Here's my brain dump about things I've learned over the past couple years about future projects in our region. Please enjoy this video while I go beat Factorio Space Age :)
This is an absolutely superb video, and honestly I'm not sure I even knew that the new Pitt River bridge had those provisions, very cool! Fantastic shots and excellent commentary as well of course! There are also a bunch of provisions on the Canada Line, for the new YVR international terminal station, and for the two new underground stations in Vancouver! For the Port Mann bridge, the weight bearing should be sufficient for SkyTrain - though something higher speed ala the REM going down Highway 1 seems like a natural choice. Regarding the "streetcar" service in Vancouver proper, I do hope if built it is more light rail (see the Stockholm Tvarbanan for inspiration) and less streetcar, and so has a little more separation from traffic and also more capacity - which we certainly need parallel to the Canada Line! For a future "L" line in Surrey, I would not expect flyovers to the Expo Line, given the different demand profile I would doubt the line would be built to support 80M LIM powered SkyTrain (ultimately the Expo Line is already tight on capacity) and even if it did I would expect only a single "out of service" flyover to allow equipment movement because I doubt the Expo Line will be able to handle any additional branching capacity wise. I think more like would be to see another isolated Canada Line style line with smaller trains which would provide plenty of capacity for the run from South Surrey to City Centre and perhaps over to North Langley - connecting to a future Highway 1 Line and the Expo Line on the way. What's critical is that advocates push politicians and planners to continue to provision space for transit in the future, in particular new rail and bus yards are getting harder and harder to build with the shortage of industrial land and building them in low lying areas prone to liquefaction (ala Hamilton TC) seems risky given we want transit to be fully operational even in flood or earthquake scenarios. Perhaps in the future we will see some multi level facilities as in Singapore, and Vienna where you have a bus garage placed on a deck on top of railyards (something else we could be protecting for). Anyways, I've said a lot, but this was an excellent video and I think you should do more in this vain!
Hi Reece, can this REM-like line share track with Cascadia HSR? I know that MVX proposed a similar idea, and you wrote that it was unviable because their tunnel would need gentle grades, which is expensive. Would a bridge have less onerous requirements? Are there any other constraints that would make track sharing unviable? I know it checks out in terms of dimensions and electricals, but it would be difficult scheduling-wise. (Both Alstom Metropolis and CaHSR/Brightline West trains both have ~1200mm floor heights and are both ~3.2m wide, and the Metropolis can also handle 25kV AC. On the other hand, string diagrams show that high speed difference between trains will incur big frequency punishments, but this can be solved by just slowing the HSR trains down.) Are there any other constraints? Thanks!
The good news is that the most recent Arbutus streetcar study shows examples of many European tram systems. Hopefully this means that we'll get true LRT instead of an Obama-era style streetcar.
@@1224chrisng Floor heights and electrification are all workable in theory. The main issue is having enough slots and the fact that you can't optimize the right of way cost and service wise for both HSR and something like the REM or HK Tung Chung Line
Make it so! Personally these type of projects should be built in advance of population booms not after. Or at least in coordination with local developers and politicos so that the transit option is always seamless for commuters not a patchwork mess of temporary buses until one day...
Maple Ridge might not get the Skytrain as their council has a history of not being forward thinking. It might stop in Pitt Meadows and that's about it.
Thank you so much for this! My partner lives near Willingdon and Hastings and seeing all those possible updates is sooooooo exciting! Knowing that the empty lot is part of a bigger picture is really cool and seeing all the historical stuff as well was so awesome.
I knew about the PoCo tail tracks, but there's so much in here I'd never heard of. Your videos look and sound so professional too, thank you so much for your hard work!
Great video! the obvious one to really push is the Gondola because the towers and stations can be built and cable strung up in the space of a couple of years and it will save Translink operating costs.
The gondola is going to be a game changer when it comes online. Looks like it's up for funding in the first phase of the 10 plan, so we should hear more about it very soon.
@@StainerTheFirst here are some conference slides presented by Translink at a conference about Gondolas and Aerial ropeways. Very interesting read for those following the project. oitaf2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-04-17_BMG_RapidTransit-LOW.pdf oitaf2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-04-17_BMG-Making-Rapid-Transit-Connection.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawHF0_9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdkyD6Ndug0MCj2H3fE4ZlFDz_9VpniCArm18A4ux7CHtpKuFHwhoXgTWg_aem_srV2hfvM8JuBJVas2EkC-g
The Lafarge station was never included in the original plans. It was only added when the locals asked for it AND offered to pay for the whole station. I knew someone that was involved with the project. Thought you might want to know. 🙂I really enjoy your videos. Thanks again for them. 🙂
Thankfully there are a lot of career transit planners who think long term instead of 4 year chunks. It's just trying to convince the politicians that these projects are worth it in the long term.
This channel is criminally underrated. 1:01 This is the first I've heard about this plan for a new Vancouver OMC, I can't seem to find any information on it. I was under the impression that pocket track was for the eventual rerouting of the expo line allowing the seismically vulnerable terminal Ave test track to be torn down. Pretty convenient timing on this upload, I've been mapping out the future Lower Mainland transit in the past couple weeks, I'll shoot you and email with a link, I'd like to get your thoughts.
OMC 6 is currently in study phase, but I've seen a couple documents referring to it as there. Not sure if it's publicly available yet. If I stop uploading, assuming Translink got me.
Brilliant and concise with great visuals. What more could one want in a transit video?! I personally wish these extension projects were already funded because most of them are long overdue. If it weren't for a few bad apple leaders dragging their feet on funding the GVRD would probably have accomplished this and a North Shore Skytrain line by now.
Mate these videos are so in depth, well researched, and the footage from each area! Must take a life time to rip around and drone all the stuff you don't have on file! Not sure how you do it, but really enjoy these not only as a form of entertainment and interest, but also, very good guide for home buyers rn. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Love this video! I'm fascinated by all the hidden "upgrades" and history present in our local infrastructure. A favourite example of this is the un-used access tunnel and stairs on the northwest corner of Dunsmuir and Beatty for Stadium Station!
Really fascinating and enlightening. Dang shame these extensions, though pre-planned, happen at a snail's pace... a guy can go from twenty something to post-retirement age waiting for things to take shape!!
So many interesting bits of hidden infrastructure that almost nobody knows about. Not totally sure about the Expo flyover at KGB. I don't think the expo line has the capacity to handle another extension, especially with the likely alignment being from Guildford to Newton, meeting the Expo line in the middle. And thanks for the gondola shoutout!
I think transit planners should look at the train tunnel that enters at Dawson St area and exits at Burrard inlet to cross to the North Shore. As an added story; in 1988, our friends rented a house on Gilmore in Burnaby and in the basement you could hear the train underneath the home. Further; while cleaning behind the fridge, a letter from the 50's was found stating; The noise you hear periodically is train traffic in a tunnel near your home. So cool!
4:14 - re: that construction between Braid and Lougheed - that is actually on the Expo Line, specifically the Production Way branch! Though it's worth mentioning that part of the Expo Line was among the original Millennium Line stations until the system-wide rerouting in October 2016 before Evergreen was opened!
