When I saw the news I couldn't believe it. Finally getting some common sense zoning policy. I am so psyched for what kind of changes this will create. I hope we get some more mixed use along with this, even though that's not specifically called for in the legislation. More inexpensive, small commercial units within neighbourhoods would be great for everyone. Great video, thanks for making it!
The fact that mixed use was specifically not included greatly limits my excitement for this. Vancouver needs more retail at grade along these transit arterials and this does nothing to promote that. We're just going to have more luxury apartments like the ones south of king ed on ca,bud that are technically close to transit, but will continue to be car oriented because there are few businesses or services to walk to nearby
@@mattfromyvr I think additional density from the other bill eliminating single family zoning will also work to create enough middle density housing to increase commercial demand. Planners should take this opportunity to get ahead of it. Cities have the option to do things in addition to what they're being mandated to do here and I think adding mixed use would be easily excused - can just say "hey, our hands are tied on the density, these people need places to shop for essentials"
@@DevynCairns Vancouver's multiplex change had fees and requirements added specifically to curtail uptake - staff estimated 200 developments per year - so I'm not too hopeful on that one in particular, though they could potentially relax FSR requirements in the future that would make 6 unit strata or 8 units rental actually viable (possibly linked to utility capacity for the neighbourhood). AFAIK, the provincial version (small-scale multi unit) is more lenient, but it doesn't apply to Vancouver and other cities that already had similar policies. The TOD zoning is actually a big deal, because of how it will affect places like the Cambie Corridor and Broadway through the westside, where it's hard enough to get 6 stories built on an arterial or even just townhomes anywhere nearby. Vancouver is also working on neighbourhood commercial and 4-6 story multiuse, which is now superceded by the BC policy for a lot of area, but will be good beyond the 800 meter zones.
So many American cities need to do this! Most American cities are kind of a low-density, sprawling lost cause. LA will never look like NY. But...places like LA could have "transit islands" of efficient land use and high density around key transit stations and these "islands" could really help revitalize cities. Cities should ALWAYS zone for density, walkability, and efficient land use around train stations.
The US needs to allow for more high rises, we've gotten better at mid rise construction and some places like Seattle even got rid of multiple staircase requirements that allow for smaller footprint multifamilies. Canada like needs proportionally more 5+1s and the US needs proportionally less of them lol. I feel like high rises aren't as stigmitized in Canada as they are in the US too.
@@neilworms2 Absolutely. In most areas of most American cities, simply building tall is outlawed, or excessively regulated (sightlines, offsets, parking mins, firecodes, nimbys, lawsuits, etc...)
LA ironically had the largest streetcar system in the world at one point. If it successfully served agricultural town centers then, it should handle the sea of bungalows that make it up now.
BC is to be congratulated on this new legislation! We need similar legislation in Britain, coupled with legislation to encourage freehold ownership of apartments. (Currently that is almost impossible in England and Wales.) And to create the bus hubs around which we build the apartment blocks, we need to reregulate bus services, bringing them under public control.
This is fantastic news for Vancouver. As for Mississauga where I live, we are building for density with numerous condo developments including M City, but little to no rapid transit adequately serving these dense areas. M City is along Burhamthorpe which is already busy with traffic and a bus route that offers a 20 minute frequency utilizing a non articulated bus and the Square One bus terminal is 20 minute walk from this location. Transit definitely has to keep pace with growing density and cities need to have some kind of policy to encourage this.
Mayor Hazel realized it was rather late for her to make public transit a priority. Now Mississauga is paying for it. Hopefully the Sauga LRT and proposed Dundas BRT will be the beginning of more to come.
I also think the problem is that everything in Sauga is centered around square 1. So it makes expanding transit harder. Especially if you live outside their "core". The LRT will be better but they need to figure out when they'll install bike lanes and make their roads more ppl friendly. Because right now it looks like a mini highway on their main streets.
I live and work near M City and it's really hard to be optimistic here. I often tell people Mississauga is a bunch of cool ass sky scrapers and absolutely nothing at street level.
Interesting to hear that Translink will be developing some of the surrounding land into housing themselves. Japanese private rail companies have seen a lot of success by developing land around their lines and making them into destinations.
I wish GO Transit would do the same with all their parking lots, they could easily fund the operations. That's how all those old railroad companies in the 1800s made their money.
First one isn't too far off from me. 32 story building on the SE corner of Broadway and Arbutus with built-in station access. Actually kind of excited for what is coming in the next decade!
São Paulo approved a very similar project this year, but instead of 800m circle it was 1km. The city is already very vertical, but we have NIMBYs is some central neighborhoods that makes impossible to build on certain places nearby transit. So we have the paradox of being a vertical and sprawling city at the same time.
@@RMTransit yes, it true. but there are plenty of areas in the center of the city that could and should be more vertical: the old Centro (especially for low income residents), Jardins, Bela Vista, Pinheiros. But it’s great to see North American cities moving past NIMBYs in Vancouver and San Francisco. Hope that becomes a trend.
Yes, Vancouver is limited on 3 sides, so it grows upwards. The ocean to the west, the mountains to the north, the US border to the south, and farmland to the east... And we don't want to get rid of the farmland. So, smart zoning policy is the only one. You should do a video on Sam Sullivan's work as the ex-mayor of Vancouver, and his channel now called Kumtuks.@@RMTransit
I hope your optimism manifests into reality. I'll need to plan some visits to check out the transit and progress. Didn't know the extent of the transit up there was this nice, so at least worth a visit or two.
Agreed. I just wish it could successfully complete ONE of the TOD's it has started.... Century Park, Ford Road, etc. Now we've got Strathern, Holyrood, Bonnie Doon, Davies and Mill Woods to the mix...
@@stickynorthCentury Park is neat, but it’s a bit underwhelming at the moment. Honestly, what I really want to see is South Edmonton Common razed to the ground.
@@James-vj5hz To quote a Reddit comment I saw, “Maybe the future of urbanism is in depressed petrochemical hubs.” But yeah, Edmonton has been doing a lot lately. It’s setting the path on how to recover from suburbia.
This is apparently how Tokyo solved their housing crisis, back in 1958 I recall. Good to see that a city known for its Prairie sprawl is going in this direction!
