestion along Broadway. If you look at other major centres in this country and around the world, there is rapid transit in all areas of the city, and the quality and character of the neighbourhoods are in no way negatively impacted. Consider Toronto, Montreal, Paris France, Dublin Ireland, London England, Munich West Germany.. etc. KAm

Better and Cheaper

On January 22nd, 2010 Ron van der Eerden (not verified) says:
Dave, you miss some opportunities by limiting yourself to what you see today. The False Creek ROW is capable of carrying twin lines for a high capacity system. And a very short tunnel (2-3 blocks across Granville) avoids the meandering ROW and the Starbucks and gets you on to the Arbutus Corridor in a straight line. Beyond this you rightly see opportunity for surface systems. So why force everybody to transfer modes out there? Central Broadway is congested so why not get the UBC load off of it? For much less than the cost of a subway you could have light rail to UBC AND a tram serving Central Broadway from Commercial to Arbutus and beyond. More Millennium Line passengers are headed downtown than Central Broadway, so why not take them there without a transfer? And Pacific Central as a hub serving two SkyTrain lines, UBC-LRT, the Downtown Streetcar, Main Street buses and the bus/train station would be a very dynamic place - not like VVC/Clark. This location is central and does not create a substantial detour on the east-west corridor. Meanwhile a tram down Broadway puts passengers in view of shops and services rather than hiding them underground where they do nothing for the merchants. LRT on the False Creek ROW would also tie into all three existing rapid transit lines assuming the Millenium Line is extended downtown where it belongs. I see fewer transfers with this concept.

New Sky Train along Broadway corridor

On January 22nd, 2010 Anonymous (not verified) says:
For us residents who live on W. Broadway, the idea of a skytrain along our well-trodden streets is a nightmare. One of the great things about living in Kits is that we can walk to local shops, etc. This would deface the area and turn it into a slum in no time. Please reconsider this plan.

Rapid Transit

On January 22nd, 2010 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Ok. As a general statement, I dont disagree with your assessment of Translink. However, I think you are missing the point of these discussions. It is absolutely imperative that we decrease single vehicle travel and improve public transit to such an extent that people will regularly use the system to meet their transportation needs, for two reasons: First, the environment, air quality, and the reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions must be a top priority; second, traffic congestion in this city is unbearable, and could easily be reduced. I live in Vancouver - Point Grey, and take the bus and or rapid transit almost everywhere I go. You are pointing the finger at fat ass bureaucrats... Do you ever take the bus or rapid transit ? Are you at all concerned about reducing carbon emissions to reduce our carbon foot print? What do you do to set a good example ? KAM

Millenium Line Expansion

On January 22nd, 2010 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I agree completely with your suggestion. The millenium line should be extended to meet the expo line. However, I think when it comes to rapid transit, there are many avenues of expansion that should occur, pretty much simultaneously. Rapid transit to UBC along Broadway is an absolute must. KAM

Millennium Line West Under Broadway

On January 22nd, 2010 Dave (not verified) says:
Lots of different ideas being shared on this one. LRT and tram lovers of course advocating that as the solution, or bikers recommending bike routes in place of vehicle lanes and so on... My own humble comments on a few of them: - The False Creek/Arbutus Route: The old rail right-of-way along south-False Creek is incomplete, and inefficient. It is only a single-track width (a functioning high-capacity line needs uninterrupted dual-tracks), and ends at Granville Island. For those who know the area, there is a Starbucks and a few blocks of condos & offices in the way before the right of way starts again just east of Burrard. In addition, this route would be slow and winding - with numerous at-grade conflicts with existing streets and pedestrian rights-of-way. Also, requiring travelers coming from regions to the east and south-east to travel as far as Main St. (on the edge of downtown) to transfer, when their destination is to the west and south, doesn't make sense (almost as bad as the currently inefficient Canada Line-Expo Line transfer way up at Waterfront). Lastly, such a diversionary route wrongly assumes that the primary point is to just get people over to Arbutus & out to UBC. While that's part of the goal, the FC route does not penetrate the jobs, business & residential "core" area that also must be serviced - the district just north and south of Broadway, essentially between Main & Arbutus. - The LRT or tram option: While surface-rail of some kind makes sense in many cases on mid-lower volume routes, over short-medium distances, it makes less sense in highly congested, high-volume corridors, over longer distances. In such circumstances they rarely increase capacity or improve trip times beyond what existing frequent, high-capacity buses do. If we agree that the current bus network along the corridor is maxed out, we need to look at a whole other level i.t.o. speed & capacity. In addition, constructing surface-rail systems down one of the most congested streets in the region will make the tunneling on Cambie look like a picnic. - The reality is, I think, that the best, most straightforward option (though not necessarily the easiest or cheapest) is to extend the Millennium line from VCC Clark west, punching under the hill, & along under under Broadway, heading west - at least as far as Arbutus, maybe further towards UBC. It's also possible that it might make sense (financially and otherwise) to switch to a surface based route (LRT, tram, or improved high-capacity bus ROW etc.) beyond Arbutus? Skytrain under Broadway is the right route - most direct, serves the Broadway core, can connect directly with the Canada Line etc. It's the right technology - higher speeds, capacity, frequency, no grade-conflict with other uses, and fits with/takes advantage of existing technology we've already built and invested in. We already have that lonely-looking Millennium line terminus - plugged right into the existing network and routes - just hanging out there down along Great N. Way, pointing west... - For those that fear the dreaded tunneling, it's a fair point when you think of what happened on Cambie. But the reality is that such a route under Broadway would be tunneled most effectively using a deeper bored tunnel, which has the advantage of generating minimal disruption on the surface. - It will be an interesting public debate, discussion and process to be sure. As I said, lots of ideas.