Fantastic video but you missed the oldest and most obvious one - the Burrard Street bridge ever since it was built back in 1932 has had provision for a lower deck to be added. This was intended to serve Vancouver's original streetcar system but was never put into use. In part that was because it would have needed a lifting section at the main span in order to let large commercial vessels pass, and that wasn't deemed a better solution than the old swing-span trestle they were already using. However there is space within the concrete bridge columns for the machinery and counterweights necessary to install it. Surely if it ever comes to pass that will be some sort of record for the most advance-planned transit infrastructure ever built.
lost chance decades ago to build the Burrard Street Bridge with an under deck for a streetcar due to low money, could’ve ended up like the Bloor Viaduct in Toronto putting a rapid transit line underneath it. Maybe Arbutus Streetcar north along Burrard underground to downtown? Oh well rip.
I admit i always assumed the King George tailtrack was a last minute change of plans, since i recall the original planning and build for the EXPO line being rushed and pretty controversial. Still remember my first trip on skytrain, leaving King George and getting off at what is now Science World to view the preview for EXPO 86. It seened SUCH a leap ahead for staid old Vancouver.
Great video as always! I've always thought they should have a skytrain from marine drive station to new west. It would be faster than light rail, though, if it's fully separated maybe it's not that big a difference.
Great research, it’ll be awesome when all this is built, too bad It’ll be 30 years but at least the next generation will have an even better transit system.
I'd really like to see the south van rail line converted to transit. Too much focus seems to be put on getting downtown, cross town transit opens up a lot of opportunities. It currently takes me 15-20 minutes to drive from Vancouver to south Burnaby, 40-50 minutes to bike, and 90-120 minutes to bus with no early Saturday morning option.
RE: King George Station A large grade separated switch set should be built just east of the station. There is a BC Hydro right of way right there. A set of tracks going NW to 100 or 104 ave to Guilford and a set going south to Surrey Memorial Hospital, King George Blvd. Newtown etc.
Excellent video. Priority one needs to be the Millennium Line from Arbutus to UBC. This will turbocharge ridership on the Millennium Line. Priority two (could be done at the same time as UBC) is the Millennium line from Coquitlam Central to Port Coquitlam. Easy, cheap extension. Priority three should be the Purple Line to Park Royal. This will bring rapid transit to the North Shore. The bonus is that it brings BCIT onto the SkyTrain network and provides another connection between the Millennium and Expo Lines.
I hope that the province takes advantage of the existing right of way land assembly that had been done for the now abandoned plan for the Stormont Mcbride connector to have a through route for regional/high-speed rail to eliminate the tight turn coming off the Fraser river crossing
That's an idea worth looking into. I do want to make a video about HSR in our area and what it could look like as there are several options. But don't expect that video for at least a year, I'm slow.
I live in Kelowna and have always loved Skytrain whenever I've had the chance to ride it. Last may we took a short trip to Vancouver with my mom and with our 5 year old autistic son who loves every form of transit we've ever exposed him to. I have to say he was rather Meh on sky train compared to me. haha But man did he sure love Sea bus We stayed near Gilmore station and rode from there to Commercial Broadway, then to Main Street-Science world, got off and went to Science world, Got back on to Waterfront, Took Sea bus, then came back and at my suggestion (much to the chagrin of my wife but with agreement of my mom due to time of day) Took expo line to Production way and then changed there to get back to Gilmore. it being afternoon rush hour at the time I believed that trains coming Inward on millennium line would be less busy than those going outward and keeping any seats we had on expo line rather than a transfer at Commercial Broadway would end up in a more pleasant ride even if it did mean slightly longer on the train. I might like to get your thoughts on my line of thinking as a person who uses the system much more than I do.
@@StainerTheFirst The thing he has yet to experience that I am excited for him to get to do sooner rather than later is experience the formerly worlds largest Double Ended RoRo Ferries by Taking a C Class Vessel across to see some family on the island. Despite how nice the new costal class are Nothing beats a good old C Class except for maybe Stena Danica II (Queen of Surrey I, Queen of the North) RIP
Arbutus was chosen to be a corridor for the Canada Line to Marine Drive and later to Richmond and YVR. Well it chose Cambie for its straight connection and ability to cut and cover the cost of an underground railway. Arbutus is a winding path along a lot green spaces and suburban homes, would be hard to have an elevated stations and expensive with underground stations with heavy disruption and cost acquisition of nearby properties. A streetcar, rather a modern tramway would suffice with proper m traffic signaling with crossings, easier level accessibility, fitting in with the bike trail way and gardens sprouted beside the ROW. It was a former single track freight line, ample enough space with narrow Light rail vehicles
This, but also I should really start calling in an LRT since that's what it would probably be. It would only run on the street in a few areas, mostly downtown around Waterfront, whereas the rest is in a proper ROW.
While all the provisions Skytrain expansion is great, it's a bit of a shame there isn't more planning from Translink for heavy rail intercity service. Maple Ridge and Langley are so far out that we're looking at 1hr+ travel times to reach downtown Vancouver. I'm not sure Skytrain is the most effective technology with which to serve those communities.
technically skytrain is a heavy rail style system just with shorter and narrower vehicles, but i agree does need maybe a bigger version of the Skytrain with full size heavy rail electric commuter trains but also elevated which Metro Vancouver is vary familiar with. Hopefully it ends in Pacific Central being barely used as a station for two intercity services.
@@TheRandCrews Personally I would not call Skytrain heavy rail simply because it is, as you said, so short and narrow. Heavy rail being something similar in size to the West Coast Express. I don't know if elevated is necessary, since it would be possible to utilize the existing CN track from Pacific Central Station through Burnaby. Ideally then over (or under) a new Fraser rail crossing into Surrey and continuing via Hwy 1 median at least to Abbotsford if not Chilliwack.
It was probably originally intended for intercity heavy traffic but according to someone who had worked on the system, the issue was stability at high speeds and frequent stops so we ended up with a dumbed down version 😅. 2 versions were unveiled at expo 86. The Canadian version and the Japanese version. Canadian version gave up and just put wheels on the trains to stablize it. Japan on the other hand kept going, trying to research the original project but apparently it still running into the same issues 40 years ago.
The fun fact is that Maple ridge and Langley actually have significantly more ridership between each other. The vast majority of transit users east of the Fraser stay east. So it's not about getting everyone downtown as fast as possible.
@@StainerTheFirst True, the hub and spoke is a bit of an outdated mindset. It is definitely good to get connected to the network even just for short trips like Langley-Surrey or Maple Ridge-Coquitlam, but I think it's a shame that longer-range trips are seemingly an afterthought for Metro Vancouver planners. I do wonder though, the vast majority of *transit* users may stay east of the Fraser, but is that the same for trips in general? To me, the traffic volumes during rush hour on Pitt River bridge and all Fraser crossings suggest otherwise. I'd wager this is only true because transit it not a viable option for many people coming from east of the Fraser since it's currently fairly disconnected from the 'rapid' network. If a trip is 40 mins by car (including sitting in traffic), or 1:20 on transit, it's not going to show as a high ridership route. Maybe once the expansions highlighted in your video come to fruition, the ridership trends will change!