Bravo, another well researched and presented video.. reminding me why I support you monthly. Doesn't hurt I'm also from Vancouver and am terrifically proud of our transit culture here for a smaller city in the global context
I live on the other side of the continent from Vancouver, but this new policy is awesome. Though where I’m from in Maine, housing prices are low (at least by U.S standards), I think this policy would be good for Maine (really anywhere in the U.S) because it will build up to the density and population to amounts suitable for more transit besides good to mediocre bus networks in the largest cities in Maine
The Skytrain zones are significant for Vancouver, but for the rest of the province allowing a minimum of 6 units per lot along frequent transit routes and 12/8 stories around bus exchanges is also a big deal for their transit networks. My hometown isn't that bad for allowing new development, but it's still irritatingly car-centric, so I'm hopeful this will help its transit network be more useful for more people (and I can dream of it getting some BRT routes 🤤)
Vancouver’s affordability is not just supply driven, it’s largely because of investors. Just like every other housing bubble - cheap debt and soulless parasitic investors.
You are absolutely right! The investors are the bigger problem. We have enough supply to house everyone. So far more housing has just meant more people can live in the lower mainland and barely make it by because their rent is insane
As a Victorian, I'm certainly hoping this does what it is supposed to. It also means I'm all the more annoyed at our lack of any form of RT. Victoria proper (as opposed to the many other municipalities in greater Victoria) did pass what was supposed to be a Missing Middle bylaw that raised the minimum density across the city, but it had a bunch of caveats that allow NIMBYs to block any attempt to use it as long as they complain enough, so it's effectively worthless. I really hope this new law doesn't fail the same way.
it will fail and even with a small amount of extra density, the Broadway to ubc corridor is one of the expensive in the world so to recap: we're going to spend close to 10 billion to build a train so a few students can shave a few minutes off the commute for a few days out of the year and housing will not be any more affordable for 99% of the population
@@yankfish Based on? There's already plans for a massive redevelopment of the Jerico lands around the UBC extension, the cost for the first half is expected to be around 2.8 billion so even if the second half is way more expensive you're not going to get to 10 billion and there's nothing 'few' about the number of students going to UBC, nevermind that there are plenty of non-students that will use this to get to the Broadway corridor.
@@yankfishWell... the Liberal decided to spend over 180 billion in infrastructure and 20 buses in Halifax a few years ago. So your 10 billion is a pretty small number.
@@AmurTiger based on the 10s of billions we've already spent on skytrains while the cost of housing has skyrocketed especially since 1986 (flat before then) which was coincidentally the inauguration of the expo line if you think that anyone except the very rich will afford those ultra luxury condos in Jericho then you're not thinking right and no, there isn't a huge demand of non-students going to ubc day-to-day and it's a ghost town during the summer and holidays
Lifetime Toronto resident (and subscriber) here... again, thanks for your efforts to share interesting, encouraging news. Means alot to those of us who care about our communities.
I'm currently a resident of Vancouver but I'm heading back to Seattle soon so I have a pretty interesting viewpoint being able to see both of the PNW (and N-America in general) major transit oriented cities and their development. Currently the system in Vancouver is pretty good, however the main issues I've found (and many others share) is the lack of transit & congestion going to North Van, as well as UBC. For North Van, you have essentially 1/3rd of the city that relies on 2 main bridges with no real alternative (Yes (I know the Sea-Bus exists but it doesn't have great capacity, and requires a connection stop before and after using it). The city desperately needs a sky-train that links downtown to park royal and one that links Burnaby with Capilano. The current system is plainly speaking, atrocious, busses are caught in the congestion on the 3-lane lions gate bridge (yes 3 lanes total, not for each direction, its a really dumb design), and going around to the Iron-Workers takes forever requiring 2 bus-transfers and isn't really close to many major destinations. Unfortunately the prospect of getting a sky-train bridge, or later a sky-train link across West & North van is quite unlikely for the next decade or two as the current local government has stifled any progress on those fronts. I've worked with some of the companies that contract with the provincial BC government for rail & transit construction and they're pretty under-funded and the current ABC Vancouver political group is vehemently against increased spending on transit programs. For the 2nd major problem from my experience, transit connections to UBC are pretty terrible when accounting for the actual demand. On any given weekday from 11am-8pm almost every single 99, 84, 44 and R4 will be jam packed from UBC to their terminus stations. The R4 is especially bad as it passes through a ton of semi-dense developments with almost no transit alternatives for east-west travel. South Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Oakridge all pretty much have to use the R4 to go east-west, with no real alternative, and Joyce-Collingwood & Metrotown also connect decently close to the R4 meaning there is insane demand for the route, that really just isn't provided by the bus. A bus that comes every 8 minutes and has a capacity of maybe 100 people just isnt enough for the demand, and its only going to get more exasperated with the massive development in Oakridge with almost a dozen 30-40 story high rise buildings going up in the are over the course of the next 5 years. The R4 needs to become a sky-train line however with the trend of NIMBY's in Dunbar/West-Point-Grey shutting down any construction plans, it will likely have to be a tunneled line which would increase construction & development time by about a decade. Even if a proposal was voted in today an elevated line would likely take 10-15 years to build, with an underground line taking 20-25 when considering engineering, station construction as well as just the immense cost and labor of tunneling. In addition to this the Millennium line extension only going to Arbutus is an absolutely asinine decision, once again because of NIMBY politicians and wealthy residents of West-Point-Grey who are opposed to development in their neighborhoods. While the millennium line extension is nice, especially with it connecting to the Canada line at Broadway-City Hall, it stops short of one of the most transit-demanding areas of Vancouver in UBC. It would be nice for me as I'm just about 1km out from the Arbutus station, but for anyone commuting to UBC it won't make a big difference as they're still going to be hopping on to the 99, just a decent bit closer to campus then they would before. I really hope that the zoning changes will add increased pressure to construct new sky-train lines here in Vancouver, but with how much the population of the city is growing year in and year out the current plans don't really even keep up with the increasing demand, let alone increase the quality and scope of the transit system. Vancouver is in an awkward spot in my experience, it's ahead of most of North America, but unlike many others its transit system will look mostly the same in 10-15 years while cities like Seattle have committed to continued development and will be expanding their network in scale and quality in a major way through 2040. The potential UBC extension of the millennium like would likely only open in 2032-36 and any North Van SkyTrain bridge or R4 Skytrain conversion would happen by 2045.