UBC is NOT next stop

On January 21st, 2010 jamesgraham (not verified) says:
completing Millennium Line is! Millennium Line will never achieve its potential until and unless it goes directly downtown - it is a major put-off having to get off at Broadway, climb stairs, cross Broadway to push onto Expo Line car already packed with commuters! Extend the Millennium Line to join Expo Line just east of Main Street/ScienceWorld station. Ridership on the Millennium Line shall increase when commuters can travel without disruption to downtown Vancouver destinations; and increased ridership is the objective. Next - extend Expo Line platforms to allow for six (6) car trains; buy more cars so as to run six (6) car trains - reducing the crunch, crush conditions on Expo Line will increase its ridership; and increased ridership is the objective.

Better Idea

On January 21st, 2010 Ron van der Eerden (not verified) says:
A subway to UBC is far too expensive but a transfer at Arbutus is far too inconvenient. LRT and/or trams are the way to go, but they could be slower than the 99 B-Line if run on the street. Fortunately there is a wonderful existing ROW that bypasses the congested Central Broadway to run LRT. UBC LRT could run from Main Street SkyTrain (creating a hub at Pacific Central Station) and use the False Creek ROW to the Arbutus Corridor (with a short tunnel under Granville) to Broadway and Arbutus. From there it could run on Broadway beyond Alma where it is less congested. It could then leave the street and follow the edge of the Jericho Defense Lands before jogging to 10th Avenue and on to UBC. This would offer a hybrid service, operating like a tram (slower more stops) where on the street and like LRT (express) where in separate ROWs. It would be cheaper, much less disruptive construction and ultimately put customers in view of shops and services. Over-all end-to-end speed would be good, but it would offer good local service as well. It would connect the bus station, the Expo Line and the Canada Line (Olympic Village Station) to West Broadway/10th and to UBC. With all that pressure off of Central Broadway a regular tram or bus service would suffice from Commercial Drive to Alma (or on to UBC as well). LRT could also share track with Vancouver's proposed streetcar (currently the Olympic Line) thus reducing costs for both systems. Finally the Millennium Line should be extended from VCC/Clarke to the Pacific Central Hub (tying most of our high capacity transit system together neatly) and then on to Waterfront Station from the east. That way Millennium Line passengers could travel directly into downtown without transfering, and use the existing downtown stations: Waterfront, Burrard, Granville etc. (The Millennium Line would become a continuous loop.) The future of urban transit is street level (trams LRT etc.), but the Millennium Line has to come to some conclusion and downtown makes most sense.

tram line bike route

On January 21st, 2010 Rich (not verified) says:
It might make sense to run a tram line from Commercial along 12th, past the hospital and then curving into 10th at MacDonald and on out to UBC. This could then be a tram and bike only corridor across the city. The cars that used to use 12th and 10th could then have more space on Broadway (assuming decreased traffic). And to cut carbon, the tram could even be electric. Picture it: no cars, 2 tram tracks down the middle and bikers and pedestrians along the outsides. Running to catch a tram won't be dangerous because no car will ever not see you and run you down. Trees, birds, kids. Almost like a liveable city should be.
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