Could you also consider a future video on the BIRT line and go through the possible alignment from Part Royal to Metrotown. Your drone shots are incredible and add so much perspective. I live in the Tricities area and commute to North Van once a month and it's a massive pain right now, even when I go off-peak hours, brutal. The BIRT can't come fast enough.
Carrying on from your other question as well, yes I will do a full proper video about BIRT as soon as proper information is available. But that will probably be several years from now. I now your pain, I head to the shore weekly and am forced to drive as the transit connection from my house to where I go takes about 2.5 hours.
It might be a better idea to create a new line to go down to Newton instead to reduce stress on the Expo line. 3 Options down the same direction on the line would be pushing it for sure. Could have this new line then go into Delta and then swing through the farmland to terminate at Richmond Brighouse providing easy airport access from Surrey and forming a train loop around much of Metro Vancouver. Could also split it off to serve Tsawwassen and the nearby Ferry Terminal as well as bring the line North-East from King George to serve that part of Surrey.
I beleive there is a pipeline underneath the linear park on Willingdon from the terminal on Burrard Inlet to the airport, that is why the houses have been demolished. If this is true it would be difficult to build a Skytrain style system along there
Of all the public interest projects that are on the agendas, public transit projects will make the area more accessible and livable. One area that needs immediate attention is another crossing to the North Shore communities. It would be wonderful if a line could be developed to accommodate a rail link all the way to Whistler ( think Norway) which could ease traffic from the sea to sky highway and the two vehicle crossings to the North Shore. That idea shouldn’t be as difficult to do as much of the track is currently in place once the service has reached the North Shore.
Another incredible video with lots of detail. One thing I've always wondered is how will the elevated alignment work at Brentwood Station when the BIRT line crosses over. Will it go under the current elevated track, over, or somehow turn east and then turn back west to continue down. Elevated interchanges are not common, even the Commercial-Broadway station has unique geography which helps, but right on top of a big intersection, I don't know what the best solution is. Ideas? Are there any good examples from other cities?
Thanks! Looking into it there are no details for what station there will look like, it's all still very much in the exploratory phase. However there is a study being fast tracked on it currently that looks both at short term BRT and the long term ultimate solution. BRT stuff should be out middle of next years, with the full one out by Q2 2026.
Translink is far from perfect, but boy do I wish we had some of that capacity for long term planning here in Montréal. The REM was an attempt to copy some of that sky train magic but the government seems to have learned many of the wrong lessons from the experience
i have opined since about 92 why the train didnt run down the center of the freeway with parkades and bus depots at each freeway interchange. a modern interurban(the loss of which was a serious detriment to the entire lower mainland) and the train along that route could have a higher speed as its further between stops, straighter, and more flat.
Translink, the Province, the Feds and the GVRD will do just about anything to put off actualy building a transit project. Any study, half measure or public consultation will happen time and time again as long as they can put off "putting spades in the ground" and committing to a bold course of action. BC Ferries in the 60s, the Fraser Canyon in the 50s and 60s, the Rodgers Pass in the 60s, the North Thompson Yellowhead Corridor, and the Coquihalla have all been bold projects with dynamic leaders that made them happen. WAC and Bill Bennett. Phil Gaglardi are just a few of those dynamic leaders. Who will take the bull by the horns and be the next.
Transit expansion in Vancouver moves at a snails pace, hampered by environmental and feasibility studies, along with public opposition, politics and financial issues. Since leaving Canada in 2015 for Thailand, Bangkok has probably built and commissioned more rapid transit than Vancouver has in total. Investment in urban infrastructure in Vancouver seems to be low priority and reactive, rather than projective.
I accidentally deleted my original comment. If they ever get around to replacing the Massey Tunnel either by bridge or new tunnel it will be wide enough to facilitate transit and I was speculating perhaps permitting a rapid transit line but that has been pointed out as being impractical for connection to South Delta. Certainly it will provide dedicated bus lanes for enabling faster transit from South Delta. What might be considered is for future rail link for commuter rail to the south Fraser Valley. It may take 40 to 50 years to complete the rapid transit extensions that are covered in this blog.
Do you have a source for the sale of the lot in burnaby at willingdon and hastings? i cannot find an article talking about the sale, only that council was directed to try and buy it.
Is the extension of streetcars project (from Marine Drive station towards New West along SE marine dr) already in some approved phase of this plan or just a speculation?
It's in the long term planning phase, but active steps towards it are in the works. All the studies support it being a great idea, however funding is the main issue. With what few dollars we have to spend on transit, the funding is better used in ways that benefit the most riders, and the tram/lrt isn't that currently.
The Lafarge Lake Douglas terminus of Evergreen - shown at 14:32 - has always seemed the most logical extension to the North Shore, continuing N on Pipeline Rd, W on David, then thru the forest to Belcarra, across Indian Arm via Boulder I, then aligned w. Mt Seymour Pkwy & Keith Rd before connecting w. the proposed Green Zone already on the North Shore & terminating at Lonsdale. The in-between population is no more minimal than between the ALR from Fleetwood to 184 St in Surrey; however, the population at each end is far greater.
Please, please can someone in Translink listen to this solution and fix the south end of the 2nd Narrows Bridge (Ironworkers Memorial) with the following ’very minor’ change and minimal cost to solve a very big problem. Problem: Northbound Hastings St traffic heading for the bridge, currently feeds into the driving lane of the highway approaching the bridge. Drivers in the ‘slow lane’ in anticipation, cut into the passing lane (inside lane) forcing traffic to rapidly slow and jam up in both lanes. Statement: Highways should have as few on-ramps as possible to avoid inefficient congestion. Hastings traffic is ‘local, non-highway’ traffic. Traffic coming from McGill is also ‘local, non-highway traffic. Currently there are 2 lanes merging into one heading onto the bridge IN ITS OWN LANE. Solution: the local, Hastings St traffic should run beside the highway (and not be allowed to merge with the highway), but instead, merge with McGill local traffic which has their own lane on the bridge. There should be no lane changes permitted on the curve at the initial approach to the bridge. Once on the bridge, there is plenty of room to change lanes appropriate to one’s destination. Conclusion: This single change to the approach will massively speed up the flow of traffic onto the Ironworkers Bridge. Cost? I bet less than $50,000. This is the greatest, most affective modification to the bridge area which will deliver the maximum traffic impact, short of building a new bridge.
doesn’t seem it could handle that much increased passenger with that such lengths, also would need to buy houses along No. 3 road just to get it Steveston Highway. The trains are too small being 40 metres while the underground stations would need to be heavily extended to make trains longer, leading to digging up Cambie again with also possible problems of inclines or declines along the right of way.
@@TheRandCrews it's more about planning to build to increase capacity for the future since these projects take 20-30 years of planning. It's all about future growth since these projects take so long to build.
The distance with such low population is just not feasible. The furthest south the Canada line is likely to end up is steveston with a rapid bus connection to the ferry
Everything I've read suggests that even in 50 years there won't be the demand to support the investment. With the new tunnel having proper bus lanes, that whole area can be served very well with buses for at least the next 50 years.