I am 100% with you. I live in North Vancouver. I studied at UBC for years while living there and now I work in West Point Grey. I spend three hours each day in transit because of this terrible planning. TransLink actually contacted me to be part of a study looking at people's use of their services. I hope it does something. The seabus is not frequent enough. We need an actual SkyTrain station. I know that UBC offered to pay TransLink to get the new station all the way to them. So I think it will get there. It will just take a long time. I saw that the old pie restaurant on the Alma stop of the 99 had moved. I kind of wondered if TransLink had bought the huge building. It would make a good place for a station.
@@Lily-ni5po AFAIK the Millenium line extension to UBC is in developmental limbo. Practically it really isn't that big of an issue, the soil composition is relatively similar to the areas already being worked on, routing and construction are all quite manageable. The real issue for getting the UBC extension done is just political pressure from rich NIMBY's in West Point Grey. Basically the Ken Sim political group is heavily favored by the super wealthy west-point-grey neighborhoods and so through their action and just resistance in townhalls & development phases any attempts to fund the extension have been voted down in the council even before being put to a general public election. The main issues are "construction noise from tunneling" and "disruption to current commerce" from station building. Really its just because having stations around McDonald, Alma and Blanca would increase pressure for re-zoning & added density which they want squarely out of their backyard. The likely cost of a UBC extension would probably be in the range of 2-2.5Bn CAD, with 50% from the federal government and 50% from the provincial government. Stations would likely be as follows: McDonald & Broadway (Occupying what currently is the Safeway Parking-Lot & RBC branch. Broadway/10th & Alma (there are 2 open lots currently occupied by community gardens). Either a Jerico-Lands station on 8th & Discovery, a station on 10th and Sasmat on the current lot (former safeway) or further along at 9th & Blanca where the current Small bus Loop is. The Terminus station would be on University & Wesbrook (Currently the lot occupied by the former ministry building). The major issue with expanding the transit system in Vancouver is that the government wants it to be done in micro-instalments ie: the Broadway extension (2.8Bn for 6 Stations 5.7km distance mostly tunneled), the evergreen extension (1.45Bn for 6 stations, 10.9km elevated). Both of these extension plans have taken longer to do separately than the entire initial construction of the Millennium Line and in addition they have been much more costly per-km. Any proposed south UBC-Metrotown connection line will likely be a majority underground (as with the current Broadway extension) which would make the potential 21Km 14 stop project cost an appalling 12Bn (compared to a much more manageable 5-6bn using an elevated rail line and similar station design to Renfrew, Gilmore & Brentwood)
A lot of what you say is sensible. But I take issue with you saying that the Lions Gate Bridge is “a really dumb design”. It was built in the 1930s so I doubt if its design was considered dumb at that time. Nowadays, yes, as far as overall transit infrastructure, it’s a bit of a sow’s ear and is unlikely to be transformed into a silk purse.
Thanks for covering this topic. As a Vancouverite I'm very happy about our province's new housing policy. You did a great job explaining the positive feedback loops between smarter zoning, housing, and transit.
This is good to see, although I worry that this could give NIMBY's a new angle to attack transit expansion. I could see in the future that a new transit line would get pushback from local NIMBY's not because they don't want to see the line built, but because they don't want the new zoning regulations to be expanded to their neighborhood. I still think this change is a good thing, but advocates should probably prepare to counter this stance.
I think with how much of Vancouver is actually covered by the Skytrain zones, the other policy that enabled higher density on frequent transit routes for the rest of BC (sadly not applicable to Vancouver), and removing public hearings for development that is inline with community plans, there will be a lot of development possible over the next few years that NIMBYs will make noise about the larger projects, but they can't really do much to stall or stop them. Hopefully by then others will experience the benefit of nearby density and services, and there will be less need to build as much / as big, so that NIMBYs get much less purchase over fear mongering about gradual density increases. (I've seen a bunch of people claiming that the new law will force land to be developed to 8/12/20 stories in these areas, which is not how it works. It will be a long while before any of them have a majority of the zoned land redeveloped, and we'll probably see a lot of shorter buildings developed in the outer areas since a 5+1 is much cheaper and faster to build than 8 story concrete)
I see, so NIMBY is just a childish label that you hang on anyone who doesn't want to live the same way that you do. You do you and let other people live the way they want to.
Living near a Skytrain station is the DREAM! Nothing like waking up to or getting home in the evening to relax to the sound of the squealing and scraping noise of Skytrains coming and going.
Literally never heard anyone talk about Vancouver's transit network or "transit-orientation". It being "one of" the best in North America is an incredibly low bar.
Yes, you are dreaming. It will never be affordable. If you think this changes anything you are in la la land. Unless the government builds and provides housing, there is no such thing as affordable housing. It's expensive to build. The land is expensive. The end result, all that new density, is new expensive condos.
@@Canucker4Life developers should be forced to build a certain number of rental units for every building, and there needs to be rent control. the fact that rent is tied to the tenant and not the property just incentivizes landlords to evict, driving rent up indefinitely. landlords should also have to be licensed just like any other small business. if you get caught breaking the residential tenancy act, you should get your license revoked.
@@jugbrewer1. Rent control makes housing less affordable, not more. 2. Developers are already incentivized to build rental real estate because of a tax break. They still have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per rental unit built though.
Great land use policy!!The California legislature passed a similar yet smaller approach with SB10 which gives local governments the option to allow more density within 0.5 mile of a major rail station and bus stop without the need for environmental review.
I live in Langley. I'm hoping that the station we're getting at Willowbrook Mall gets that area turned into a high density area like they've been doing at Brentwood mall in Burnaby. When I was a kid the Brentwood Mall area was not covered in high rises, there was no Skytrain, now there is both. I want to live near a Skytrain station and this new provincial housing policy is making that look more affordable and more likely.
@@red_skies80 I'd like to see that or at least something better than what's here now. The current bus connection to Abbotsford through Aldergrove I don't think is very good.
@@thisisjeff9845 I agree with the aldergrove thing, they need to make another bus route going on 32 ave, up into the meadows, down station rd, and down to 26 ave or something.
the white spot at will brook mall is going to close its doors at the end of the year ..why sky train .. its going right to 203 and Fraser highway the one thing its going to bring more drug addicts good bye langley
This is fantastic. I used the transit system in Vancouver in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was fantastic then, and I'm thrilled that it's getting such an incredible expansion. I hope that other places are paying attention, because this is absolutely brilliant.
