Long term transit plan for metropolitan Vancouver

Preamble

It has now become the conventional wisdom that continued growth of automobile traffic in metropolitan Vancouver is contrary to our objectives of retaining a livable region. Instead, it is widely agreed that we need to put much more emphasis on public transportation. The reality, however, is that we have become such a car-dependent society that it will be difficult for most people to extricate themselves from their cars. We believe that the incremental increases in public transit proposed to date will not achieve the drastic change that is needed, and that a comprehensive grid of rapid transit lines is needed to get a sizeable portion of the public to make the change to transit.

The following plan is intended as a basis for discussion; as in any long term plan there are many details left unspecified and issues left unresolved. Nevertheless, we hope that some of the ideas presented will excite you about the potential of public transit. If you have any comments or contributions, please email them to: (t2000bc at vcn.bc.ca)

The plan is being developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Committee of Transport Action BC. This page will be periodically updated as the plan takes shape. NOTE THAT ONLY THE CENTRE OF THE REGION HAS BEEN CONSIDERED THUS FAR, AND NO ATTEMPT HAS YET BEEN MADE TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS OR SUGGEST TIMEFRAMES FOR COMPLETION.

Light rail transit network

The backbone of the plan is a network of light rail transit lines (double track, mostly at grade with signal pre-emption). In the city of Vancouver there are to be 5 lines:

• False Creek streetcar line
• Broadway
• 41st Avenue
• Arbutus rail corridor
• Cambie Street

Note that the False Creek line is called a "streetcar" line because it would employ vintage streetcars as well as modern light rail vehicles.

Broadway and 41st lines

The Broadway LRT line would run from Coquitlam Centre along Lougheed highway and Broadway all the way to Alma, then follow 10th Avenue and University Boulevard to the existing bus exchange at the University of British Columbia.

University Boulevard would become a grassed over LRT track down the middle, with a wide, smooth, flat paved area on each side for cyclists (i.e. what are now the right hand lanes), and a sidewalk on each side for pedestrians.

Eventually the Broadway line would be extended past the bus exchange to West Mall, then along Southwest Marine Drive all the way to 41st Avenue. The line would run in the middle of 41st Avenue to Joyce Street, terminating at the Joyce SkyTrain station.

Arbutus and Cambie lines

The Arbutus and Cambie LRT lines would start downtown on the same track at Waterfront Station. Granville street would be reserved exclusively for LRT as far as Helmcken or Davie street. All bus service presently on Granville would be moved to Howe (southbound) and Seymour (northbound) streets.

The Cambie line would leave Granville at Nelson/Smithe (either using the one way streets as they currently exist or else using two lanes on Nelson and, if necessary, a new ramp onto the Cambie bridge so as to leave two lanes for cars). The line would follow the median of Cambie to King Edward, at which point it would replace the leftmost lane in each direction (leaving two lanes in each direction - parking would be removed) and run on a grassed over track. Upon crossing Marine Drive the line would turn westbound to meet the Arbutus line near Marpole Loop.

The Arbutus line would continue across the Granville bridge, then by some method (as yet unspecified) join the Arbutus rail corridor and follow that to Marpole Loop. The two lines would then join and proceed through a double-track tunnel underneath the north arm of the Fraser river, emerging above ground to run along the middle of #3 Road to Richmond Centre.

A branch would leave the line in Richmond and cross the middle arm of the Fraser river near the Moray bridge (either bridge or tunnel), then proceed to the north side of Grant McConachie way to the Vancouver International Airport Terminal buildings.

Service on the Arbutus/Cambie lines would likely alternate between the airport and Richmond. Thus, for example, at Waterfront Station there would be 4 possible destination signs on light rail trains:

• Richmond via Arbutus
• Richmond via Cambie
• Airport via Arbutus
• Airport via Cambie

Service would be divided according to demand; for example, there would likely be more Richmond trains than Airport trains during the afternoon peak.

Note that the most frequent service would exist on Granville Street between Nelson Street and Waterfront station.

The plan for downtown

Downtown Vancouver would be well served by rapid transit lines - SkyTrain, False Creek Streetcar (LRT), and Arbutus/Cambie LRT. As well, a new frequent service downtown loop called the "West End Circulator" would provide quiet, zero emission service using low floor articulated trolleybuses.

Waterfront Station

The focal point downtown would be Waterfront station. The LRT line along Granville would continue north on an elevated structure from Hastings street to Cordova to the existing plaza level ("Granville Plaza") at the west end of Waterfront station. There would be pedestrian connections from there to Cordova street, the station building (and thence to the SeaBus), the SkyTrain platform, and the West Coast Express platform. It may also be possible to extend the LRT line from the station down to ground level with an eastbound curve so as to terminate at the SeaBus building itself. In that case the SeaBus walkway to Waterfront Station could become a public walkway (i.e. not a fare paid zone) with the addition of ticket machines in (an expanded) SeaBus building.

Service on Cordova street would include existing bus service as well as the False Creek Streetcar line and the West End Circulator trolleybus route.

This "artist's rendition" shows Arbutus/Cambie LRT trains at their terminus on Granville Plaza, beside Waterfront Station. The SkyTrain and West Coast Express platforms are located below the plaza level; stairs and escalators to these platforms would be found just to the left of the trains shown. (The entrances aren't shown because the "artist" can't work out what they should look like - hopefully you get the idea.)

False Creek Streetcar line

The False Creek streetcar line would begin at Vanier Park (museum and planetarium) and follow the Canadian Pacific right of way underneath the Burrard, Granville and Cambie bridges. The existing single track spur line into Granville island would be used.

The line would continue to Quebec street, with a stop at Science World near the existing SkyTrain station and Pacific Central Station (rail and bus). The line would continue north through Chinatown in the middle of Quebec/Columbia, then turn west on Powell Street, which runs into Water Street. The line would follow Water Street to Cordova Street, with a stop in front of Waterfront Station (SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express, LRT to Richmond and airport). Existing one way streets would become two way, with LRT only in the opposite direction.

The line would continue westbound along Cordova and across a "Cordova street extension" (on top of the SkyTrain tracks) down to a right of way through the Marathon lands to Stanley Park. Depending on the future of the Lion's Gate bridge, the line would continue through the Stanley Park causeway (which would become LRT and bicycle and pedestrian only) and across a bridge at the First Narrows, connecting with the BC Rail line to Horseshoe Bay, Squamish and Whistler.

West End Circulator

The 3 Main and 8 Fraser trolleybus routes would be changed to loop downtown only (as is sometimes done at present). Service to the West End would instead be provided by a fleet of articulated low floor trolleybuses following a continuous circular route: Davie - Homer/Richards - Cordova - Burrard - Robson - Denman. Service would be extremely frequent (every two minutes at peak) and would cost only 50 cents without transfer; transfers would only be issued to those paying full fare.

The Circulator would provide connections between the densely populated West End, the Arbutus/Cambie LRT line (on Granville), all bus routes serving downtown (Howe, Seymour, Georgia,..), the SkyTrain near Stadium station and at Waterfront and Burrard stations, the SeaBus at Waterfront Station, and the False Creek streetcar on Cordova. As well, improved service would be provided to the Vancouver Public Library main branch, Yaletown and Downtown South.

Note that Homer and Richards streets are currently each one way. The route could be run along those streets, or a street could be made one way except for an opposite direction bus lane. If this were done on Richards street then only one direction of overhead would need to be installed. Homer is likely the better choice of street for the route, however.