@@StainerTheFirst The Canada line should expanded down to Steveston Hwy with massive mixed used developments around each station to add more density. The city of Richmond will always keep growing. All land around these stations are always bought up sometimes decades ahead of time and triple in value which could be sold or leased to developers just like how it's done in Hong Kong. The traffic on Hwy 99 is getting worse every year. In Hong Kong, transit stations are often funded through a unique and highly successful model called the "Rail + Property" (R+P) development model, primarily implemented by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC). Here's an overview of how it works: 1. Land Development Rights The Hong Kong government grants land development rights to the MTRC, usually around proposed railway stations or along new transit lines. The land is often leased to the MTRC at a pre-railway market value, which is much lower than its potential value once the railway is operational. 2. Partnership with Private Developers The MTRC does not directly undertake most property development. Instead, it partners with private real estate developers. The MTRC: Selects developers through a competitive tendering process. Leases the land to the developer at an agreed premium or share of profits. Retains a portion of the retail or commercial properties for long-term revenue. 3. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) The developments around transit stations are designed to integrate seamlessly with the railway. This typically includes: Residential towers. Shopping malls. Office spaces. Public amenities like parks or pedestrian-friendly areas. The proximity to a well-connected transit station enhances the desirability and value of these properties. 4. Revenue Sources The MTRC generates revenue in multiple ways: Land premiums: The difference between the pre-railway and post-railway land value. Profit-sharing: A portion of the sales revenue or profits from the developed properties. Retail/commercial income: Long-term revenue from leasing retained retail or commercial spaces. 5. Funding for Transit Infrastructure The proceeds from the land development are used to fund the construction and operation of transit infrastructure. This model reduces the financial burden on the government and ensures the sustainability of the transit system. Key Advantages of the Model Self-sustaining funding: The MTRC is able to fund railway projects without heavy reliance on government subsidies or public funds. Urban development: It promotes efficient land use and creates vibrant, well-connected communities. Financial success: The MTRC is one of the few transit operators globally that consistently generates a profit. Examples Some notable examples of this model include: Tung Chung Station: Integrated with residential and commercial developments. Kowloon Station: Part of the massive Union Square complex, including the International Commerce Centre. Tsuen Wan Station: Surrounded by large residential developments like City Point and Tsuen Wan Plaza. This innovative model has made Hong Kong’s transit system a global benchmark for financially sustainable public transportation and urban planning.
It's great to see such plans in place, but I would like to see more plans and budgets dedicated to rapid transit expansion. Unfortunately, there are too many NIMBYs who would rather see the younger generations work themselves to death instead of any improvements to transit or housing
12:50, I just don't see how it is economically feasible to extend the Skytain to Maple Ridge when we already have the tracks for the West Coast Express. In a fantasy world, I would like to see more frequent West Coast Expresses that extends South from Mission to Abbotsford, and then go East towards Chiliwack.
The West Coast Express is a great service for what it does, but imo it should never be upgraded to a 2 way all day service. I plan on making a highly controversial video about it.
Can we agree that the North Shore priority is to build 2 new eight lane bridges, at Lions Gate and Second Narrows, and make them transit ready. The purple line is a stupid idea and one that will only get built in 60 years. The UBC line and the Maple Ridge line will get done first.
New bridge at 2nd narrows will come before a replacement for Lions Gate that has to deal the protesters for Stanley Park and the native land on the North Shore.
If all goes according to plan, that Newton line he mentions towards the end will extent to White Rock. In the meantime we will be getting a high-capacity BRT line between White Rock and Surrey Central station!
All of those projects should be done already. Now is horrible traffic, VCC Clark to UBC is build half way there. Translink is clueless by selecting trains Waterfront to Production Way instead all the way to the end VCC Clark, trains to Braid instead of Lougheed, closing one line between Braid and Lougheed first before any work on the new yard is at least half way finished. Those are only few examples of incompetence.
Please, point out just about any city on earth who constructs infrastructure SOONER than its needed AND at less than originally budgeted? Neither of those are Vancouver issues, they are simply the result of regional authorities trying to juggle growth, finances, trying to see the future, and dealing with costs constantly rising as new people compete for space. Nobody does it perfectly, but Metro Vancouver, one of the most desirable growth areas in North America, is at least making efforts.
@@markdoldon8852 China with mega projects around the world are known for being on time and on budget comes to mind right away. Even Russia's growth to date shows remarkable results of meeting targets. Vancouver is great with condos though.🤦♂
Here's my brain dump about things I've learned over the past couple years about future projects in our region. Please enjoy this video while I go beat Factorio Space Age :)
Haha of course you play factorio, I'm stuck in the space exploration mod but once I'm done that I'm getting space age
This is an absolutely superb video, and honestly I'm not sure I even knew that the new Pitt River bridge had those provisions, very cool! Fantastic shots and excellent commentary as well of course!
There are also a bunch of provisions on the Canada Line, for the new YVR international terminal station, and for the two new underground stations in Vancouver! For the Port Mann bridge, the weight bearing should be sufficient for SkyTrain - though something higher speed ala the REM going down Highway 1 seems like a natural choice.
Regarding the "streetcar" service in Vancouver proper, I do hope if built it is more light rail (see the Stockholm Tvarbanan for inspiration) and less streetcar, and so has a little more separation from traffic and also more capacity - which we certainly need parallel to the Canada Line!
For a future "L" line in Surrey, I would not expect flyovers to the Expo Line, given the different demand profile I would doubt the line would be built to support 80M LIM powered SkyTrain (ultimately the Expo Line is already tight on capacity) and even if it did I would expect only a single "out of service" flyover to allow equipment movement because I doubt the Expo Line will be able to handle any additional branching capacity wise. I think more like would be to see another isolated Canada Line style line with smaller trains which would provide plenty of capacity for the run from South Surrey to City Centre and perhaps over to North Langley - connecting to a future Highway 1 Line and the Expo Line on the way.
What's critical is that advocates push politicians and planners to continue to provision space for transit in the future, in particular new rail and bus yards are getting harder and harder to build with the shortage of industrial land and building them in low lying areas prone to liquefaction (ala Hamilton TC) seems risky given we want transit to be fully operational even in flood or earthquake scenarios. Perhaps in the future we will see some multi level facilities as in Singapore, and Vienna where you have a bus garage placed on a deck on top of railyards (something else we could be protecting for).
Anyways, I've said a lot, but this was an excellent video and I think you should do more in this vain!
Hi Reece, can this REM-like line share track with Cascadia HSR?
I know that MVX proposed a similar idea, and you wrote that it was unviable because their tunnel would need gentle grades, which is expensive. Would a bridge have less onerous requirements?
Are there any other constraints that would make track sharing unviable?
I know it checks out in terms of dimensions and electricals, but it would be difficult scheduling-wise. (Both Alstom Metropolis and CaHSR/Brightline West trains both have ~1200mm floor heights and are both ~3.2m wide, and the Metropolis can also handle 25kV AC. On the other hand, string diagrams show that high speed difference between trains will incur big frequency punishments, but this can be solved by just slowing the HSR trains down.) Are there any other constraints?
Thanks!