I think they have to go this route anyway because much of Vancouver is hemmed in by the North Shore Mountains north of the city, the Fraser River through the city, and the US border to the south. And they should consider electrified commuter rail that connects Abbotsford, BC all the way back into central Vancouver.
There's a few challenges with rail for the valley and similar schemes. They're not in Translink and that's the primary transit planning organization, the sooner they get in the sooner they have a chance of having something built around their needs. Rail is... tricky in Vancouver. This close to the ports there's a lot of traffic on the existing rail and the connections aren't as good as you think they'd be due in part to elevation challenges around the steeper areas. Minimum effort to get good passanger rail service would at least involve new two-way rail bridges over the Fraser and probably taking out the swing stage and all the infrastructure needed to support that, might even have to tunnel actually to get the grades down. I do hope they start thinking about addressing these things but it's going to take a long time and probably some funding changes.
Best solution is probably an REM down the TransCanada, with mid-stations at Guildford, Carvolth and Trinity Western. BC Transit ran the numbers though, and they'd only get 3k riders/day (probably less after the pandemic). Gotta wait another few decades.
Definitely going to need upgrades. None of your videos show the skystrain stations during peak hours. This shows the skytrain looking like nobody is riding it, the platforms are already packed to capacity. I Definitely agree with you, major upgrades are needed.
As someone who lives near one of the ‘bad’ skytrain stations, this is very exciting! I would love to have more density here so I don’t have to take my car or go to another station to go shopping, going out to eat, etc.
David Eby an absolute chad. This guy came out swinging as soon as he took over as Premier almost a year ago and hasn't stopped swinging since. Love to see it.
I think the most important thing is to extend the Skytrain out as far as possible, to Delta, White Rock, Abbotsford, places like that. Take the places that are already cheaper to live and make the city car more accessible to them. Then you'll get people moving away from downtown Van to places they can live more cheaply or with more space while still being able to easily get to downtown. I keep getting priced out of the possibility of being anywhere near to the Skytrain.
Along with high density housing, what Canada really needs is to prevent investors from buying houses, and keeping them empty. In my neighborhood in Burnaby, almost 1 in 5 single family house is unoccupied. There are some cul-de-sacs where every house is unoccupied. If suddenly without any additional construction, 15% more houses are available, the prices will go down.
I live in an area in south central Edmonton called Old Strathcona(it used to be a city at one time). There are mostly small walk-up apartments and some older houses in the immediate area of Whyte Ave, although some newer developments. In this area there are 15 large empty lots and no construction activity happening. Big time investors come into the area and buy old houses in batches of 3, flatten them leave the land empty. City of Edmonton just jerks around and lets these 'investors' get away doing nothing to alleviate an aging residential area with lots of crime.
I just moved out to the Vancouver area from NJ to live with my partner (Vancouver native) and let me tell you... the access to transit is night and day! We only have easy access to the nearby West Coast Express and bus terminal, but the thought of the prices becoming affordable enough that we could move into SkyTrain range is going to make me giddy the rest of the day. Thanks for making this video, we'll definitely be on the lookout for the policy's effects in the coming years!
Vancouver's wisdom in choosing an automated system-- and the Canadian government's wisdom in developing it-- can hardly be overstated. Thirty trains an hour is a rare luxury in North America, but it's commonplace in Vancouver. In my own city of Atlanta, dense residential development is occurring, but it's remote from rail stations because people don't want to rely on trains that come only every ten minutes at best even during peak hours.
10 minutes??! in sicily(southern italy) i live in a city of 800k pop. and we do have trams and an extremely developed bus system but people still prefer the urban train system that has trains coming once every 30 minutes
I once lived in Atlanta. MARTA was neutered from the beginning with Cobb & Gwinnett Counties not allowing MARTA heavy rail and that mostly Fulton and DeKalb Counties pay the once cent MARTA tax. Still, a LOT of work on MARTA heavy rail needs to be instituted and it needs to serve all citizens and not be looked at as transport for those without other means. Taking MARTA from the airport to Brookhaven can be "interesting" until the train is past Midtown. Even then getting a cab to/from MARTA in those days was difficult and once was in a taxi so beat up and broken that the rear bumper fell off near Peachtree and Club Road. I lived about a mile from that. Uber should have solved that issue but in the mean time, I moved out to the west coast and have not been back to Atlanta for years. I miss the greenery of Atlanta but don't miss Atlanta one bit. MARTA should be so much better than it is.
Agree about the wisdom of automation. Besides the frequency of the trains, the other great thing about an automated system is that when a transit strike occurs and the buses stop, management can at least keep Skytrain running. That way, people can still make it most of the way to their work or other destinations. The city isn't paralyzed.
A proposed transit line made completely of concrete rampart and stations along with ancillary apartment buildings? A suburban dystopian nightmare paid for by taxpayer money.
@@spartacusyoyaSounds like a dream come true. Doesn't matter how much you want to make it sound like a bad thing. No number of fake accounts created 6 months ago can change that.
I recently moved to Vancouver from Ottawa and Kitchener in Ontario, I absolutely loved the other day when I was able to go see a late night movie and get back home (my apartment is only a minute away from a skytrain station) so as a young woman alone I didn’t have to worry about my travel home, movie theater in the station and short safe walk home, in Kitchener the transit ended at like 11:50, so I was never able to go to a movie without having to walk home at 1AM
I subscribed, I am 100% pro transit. My city (Saskatoon, SK) just got over $150 million in transit funding from all 3 levels of government for BRT and replacement of older buses. I am so excited for the future of Saskatoon Transit! 😊
My only issue with all of this is security on public transit here is lacking... I feel on edge in certain cities/areas in north america so driving more people into the system without addressing the issue of safety is halfbaked. On the otherhad, just got back from Japan and the local and regional trains there are incredible; clean, safe, affordable and efficient.
I am so stoked for this. My place is 350m from a new station so we will have more density which bring more culture, shops and entertainment with better transit. I really hope we can prove this case so other cities take the model and use it.
For all your praises of Vancouver's system (where I live) I was impressed by Singapore; each MRT station is connected to a mall/shopping center, and also a bus hub. Busses would take you from your home to the hub, which was either your destination or you'd transfer to the MRT. And the MRT was *extensive*. Covering huge swaths of the city with many different lines. I'm a car lover, but Singapore impressed me.
hopefully Ontario copies it eventually because the Ontario line and Scarborough subway extension are perfect for this and especially the go expansion it's perfect for this redevelopment
It's already happening. The Ontario line will force NIMBY's to except new development in their areas resulting in new density from mid to high rises in areas that we'd never think would get any density. Areas like the Danforth and Don mills are about to get shaken up like crazy in the next 5-10 years.