I was a surveyor on the Pitt, it also has an unused overpass on the west side that was to for the future skytrain as well.
The good news is that the most recent Arbutus streetcar study shows examples of many European tram systems. Hopefully this means that we'll get true LRT instead of an Obama-era style streetcar.
@@1224chrisng Floor heights and electrification are all workable in theory. The main issue is having enough slots and the fact that you can't optimize the right of way cost and service wise for both HSR and something like the REM or HK Tung Chung Line
@@RMTransit What kind of optimizations would you need for HSR? Thanks!
Maple ridge SkyTrain and the obvious planning for it has been acknowledged, I'm huffing up all the hopeium
Make it so! Personally these type of projects should be built in advance of population booms not after. Or at least in coordination with local developers and politicos so that the transit option is always seamless for commuters not a patchwork mess of temporary buses until one day...
Maple ridge has the lowest fare pay rate anywhere translink serves, it's genuinely sad
don’t hold your breath
maple ridge will probably wait as long as langley did for a skytrain extension
so.. 30 years ?
Maple Ridge might not get the Skytrain as their council has a history of not being forward thinking. It might stop in Pitt Meadows and that's about it.
Thank you so much for this! My partner lives near Willingdon and Hastings and seeing all those possible updates is sooooooo exciting! Knowing that the empty lot is part of a bigger picture is really cool and seeing all the historical stuff as well was so awesome.
I knew about the PoCo tail tracks, but there's so much in here I'd never heard of. Your videos look and sound so professional too, thank you so much for your hard work!
Great video! the obvious one to really push is the Gondola because the towers and stations can be built and cable strung up in the space of a couple of years and it will save Translink operating costs.
The gondola is going to be a game changer when it comes online. Looks like it's up for funding in the first phase of the 10 plan, so we should hear more about it very soon.
@@StainerTheFirst here are some conference slides presented by Translink at a conference about Gondolas and Aerial ropeways. Very interesting read for those following the project.
oitaf2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-04-17_BMG_RapidTransit-LOW.pdf
oitaf2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-04-17_BMG-Making-Rapid-Transit-Connection.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawHF0_9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdkyD6Ndug0MCj2H3fE4ZlFDz_9VpniCArm18A4ux7CHtpKuFHwhoXgTWg_aem_srV2hfvM8JuBJVas2EkC-g
Another Stainer Banger
The amount of research you've done for this video is insane. Massively impressed!
The Lafarge station was never included in the original plans. It was only added when the locals asked for it AND offered to pay for the whole station. I knew someone that was involved with the project. Thought you might want to know. 🙂I really enjoy your videos. Thanks again for them. 🙂
Beautiful and informative. It's very reassuring to hear of forethought from our government! Mostly one hears different.
Thankfully there are a lot of career transit planners who think long term instead of 4 year chunks. It's just trying to convince the politicians that these projects are worth it in the long term.
This channel is criminally underrated. 1:01 This is the first I've heard about this plan for a new Vancouver OMC, I can't seem to find any information on it. I was under the impression that pocket track was for the eventual rerouting of the expo line allowing the seismically vulnerable terminal Ave test track to be torn down.
Pretty convenient timing on this upload, I've been mapping out the future Lower Mainland transit in the past couple weeks, I'll shoot you and email with a link, I'd like to get your thoughts.
OMC 6 is currently in study phase, but I've seen a couple documents referring to it as there. Not sure if it's publicly available yet. If I stop uploading, assuming Translink got me.
Amazing shots and commentary! Look forward to your next videos
Ahhhhhh this is so cool! I love these future-casting videos.
I love videos like these
such a joy to watch your video!!! so well made and a lot of informative subjects
Brilliant and concise with great visuals. What more could one want in a transit video?! I personally wish these extension projects were already funded because most of them are long overdue. If it weren't for a few bad apple leaders dragging their feet on funding the GVRD would probably have accomplished this and a North Shore Skytrain line by now.
Mate these videos are so in depth, well researched, and the footage from each area! Must take a life time to rip around and drone all the stuff you don't have on file! Not sure how you do it, but really enjoy these not only as a form of entertainment and interest, but also, very good guide for home buyers rn. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I'll be honest this one took me a while. It was supposed to come out in February, but I got distracted by the streetcar/lrt.
@ always love the update videos of the current projects but something crazy cool about looking ahead 25 years
Thanks for doing all this. Great presentation!
I live by tail track Brighouse, like your channel keep it up
Great video as always. The B-roll is especially fantastic.
Love this video! I'm fascinated by all the hidden "upgrades" and history present in our local infrastructure. A favourite example of this is the un-used access tunnel and stairs on the northwest corner of Dunsmuir and Beatty for Stadium Station!
Really fascinating and enlightening. Dang shame these extensions, though pre-planned, happen at a snail's pace... a guy can go from twenty something to post-retirement age waiting for things to take shape!!
So many interesting bits of hidden infrastructure that almost nobody knows about. Not totally sure about the Expo flyover at KGB. I don't think the expo line has the capacity to handle another extension, especially with the likely alignment being from Guildford to Newton, meeting the Expo line in the middle. And thanks for the gondola shoutout!
Really well done!!
I think transit planners should look at the train tunnel that enters at Dawson St area and exits at Burrard inlet to cross to the North Shore. As an added story; in 1988, our friends rented a house on Gilmore in Burnaby and in the basement you could hear the train underneath the home. Further; while cleaning behind the fridge, a letter from the 50's was found stating; The noise you hear periodically is train traffic in a tunnel near your home. So cool!
Love this video. I had no idea about the streetcar project. Connectivity to SE marine drive and especially River District will be amazing!
Great video! I love all the drone / in person footage
Great video!
Thank you and have a great week.
@7:00 West 1st is the old CP rail down town line. It wasn't built wide for a tram service, it was built wide for freight.
4:14 - re: that construction between Braid and Lougheed - that is actually on the Expo Line, specifically the Production Way branch! Though it's worth mentioning that part of the Expo Line was among the original Millennium Line stations until the system-wide rerouting in October 2016 before Evergreen was opened!
You are absolutely correct, but in my mind that part will always be the Millennium line :)
Thank you for the video! Please keep it up!
Great report!
Thanks!
Thank you very much!
Fantastic video but you missed the oldest and most obvious one - the Burrard Street bridge ever since it was built back in 1932 has had provision for a lower deck to be added. This was intended to serve Vancouver's original streetcar system but was never put into use. In part that was because it would have needed a lifting section at the main span in order to let large commercial vessels pass, and that wasn't deemed a better solution than the old swing-span trestle they were already using. However there is space within the concrete bridge columns for the machinery and counterweights necessary to install it. Surely if it ever comes to pass that will be some sort of record for the most advance-planned transit infrastructure ever built.
Wow, yeah I was unaware of that, super neat plan!
lost chance decades ago to build the Burrard Street Bridge with an under deck for a streetcar due to low money, could’ve ended up like the Bloor Viaduct in Toronto putting a rapid transit line underneath it. Maybe Arbutus Streetcar north along Burrard underground to downtown? Oh well rip.