So happy to see so many of my daily commute Skytrain stations featured in this video. Hope this means someday I'll be able to afford to buy a condo within walking distance of a skytrain station.
You should do an episode where you try to plan a transit system for Victoria at some point with those markers of yours. A lot of BC’s recent housing policy comes from the missing middle debate on the lower island - the provincial policy was overseen by a former Victoria mayor. This puts Victoria in the funny position of having a head start on transit-oriented-development compared to the rest of the province but without any of the corresponding transit (just a really nice bike network - arguably the best one in Canada). The possibility of some sort of rail transit system keeps on popping up then disappearing here since VIA stopped running in 2011, so it seems like it’s bound to happen eventually, but nothing concrete has happened yet.
Interesting to see as I left Vancouver for Montreal in 1989. I imagine I would not recognize parts of the city anymore. Plus I see that you are filming in a Montreal Metro station. (I do miss Vancouver)
I'm optimistic for the future of Translink because, like you said, I think it's the region's biggest asset but I'm really really hesitant in being optimistic for what it means re: housing in this city when there's so little promise in current developments where they are permitted. If future developments around stations are going to be the same 700sq ft luxury condos that largely serve as speculative investing for property owners, then the housing crisis isn't really addressed all that meaningfully. There's so many connected pieces of the puzzle that need to be addressed together to solve this wider issue and this is definitely a great step forward but without addressing other issues municipally and provincially I'm sorta bracing myself for less meaningful change than I'd hope.
This is so nice, living in Toronto I just feel like the transit development is so far behind. Part of it I suspect is due to the TTC being dug way before the skytrain, and the larger part is just bureaucratic incompetence so new lines take forever to build.
So glad you took notice of this news! This will be huge for the region for years to come. Btw, any chance at a Surrey-Langley SkyTrain video in the future? 👀👀👀
I’ve used transit across the GVRD for more than 40 years. It’s always been poor. Compared to Japan, Thailand and Singapore, the Lower Mainland has been primitive. I’ve used them all. We are a car city, and getting higher taxes on residential property is never going to happen. So funding for transit will be insufficient. Your optimism is misplaced, and transit in future will be as bad as in the past. High density living can be highly stressful and unpleasant, like an insect colony or prison.
Biggest issue that Vancouver is facing with building new housing is a level of NIMBYism so rabid that it hobbles the true TOD potential that Skytrain offers that we've seen in stations such as Metrotown. Commercial Broadway is still surrounded by strip malls, parking lots, single story retail buildings, and single family housing, VCC-Clark is a wasteland with nothing of value, and King Edward's idea of TOD is a wimpy seven story building over a Canada Line station. Hell, the Broadway Plan faced massive opposition from a mostly grey and white haired group who was afraid of it "destroying the character" and "pricing out Vancouverites" when it was going to add major character to the corridor and offer thousands of affordable units. I think that now these people are too tired to do anything but retire is objectively good for the urban fabric of our city.
@@avrowolf There really aren't too many Gen Xers who are against more affordable housing. They spent years being marginalized by the boomers, and now that they're in charge, they're making some beneficial changes. David Eby comes to mind, as he has been at the forefront of the beneficial zoning law changes being made in BC. The recent change to TOD zoning along with the province-wide change in Single-Family zoning will solve our housing crisis in only a handful of years. Half the reason why we were falling short on housing was governments constantly downsizing developments and restricting density.
This is SO needed right now, Hell, it was needed a decade ago. A sane and forward-thinking plan that will help address everything from the QOL to productivity in Vancouver. I can't wait to see a new Metro Vancouver take shape.
many thousands of condo units and higher density have been built everywhere skytrain is for decades and prices are higher than ever why would a leg to UBC make any difference those condos are going to be the most expensive we've ever seen
@yankfish Thousands of units have been built, but clearly it isn't enough, and a lot of the developments in the last decade cater to short term investment rather than long term housing. As Reece mentioned, the 'tall and sprawl' style of density that you see in Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey is a result of poor zoning policies that protect SFHs in high value land areas. The land that these homes sit on has become prohibitively expensive for the type of housing that currently occupies it. This new legislation will allow for more "gentle density further from skytrain stations. That means it won't just be highrise towers next to SFHs, but low and midrise apartments and condos as well. This will add thousands of more units for a lower construction cost. And while we have a lot of stations with condo towers around them, we have just as many that don't. Commercial Broadway Station, the most convenient and easily accessible station in the entire region (with direct access to six different municipalities) remains practically unchanged since the 1980s. C/B Station should have thousand of homes built around it by now, but due to local opposition, the surrounding area is stagnant and run down - while houses a few blocks away reach 2.5-3 million dollars. This area should be Vancouver's Midtown. Metro Vancouver's insane housing prices are a direct result of bad policy ie. outdated zoning laws and weak politics that cater to local NIMBYS/BANANAS that protest absolutely anything proposed in their backyards. Pragmatism towards housing hasn't been in thing in the Lower Mainland for decades. Luckily, good sense and sound policy is making a comeback.
I'll say it again, nothing is going to change or at least wasting more billions so mostly foreign students save 10 minutes to the ubc commute won't lower housing costs if it didn't in burnaby, surrey, new west, south and east van, Coquitlam with the other trains why would this one it goes through near the very top of land cost in the country, how will developers be able to buy large plots of land where so little is undeveloped they will have to buy 6, 10 or more contiguous houses to build anything at the cost of 10s of millions to build a low rise? what do you think those apartments are going to cost? millions! no development at commercial and Broadway? what makes you think the same NIMBYism won't happen in kits. building skytrains to lower housing cost when it always does the opposite seems like the definition of insanity or in the case of those who praise this video; stupidity.
Same - this has given me some hope there will be a place I can afford in a few years, but whether I make it that long or it just makes financial sense to move away first is still uncertain.
My family was priced put before I even got to high school. Perhaps sometime in the future I might be able to come back. I don't hold much hope though, historically I've only been disappointed by housing all across Canada.