Got a cool channel here. Keep it up! 👍
I admit i always assumed the King George tailtrack was a last minute change of plans, since i recall the original planning and build for the EXPO line being rushed and pretty controversial. Still remember my first trip on skytrain, leaving King George and getting off at what is now Science World to view the preview for EXPO 86. It seened SUCH a leap ahead for staid old Vancouver.
Very interesting! THanks
Such a good video. I'd love to see you do a companion video that looks at plans further out, all the way to Abbotsford or Chilliwack.
Great video as always! I've always thought they should have a skytrain from marine drive station to new west. It would be faster than light rail, though, if it's fully separated maybe it's not that big a difference.
Yeah it would be almost fully separated, so with timed level crossings it could really zip along.
Great research, it’ll be awesome when all this is built, too bad It’ll be 30 years but at least the next generation will have an even better transit system.
Hot take: the Arbutus corridor should just get Skytrain instead of a streetcar, and it should be tunneled downtown w/ stations serving the West End.
that was SO INTERESTING!
I'd really like to see the south van rail line converted to transit. Too much focus seems to be put on getting downtown, cross town transit opens up a lot of opportunities. It currently takes me 15-20 minutes to drive from Vancouver to south Burnaby, 40-50 minutes to bike, and 90-120 minutes to bus with no early Saturday morning option.
I love your work and you 🫡
Brown Noser
RE: King George Station
A large grade separated switch set should be built just east of the station. There is a BC Hydro right of way right there. A set of tracks going NW to 100 or 104 ave to Guilford and a set going south to Surrey Memorial Hospital, King George Blvd. Newtown etc.
Excellent video.
Priority one needs to be the Millennium Line from Arbutus to UBC. This will turbocharge ridership on the Millennium Line.
Priority two (could be done at the same time as UBC) is the Millennium line from Coquitlam Central to Port Coquitlam. Easy, cheap extension.
Priority three should be the Purple Line to Park Royal. This will bring rapid transit to the North Shore. The bonus is that it brings BCIT onto the SkyTrain network and provides another connection between the Millennium and Expo Lines.
That's what I would expect to happen as well. But we might see KGB jump the queue since Surrey really deserves better transit as well.
They should do something about the 3rd platform at Stadium-Chinatown station.
new patch notes sick
I hope that the province takes advantage of the existing right of way land assembly that had been done for the now abandoned plan for the Stormont Mcbride connector to have a through route for regional/high-speed rail to eliminate the tight turn coming off the Fraser river crossing
That's an idea worth looking into. I do want to make a video about HSR in our area and what it could look like as there are several options. But don't expect that video for at least a year, I'm slow.
I live in Kelowna and have always loved Skytrain whenever I've had the chance to ride it. Last may we took a short trip to Vancouver with my mom and with our 5 year old autistic son who loves every form of transit we've ever exposed him to. I have to say he was rather Meh on sky train compared to me. haha But man did he sure love Sea bus
We stayed near Gilmore station and rode from there to Commercial Broadway, then to Main Street-Science world, got off and went to Science world, Got back on to Waterfront, Took Sea bus, then came back and at my suggestion (much to the chagrin of my wife but with agreement of my mom due to time of day) Took expo line to Production way and then changed there to get back to Gilmore. it being afternoon rush hour at the time I believed that trains coming Inward on millennium line would be less busy than those going outward and keeping any seats we had on expo line rather than a transfer at Commercial Broadway would end up in a more pleasant ride even if it did mean slightly longer on the train.
I might like to get your thoughts on my line of thinking as a person who uses the system much more than I do.
Seabus is the top tier of our system. Nothing beats a good late night Seabus ride with a mcflurry in hand.
@@StainerTheFirst The thing he has yet to experience that I am excited for him to get to do sooner rather than later is experience the formerly worlds largest Double Ended RoRo Ferries by Taking a C Class Vessel across to see some family on the island. Despite how nice the new costal class are Nothing beats a good old C Class except for maybe Stena Danica II (Queen of Surrey I, Queen of the North) RIP
An east-west line along SE Marine Drive is sorely needed.
More direct to YVR from Coquitlam and new west.
Great video! Please, no street cars, just build more Skytrain routes or whatever you want to call it the new lines.
Arbutus was chosen to be a corridor for the Canada Line to Marine Drive and later to Richmond and YVR. Well it chose Cambie for its straight connection and ability to cut and cover the cost of an underground railway.
Arbutus is a winding path along a lot green spaces and suburban homes, would be hard to have an elevated stations and expensive with underground stations with heavy disruption and cost acquisition of nearby properties. A streetcar, rather a modern tramway would suffice with proper m traffic signaling with crossings, easier level accessibility, fitting in with the bike trail way and gardens sprouted beside the ROW. It was a former single track freight line, ample enough space with narrow Light rail vehicles
This, but also I should really start calling in an LRT since that's what it would probably be. It would only run on the street in a few areas, mostly downtown around Waterfront, whereas the rest is in a proper ROW.
hey that's supposed to say west not east. And also the subtitles say that the Pitt meadow bridge was built in 3 months
Directions are hard :) Fixed the caption for future viewers
While all the provisions Skytrain expansion is great, it's a bit of a shame there isn't more planning from Translink for heavy rail intercity service. Maple Ridge and Langley are so far out that we're looking at 1hr+ travel times to reach downtown Vancouver. I'm not sure Skytrain is the most effective technology with which to serve those communities.
technically skytrain is a heavy rail style system just with shorter and narrower vehicles, but i agree does need maybe a bigger version of the Skytrain with full size heavy rail electric commuter trains but also elevated which Metro Vancouver is vary familiar with. Hopefully it ends in Pacific Central being barely used as a station for two intercity services.
@@TheRandCrews Personally I would not call Skytrain heavy rail simply because it is, as you said, so short and narrow. Heavy rail being something similar in size to the West Coast Express. I don't know if elevated is necessary, since it would be possible to utilize the existing CN track from Pacific Central Station through Burnaby. Ideally then over (or under) a new Fraser rail crossing into Surrey and continuing via Hwy 1 median at least to Abbotsford if not Chilliwack.
It was probably originally intended for intercity heavy traffic but according to someone who had worked on the system, the issue was stability at high speeds and frequent stops so we ended up with a dumbed down version 😅. 2 versions were unveiled at expo 86. The Canadian version and the Japanese version. Canadian version gave up and just put wheels on the trains to stablize it. Japan on the other hand kept going, trying to research the original project but apparently it still running into the same issues 40 years ago.
The fun fact is that Maple ridge and Langley actually have significantly more ridership between each other. The vast majority of transit users east of the Fraser stay east. So it's not about getting everyone downtown as fast as possible.
@@StainerTheFirst True, the hub and spoke is a bit of an outdated mindset. It is definitely good to get connected to the network even just for short trips like Langley-Surrey or Maple Ridge-Coquitlam, but I think it's a shame that longer-range trips are seemingly an afterthought for Metro Vancouver planners.
I do wonder though, the vast majority of *transit* users may stay east of the Fraser, but is that the same for trips in general? To me, the traffic volumes during rush hour on Pitt River bridge and all Fraser crossings suggest otherwise. I'd wager this is only true because transit it not a viable option for many people coming from east of the Fraser since it's currently fairly disconnected from the 'rapid' network. If a trip is 40 mins by car (including sitting in traffic), or 1:20 on transit, it's not going to show as a high ridership route. Maybe once the expansions highlighted in your video come to fruition, the ridership trends will change!
Could you also consider a future video on the BIRT line and go through the possible alignment from Part Royal to Metrotown. Your drone shots are incredible and add so much perspective. I live in the Tricities area and commute to North Van once a month and it's a massive pain right now, even when I go off-peak hours, brutal. The BIRT can't come fast enough.
Carrying on from your other question as well, yes I will do a full proper video about BIRT as soon as proper information is available. But that will probably be several years from now. I now your pain, I head to the shore weekly and am forced to drive as the transit connection from my house to where I go takes about 2.5 hours.
It might be a better idea to create a new line to go down to Newton instead to reduce stress on the Expo line. 3 Options down the same direction on the line would be pushing it for sure. Could have this new line then go into Delta and then swing through the farmland to terminate at Richmond Brighouse providing easy airport access from Surrey and forming a train loop around much of Metro Vancouver. Could also split it off to serve Tsawwassen and the nearby Ferry Terminal as well as bring the line North-East from King George to serve that part of Surrey.
Good job! But this Future sounds going to the past...RoboTaxi, or maybe Flying Car looks more futuristic😅
I beleive there is a pipeline underneath the linear park on Willingdon from the terminal on Burrard Inlet to the airport, that is why the houses have been demolished. If this is true it would be difficult to build a Skytrain style system along there
7:55 "This line would run from Park Royal on the North Shore WEST to Phibbs Exchange"
I think you meant EAST lol
LMAO, ooops, yes it runs east.
I give this video 10 production way junkyard dogs out of 10.
Thank you for your generous rating
Nice Video. It looks that there is no possibility of the line from Richmond to Metrotown .
Great video, amazing quality videos you put out
Of all the public interest projects that are on the agendas, public transit projects will make the area more accessible and livable. One area that needs immediate attention is another crossing to the North Shore communities. It would be wonderful if a line could be developed to accommodate a rail link all the way to Whistler ( think Norway) which could ease traffic from the sea to sky highway and the two vehicle crossings to the North Shore. That idea shouldn’t be as difficult to do as much of the track is currently in place once the service has reached the North Shore.
Another incredible video with lots of detail. One thing I've always wondered is how will the elevated alignment work at Brentwood Station when the BIRT line crosses over. Will it go under the current elevated track, over, or somehow turn east and then turn back west to continue down. Elevated interchanges are not common, even the Commercial-Broadway station has unique geography which helps, but right on top of a big intersection, I don't know what the best solution is. Ideas? Are there any good examples from other cities?
Thanks! Looking into it there are no details for what station there will look like, it's all still very much in the exploratory phase. However there is a study being fast tracked on it currently that looks both at short term BRT and the long term ultimate solution. BRT stuff should be out middle of next years, with the full one out by Q2 2026.
Translink is far from perfect, but boy do I wish we had some of that capacity for long term planning here in Montréal. The REM was an attempt to copy some of that sky train magic but the government seems to have learned many of the wrong lessons from the experience
Great video @StainerTheFirst may I ask you a few questions about the new future of Transit Projects of Metro Vancouver!!!!
Sure thing!
i have opined since about 92 why the train didnt run down the center of the freeway with parkades and bus depots at each freeway interchange. a modern interurban(the loss of which was a serious detriment to the entire lower mainland) and the train along that route could have a higher speed as its further between stops, straighter, and more flat.
Do you also do bike lanes in the city? Thanks. I enjoy your videos. 🙂
They must revive the old BCER line to Chiliwack since most of right of way still exist today and mostly use by SRY rail (BC hydro RR successor)
Translink, the Province, the Feds and the GVRD will do just about anything to put off actualy building a transit project. Any study, half measure or public consultation will happen time and time again as long as they can put off "putting spades in the ground" and committing to a bold course of action. BC Ferries in the 60s, the Fraser Canyon in the 50s and 60s, the Rodgers Pass in the 60s, the North Thompson Yellowhead Corridor, and the Coquihalla have all been bold projects with dynamic leaders that made them happen. WAC and Bill Bennett. Phil Gaglardi are just a few of those dynamic leaders. Who will take the bull by the horns and be the next.
Great video. Did you find anything for the extension of the Canada Line from Richmond Brighouse?
Nothing concrete. It's definitely being monitored and isn't impossible, just not anytime soon from what I've read.
Hopefully we can eventually upgrade the skytrain to maglev
11 Minutes ago is transcendent
Transit expansion in Vancouver moves at a snails pace, hampered by environmental and feasibility studies, along with public opposition, politics and financial issues.
Since leaving Canada in 2015 for Thailand, Bangkok has probably built and commissioned more rapid transit than Vancouver has in total.
Investment in urban infrastructure in Vancouver seems to be low priority and reactive, rather than projective.
I heard a rumor, to connect Burrard Inlet with False Creek east - with canal similar to San Antonio, Texas
I accidentally deleted my original comment. If they ever get around to replacing the Massey Tunnel either by bridge or new tunnel it will be wide enough to facilitate transit and I was speculating perhaps permitting a rapid transit line but that has been pointed out as being impractical for connection to South Delta. Certainly it will provide dedicated bus lanes for enabling faster transit from South Delta. What might be considered is for future rail link for commuter rail to the south Fraser Valley. It may take 40 to 50 years to complete the rapid transit extensions that are covered in this blog.
One thing I'm not sure about is where the platforms at Brentwood would go
Your video quality is really good, do you shoot yourself.? Also, where do you get all this info from?
But what if instead we built just one more lane bro?
I swear we're gonna fix traffic
Do you have a source for the sale of the lot in burnaby at willingdon and hastings? i cannot find an article talking about the sale, only that council was directed to try and buy it.
I think I heard that they are trying to build a sky train to UBC, not sure if that was just a myth.
Is the extension of streetcars project (from Marine Drive station towards New West along SE marine dr) already in some approved phase of this plan or just a speculation?
It's in the long term planning phase, but active steps towards it are in the works. All the studies support it being a great idea, however funding is the main issue. With what few dollars we have to spend on transit, the funding is better used in ways that benefit the most riders, and the tram/lrt isn't that currently.
@StainerTheFirst thanks for the info! Fingers crossed
What are the odds of the ability to convert the existing Canada Line track to Skytrain technology?
Zero chance of it every being changed. While anything is possible for a price, it would never happen.
Skytrain to Tsawwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.
"Truth is the first casualty of war"
Anyone know where that overpass is at 4:55?
it’s the bridge at laurel st that goes over west 6th into Charleston park
The Lafarge Lake Douglas terminus of Evergreen - shown at 14:32 - has always seemed the most logical extension to the North Shore, continuing N on Pipeline Rd, W on David, then thru the forest to Belcarra, across Indian Arm via Boulder I, then aligned w. Mt Seymour Pkwy & Keith Rd before connecting w. the proposed Green Zone already on the North Shore & terminating at Lonsdale. The in-between population is no more minimal than between the ALR from Fleetwood to 184 St in Surrey; however, the population at each end is far greater.