Also in this legislation: Re-zoning applications that are within the guidelines of the Official Community Plans are barred from going to public engagement or a city council vote! This part is going to be pretty big in the greater Victoria area; we often have months or years long back-and-forths between public engagement and council for relatively modest developments within OCPs.
I'm so up to date with Vancouver transit, that the only reason i knew about the SeaBus is from IFHT interviewing the guy making SeaBus Memes...xD Cheers from Switzerland
One of the transit adjacent development situations that drives me nuts in Vancouver is how many stations we have that are just standalone islands. Even within the city core we keep planning stations, (Broadway ext,) that are just small standalone buildings instead of just having the station entrances as part of a building above. Broadway-City Hall, for example, not being a full mixed use building that just has the station entrance on a corner is just silly. Such inefficient use of space, and missed opportunities for continuous revenue from rental to support the network.
translink doesnt think, they just waste taxpayers money for the heck of it. I would of taken Bombardier over the crap korean trains that are incompatable with the existing system with stations that are too small.
The GVRD is very close to being manageable without a car. A bit more access via Skytrain into the valley, and the North Shore, and it'll be looking great. The North Shore in particular is a complete disaster in terms of traffic. They needed a tunnel or bridge for high speed rail about 10yrs ago, and the problem doesn't get any better with time.
I wouldn't have my hopes up yet on housing being more affordable, though I hope eventually things turn around eventually (not expecting miracles). The expansion is great on transit
My thoughts 1. There is a number of remote bus stations, such as the Ladner Exchange loop which is surrounded by 2 very big fields, and some hospitals and rec buildings. I wonder if this bus loop will see the redevlopment of those fields into much needed housing? 2. Does the west coast express count as a BC rail system? Ive never been on it so I'm not sure, but you mentioned there werent other rail systems. Lovely video, love seeing videos on Vancouver.
The remote loops probably need to past muster from a flood / environmental perspective but then I see no reason why we can’t build around them. West Coast Express exists but I wouldn’t suggest it’s reliable all day transit since it only runs a few trips a day!
@@pex3buy the tracks out from the freight rail companies. Just getting the limited service it has was a huge headache, and dealing with the freight companies has made there be very little appetite within TransLink for improving or expanding the West Coast Express. It’s a real shame, because there are already tracks all over the region to places that could really use good suburban rail transit. Especially to places like White Rock and Delta, up the Valley, and the North Shore. Stations and some passing tracks could be laid down for way less money than building new Skytrain lines, but the freight companies will never allow it. I’d like Reece to make a video on the sale of BC Rail sometime. I think more people need to know about what an absolute travesty that was and if there’s anything we can do to get the railways back under public control
For anyone not familiar with this loop these fields are not farm land. I just wanted to add this as farmland particularly the more productive land in the ALR is very important to maintain. I do think that these non agricultural fields would be good to see turned into housing.
Hi reece, you always seem chirpy and bouncy in your vids which I like ad it adds to the enjoyment of your work, but couldn't help but notice in geoffs video in London you was not hoping it was just a case of jet lag or something glad to see you back to your happy bouncy self
If the NDP actually does this, they'll have my vote next election! I'm particularly pleased to see BC Transit getting involved in property development. All those development profits absolutely should be going into public services instead of some rich bastard's pockets. I've been talking about the need for exactly this kind policy ever since I learned about how Japan Railways group makes most of its revenue from transit oriented development, not fares. It's insane that we let private property developers reap all the profits created by publicly funded transit lines. Of course there are always going to be powerful moneyed interest groups who oppose actual solutions to the housing crisis. For any of this to work, we need leaders with the backbone to tell those people (politely) to go f themselves.
You presume that BCT can manage a project as well as some profit driven developer. You know what they about making assumptions. I can't wait to hear the outcry from transit users about rising fairs to pay for project overruns. That should be fun.
I was born in Vancouver in the early 1960's and lived here the majority of my life. But in 2014 I moved to Silicon Valley in America and have been working there ever since. I'm back visiting Vancouver for 2 weeks. Learning that the monthly rent for a one-bedroom is now $2500+ shocked me. Not only are the average salaries here much less than in the SF Bay Area but income tax rates are also MUCH more expensive. I truly don't understand how anyone but the wealthiest people are able to afford living here.
I still have my certificate given out on 1st day of skytrain ridership. Was transit operator (bus) for 10 yrs throughout the GVRD. Very cool video. Much appeal to a transit geek like me ❤
That new 80 storey condo tower in Burnaby is supposed to have 14 levels of underground parking, beating the world record of 12 at the Sydney Opera House.
Great news, we need more density to save our farms, forests and grasslands, and that density should come around transit lines automatically! That is interesting that they chose a minimum floor to area ratio for these developments, as opposed to just a minimum populatiom density for the surrounding areas. I am also surprised at how dense they must be. I would have expected more 4-5 storey density a la Montréal, these will be interesting to see!
This makes sense in a lot of ways. However, as someone who doesn’t like to live around extreme density, it’s kind of nice having so many pockets of quiet natural areas to escape to. This will definitely change the liveability in that way.
Hey Reece, Congratulations on your amazing videos about public transit globally. Indeed, I am truly impressed by this novel approach that British Columbia is taking to make housing more affordable, particularly in Vancouver where property prices are skyrocketing. I'm pleased to note that Transit Oriented Development (TOD) will continue to increase the accessibility of public transportation and social amenities, e.g. residential areas, shopping malls, parks and offices, etc. I definitely look forward to this progress in Vancouver and across Canada being escalated to alleviate the housing crisis in the Great White North. This could really be a great model for other countries such as Kenya, my country - to emulate. Keep it up, Reece! You are the champion for public transit and an activist for the paradigm shift in urban design. My sincere hope is that your resourceful ideas can be implemented in Canada and Beyond. Best wishes, Eric Lelei
Two problems... well, maybe three. 1) "Vancovuer is the best place to live" except becoming unaffordable to live here. That's kind of cherry-picking. Which leads me to... 2) Guy who is obsessed with transit predicts changes to zoning rules around transit stations will fix everything. And is ignoring... 3) Price = Demand/Supply. Nothing in this ensures lower prices - and if the new suites fill up as fast as they're being made, then prices will still go up. Basic economics, amigo. Metro Vancouver is trapped in a cage. It has mountains to the north. Farmland and the US to the south. An ocean to the west. Farmland and more mountains to the east. That's the actual problem, there is no way for Metro Vancouver to get larger to accomodate the influx of people. That means either densifying the Metro (which is basically what you're suggestion), or restricting inflows, which will never happen. But as I note in #3, you can densify all you want, but if the new suites are filling up as fast as they're made, there is zero incentive for builders to lower prices. What's actually needed is price control in much the same way BC limits rent increases, but the argument there is that it disincentivises builders from building. The only model I've seen that works is the 'split' model - builders get waivers on restrictions or tax reductions IF they buld a mix of low cost rentals and high cost condos. In the end though, it's just not sustainable. Canada is the second largest country on the planet but over 50% of the population lives in just 14 cities: 6 in Ontario, 2 in Alberta, 2 in Quebec, 2 in BC, 1 in Manitoba and one in Nova Scotia. A far more rational approach is to build new cities and get people spread out better. It would also let us start from scratch with a good city design, instead of constantly having to build and rebuild.