Bro what 😂😂
Please, please can someone in Translink listen to this solution and fix the south end of the 2nd Narrows Bridge (Ironworkers Memorial) with the following ’very minor’ change and minimal cost to solve a very big problem.
Problem: Northbound Hastings St traffic heading for the bridge, currently feeds into the driving lane of the highway approaching the bridge. Drivers in the ‘slow lane’ in anticipation, cut into the passing lane (inside lane) forcing traffic to rapidly slow and jam up in both lanes.
Statement: Highways should have as few on-ramps as possible to avoid inefficient congestion.
Hastings traffic is ‘local, non-highway’ traffic. Traffic coming from McGill is also ‘local, non-highway traffic. Currently there are 2 lanes merging into one heading onto the bridge IN ITS OWN LANE.
Solution: the local, Hastings St traffic should run beside the highway (and not be allowed to merge with the highway), but instead, merge with McGill local traffic which has their own lane on the bridge. There should be no lane changes permitted on the curve at the initial approach to the bridge. Once on the bridge, there is plenty of room to change lanes appropriate to one’s destination.
Conclusion: This single change to the approach will massively speed up the flow of traffic onto the Ironworkers Bridge. Cost? I bet less than $50,000. This is the greatest, most affective modification to the bridge area which will deliver the maximum traffic impact, short of building a new bridge.
Yay. I’ll get to the the new line when I’m…. 51…. Wow ouch
I feel that :(
Any plans to expand the Canada line down to Delta and have it split to the Tsawwassen mills/Ferry Terminal and South Surrey?
doesn’t seem it could handle that much increased passenger with that such lengths, also would need to buy houses along No. 3 road just to get it Steveston Highway. The trains are too small being 40 metres while the underground stations would need to be heavily extended to make trains longer, leading to digging up Cambie again with also possible problems of inclines or declines along the right of way.
@@TheRandCrews it's more about planning to build to increase capacity for the future since these projects take 20-30 years of planning. It's all about future growth since these projects take so long to build.
The distance with such low population is just not feasible. The furthest south the Canada line is likely to end up is steveston with a rapid bus connection to the ferry
Everything I've read suggests that even in 50 years there won't be the demand to support the investment. With the new tunnel having proper bus lanes, that whole area can be served very well with buses for at least the next 50 years.
@@StainerTheFirst The Canada line should expanded down to Steveston Hwy with massive mixed used developments around each station to add more density. The city of Richmond will always keep growing. All land around these stations are always bought up sometimes decades ahead of time and triple in value which could be sold or leased to developers just like how it's done in Hong Kong. The traffic on Hwy 99 is getting worse every year.
In Hong Kong, transit stations are often funded through a unique and highly successful model called the "Rail + Property" (R+P) development model, primarily implemented by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC). Here's an overview of how it works:
1. Land Development Rights
The Hong Kong government grants land development rights to the MTRC, usually around proposed railway stations or along new transit lines. The land is often leased to the MTRC at a pre-railway market value, which is much lower than its potential value once the railway is operational.
2. Partnership with Private Developers
The MTRC does not directly undertake most property development. Instead, it partners with private real estate developers. The MTRC:
Selects developers through a competitive tendering process.
Leases the land to the developer at an agreed premium or share of profits.
Retains a portion of the retail or commercial properties for long-term revenue.
3. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
The developments around transit stations are designed to integrate seamlessly with the railway. This typically includes:
Residential towers.
Shopping malls.
Office spaces.
Public amenities like parks or pedestrian-friendly areas.
The proximity to a well-connected transit station enhances the desirability and value of these properties.
4. Revenue Sources
The MTRC generates revenue in multiple ways:
Land premiums: The difference between the pre-railway and post-railway land value.
Profit-sharing: A portion of the sales revenue or profits from the developed properties.
Retail/commercial income: Long-term revenue from leasing retained retail or commercial spaces.
5. Funding for Transit Infrastructure
The proceeds from the land development are used to fund the construction and operation of transit infrastructure. This model reduces the financial burden on the government and ensures the sustainability of the transit system.
Key Advantages of the Model
Self-sustaining funding: The MTRC is able to fund railway projects without heavy reliance on government subsidies or public funds.
Urban development: It promotes efficient land use and creates vibrant, well-connected communities.
Financial success: The MTRC is one of the few transit operators globally that consistently generates a profit.
Examples
Some notable examples of this model include:
Tung Chung Station: Integrated with residential and commercial developments.
Kowloon Station: Part of the massive Union Square complex, including the International Commerce Centre.
Tsuen Wan Station: Surrounded by large residential developments like City Point and Tsuen Wan Plaza.
This innovative model has made Hong Kong’s transit system a global benchmark for financially sustainable public transportation and urban planning.
Political reasons 😂
It's great to see such plans in place, but I would like to see more plans and budgets dedicated to rapid transit expansion. Unfortunately, there are too many NIMBYs who would rather see the younger generations work themselves to death instead of any improvements to transit or housing
12:50, I just don't see how it is economically feasible to extend the Skytain to Maple Ridge when we already have the tracks for the West Coast Express. In a fantasy world, I would like to see more frequent West Coast Expresses that extends South from Mission to Abbotsford, and then go East towards Chiliwack.
The West Coast Express is a great service for what it does, but imo it should never be upgraded to a 2 way all day service. I plan on making a highly controversial video about it.
This plan is at least 20 years behind
Can we agree that the North Shore priority is to build 2 new eight lane bridges, at Lions Gate and Second Narrows, and make them transit ready. The purple line is a stupid idea and one that will only get built in 60 years. The UBC line and the Maple Ridge line will get done first.
New bridge at 2nd narrows will come before a replacement for Lions Gate that has to deal the protesters for Stanley Park and the native land on the North Shore.
What about White Rock 🤘?
Great work my friend
If all goes according to plan, that Newton line he mentions towards the end will extent to White Rock. In the meantime we will be getting a high-capacity BRT line between White Rock and Surrey Central station!
Would love to see a SkyTrain down to Whiterock someday.
All of those projects should be done already. Now is horrible traffic, VCC Clark to UBC is build half way there. Translink is clueless by selecting trains Waterfront to Production Way instead all the way to the end VCC Clark, trains to Braid instead of Lougheed, closing one line between Braid and Lougheed first before any work on the new yard is at least half way finished. Those are only few examples of incompetence.
Future plans in Vancouver context means two generations in the making and 200% over budget.
Please, point out just about any city on earth who constructs infrastructure SOONER than its needed AND at less than originally budgeted? Neither of those are Vancouver issues, they are simply the result of regional authorities trying to juggle growth, finances, trying to see the future, and dealing with costs constantly rising as new people compete for space. Nobody does it perfectly, but Metro Vancouver, one of the most desirable growth areas in North America, is at least making efforts.
@@markdoldon8852 China with mega projects around the world are known for being on time and on budget comes to mind right away. Even Russia's growth to date shows remarkable results of meeting targets. Vancouver is great with condos though.🤦♂