It's interesting that Translink is actually investing in real estate and using it to help fund transit projects. I understand that Brightline is doing something similar in Florida. I wonder if California could do the same to help fund California HSR. Or perhaps that ship has already sailed. That's basically how the US government funded the transcontinental RR.
@@RMTransit 1) Can you launch an attack campaign on the City of Vancouver's height restrictions. 2) Can you launch a campaign to build a bridge from Deep Cove to Belcarra.
I live in Canada and I didn’t know that Vancouver’s transit system was so “famous”. Anyway we need more housing everywhere so it’s a good idea. Will it make housing more affordable. Probably not. Developers are greedy.
Honestly, they could have done thos twice as big 12 years ago and it still would not be enough for how things are now. 3/4 of that city is owned by people who don't even live in the country.
I hope more cities follow suit! Here in LA there are some programs meant to incentivize TOD but nothing so ambitious as this. I hope we find the political will soon.
In LA didn’t they have an underground rail development that never got far as ridership was not high enough. really stupid short sightedness as “build it and they will come” is the way to think.
BC went to a zoning model four decades ago. That WHY the high rise concrete condos all the way to Surrey, New Westminster, and Coquitlam are largely within WALKING DISTANCE to a Skytrain rail platform today. It's been done. And prices are NOT going to come down for all kinds of reasons not relevant here.
Vancouver is like the only North American city that "gets it" It may not be the best city in North America right now (still NYC), but it could be vying for that spot in ~10 years.
I don't know. This might make Vancouver even more desirable to live in, inducing more demand, and...it could become as expensive as Hong Kong, which has a lot of transit oriented development already that didn't help its housing prices at all.
I agree, though I’m not confident the Hurontario line has the capacity it needs today, much less if it had this level of development - SkyTrain offers significantly more capacity
When I saw the news I couldn't believe it. Finally getting some common sense zoning policy. I am so psyched for what kind of changes this will create. I hope we get some more mixed use along with this, even though that's not specifically called for in the legislation. More inexpensive, small commercial units within neighbourhoods would be great for everyone.
Great video, thanks for making it!
Thanks so much, hopefully it means that existing businesses in TOD hubs do well and that leads to a push for more!
The fact that mixed use was specifically not included greatly limits my excitement for this. Vancouver needs more retail at grade along these transit arterials and this does nothing to promote that. We're just going to have more luxury apartments like the ones south of king ed on ca,bud that are technically close to transit, but will continue to be car oriented because there are few businesses or services to walk to nearby
@@mattfromyvr I think additional density from the other bill eliminating single family zoning will also work to create enough middle density housing to increase commercial demand. Planners should take this opportunity to get ahead of it. Cities have the option to do things in addition to what they're being mandated to do here and I think adding mixed use would be easily excused - can just say "hey, our hands are tied on the density, these people need places to shop for essentials"
@@DevynCairns Vancouver's multiplex change had fees and requirements added specifically to curtail uptake - staff estimated 200 developments per year - so I'm not too hopeful on that one in particular, though they could potentially relax FSR requirements in the future that would make 6 unit strata or 8 units rental actually viable (possibly linked to utility capacity for the neighbourhood). AFAIK, the provincial version (small-scale multi unit) is more lenient, but it doesn't apply to Vancouver and other cities that already had similar policies.
The TOD zoning is actually a big deal, because of how it will affect places like the Cambie Corridor and Broadway through the westside, where it's hard enough to get 6 stories built on an arterial or even just townhomes anywhere nearby.
Vancouver is also working on neighbourhood commercial and 4-6 story multiuse, which is now superceded by the BC policy for a lot of area, but will be good beyond the 800 meter zones.
@@eugenetswong Too bad they didn't listen to you back then! Thank you for trying though.
So many American cities need to do this! Most American cities are kind of a low-density, sprawling lost cause. LA will never look like NY. But...places like LA could have "transit islands" of efficient land use and high density around key transit stations and these "islands" could really help revitalize cities. Cities should ALWAYS zone for density, walkability, and efficient land use around train stations.
LA could have great transit service even with its existing density, more would be amazing though
The US needs to allow for more high rises, we've gotten better at mid rise construction and some places like Seattle even got rid of multiple staircase requirements that allow for smaller footprint multifamilies.
Canada like needs proportionally more 5+1s and the US needs proportionally less of them lol. I feel like high rises aren't as stigmitized in Canada as they are in the US too.
@@neilworms2 Absolutely. In most areas of most American cities, simply building tall is outlawed, or excessively regulated (sightlines, offsets, parking mins, firecodes, nimbys, lawsuits, etc...)
LA ironically had the largest streetcar system in the world at one point. If it successfully served agricultural town centers then, it should handle the sea of bungalows that make it up now.
@@doujinfliptbf it was more of a commuter rail system that was really slow than anything else
BC is to be congratulated on this new legislation! We need similar legislation in Britain, coupled with legislation to encourage freehold ownership of apartments. (Currently that is almost impossible in England and Wales.) And to create the bus hubs around which we build the apartment blocks, we need to reregulate bus services, bringing them under public control.
The bus services in Britain are really lacking, but it at least seems that that’s changing in places like Manchester
Yeah the housing price in London is more expensive than in Vancouver
@@RMTransitHaving a Labour council helps
Crash land values
@@OscarOSullivan It certainly helps in the City of Nottingham, where I live.
This is fantastic news for Vancouver. As for Mississauga where I live, we are building for density with numerous condo developments including M City, but little to no rapid transit adequately serving these dense areas. M City is along Burhamthorpe which is already busy with traffic and a bus route that offers a 20 minute frequency utilizing a non articulated bus and the Square One bus terminal is 20 minute walk from this location. Transit definitely has to keep pace with growing density and cities need to have some kind of policy to encourage this.
The gap between development and transit service in Mississauga is really shocking. The LRT should have been something higher order.
Mayor Hazel realized it was rather late for her to make public transit a priority. Now Mississauga is paying for it. Hopefully the Sauga LRT and proposed Dundas BRT will be the beginning of more to come.
I also think the problem is that everything in Sauga is centered around square 1. So it makes expanding transit harder. Especially if you live outside their "core". The LRT will be better but they need to figure out when they'll install bike lanes and make their roads more ppl friendly. Because right now it looks like a mini highway on their main streets.
I live and work near M City and it's really hard to be optimistic here. I often tell people Mississauga is a bunch of cool ass sky scrapers and absolutely nothing at street level.
Hey I have family there yatemens ..
Interesting to hear that Translink will be developing some of the surrounding land into housing themselves.
Japanese private rail companies have seen a lot of success by developing land around their lines and making them into destinations.
They’ve already begun a few projects! Very exciting stuff!
That's what Brightline is doing in Florida.
MTR in Hong Kong does that too and IIRC they make so much money off that they make a healthy profit while keeping fares low.
I wish GO Transit would do the same with all their parking lots, they could easily fund the operations. That's how all those old railroad companies in the 1800s made their money.
First one isn't too far off from me. 32 story building on the SE corner of Broadway and Arbutus with built-in station access. Actually kind of excited for what is coming in the next decade!
São Paulo approved a very similar project this year, but instead of 800m circle it was 1km.
The city is already very vertical, but we have NIMBYs is some central neighborhoods that makes impossible to build on certain places nearby transit.
So we have the paradox of being a vertical and sprawling city at the same time.
São Paulo can be vertical and sprawling though because it’s massive!
@@RMTransit yes, it true. but there are plenty of areas in the center of the city that could and should be more vertical: the old Centro (especially for low income residents), Jardins, Bela Vista, Pinheiros.
But it’s great to see North American cities moving past NIMBYs in Vancouver and San Francisco. Hope that becomes a trend.
Yes, Vancouver is limited on 3 sides, so it grows upwards. The ocean to the west, the mountains to the north, the US border to the south, and farmland to the east... And we don't want to get rid of the farmland. So, smart zoning policy is the only one. You should do a video on Sam Sullivan's work as the ex-mayor of Vancouver, and his channel now called Kumtuks.@@RMTransit
I hope your optimism manifests into reality. I'll need to plan some visits to check out the transit and progress. Didn't know the extent of the transit up there was this nice, so at least worth a visit or two.
Very positive news for Vancouver! Cities should look at Edmonton’s example too with their new zoning laws that allow density *everywhere*
I'm becoming less caught off guard by comments like this, but it's absolutely true. Edmonton has really been leading the way on this.
Agreed. I just wish it could successfully complete ONE of the TOD's it has started.... Century Park, Ford Road, etc. Now we've got Strathern, Holyrood, Bonnie Doon, Davies and Mill Woods to the mix...
@@stickynorthCentury Park is neat, but it’s a bit underwhelming at the moment.
Honestly, what I really want to see is South Edmonton Common razed to the ground.
@@James-vj5hz To quote a Reddit comment I saw, “Maybe the future of urbanism is in depressed petrochemical hubs.”
But yeah, Edmonton has been doing a lot lately. It’s setting the path on how to recover from suburbia.
This is apparently how Tokyo solved their housing crisis, back in 1958 I recall.
Good to see that a city known for its Prairie sprawl is going in this direction!
Bravo, another well researched and presented video.. reminding me why I support you monthly. Doesn't hurt I'm also from Vancouver and am terrifically proud of our transit culture here for a smaller city in the global context
Much appreciated! The city is doing a lot of very exciting stuff!
I live on the other side of the continent from Vancouver, but this new policy is awesome. Though where I’m from in Maine, housing prices are low (at least by U.S standards), I think this policy would be good for Maine (really anywhere in the U.S) because it will build up to the density and population to amounts suitable for more transit besides good to mediocre bus networks in the largest cities in Maine
For sure, it helps create land use that will always be better for transit
The Skytrain zones are significant for Vancouver, but for the rest of the province allowing a minimum of 6 units per lot along frequent transit routes and 12/8 stories around bus exchanges is also a big deal for their transit networks.
My hometown isn't that bad for allowing new development, but it's still irritatingly car-centric, so I'm hopeful this will help its transit network be more useful for more people (and I can dream of it getting some BRT routes 🤤)
Vancouver’s affordability is not just supply driven, it’s largely because of investors. Just like every other housing bubble - cheap debt and soulless parasitic investors.
Incorrect. It’s because of the governments restrictive housing policy and insane densification taxation.
💯
Ok, genius
Also investors and developers who GETALLL OF THR KICKBACKS AND BENEFITS of the policies and the regular people get little to nothing
You are absolutely right! The investors are the bigger problem. We have enough supply to house everyone. So far more housing has just meant more people can live in the lower mainland and barely make it by because their rent is insane
6:53 Don't forget about the West Coast Express. That thing is amazing
As a Victorian, I'm certainly hoping this does what it is supposed to. It also means I'm all the more annoyed at our lack of any form of RT. Victoria proper (as opposed to the many other municipalities in greater Victoria) did pass what was supposed to be a Missing Middle bylaw that raised the minimum density across the city, but it had a bunch of caveats that allow NIMBYs to block any attempt to use it as long as they complain enough, so it's effectively worthless. I really hope this new law doesn't fail the same way.
it will fail and even with a small amount of extra density, the Broadway to ubc corridor is one of the expensive in the world
so to recap: we're going to spend close to 10 billion to build a train so a few students can shave a few minutes off the commute for a few days out of the year and housing will not be any more affordable for 99% of the population
@@yankfish Based on? There's already plans for a massive redevelopment of the Jerico lands around the UBC extension, the cost for the first half is expected to be around 2.8 billion so even if the second half is way more expensive you're not going to get to 10 billion and there's nothing 'few' about the number of students going to UBC, nevermind that there are plenty of non-students that will use this to get to the Broadway corridor.
@@yankfishWell... the Liberal decided to spend over 180 billion in infrastructure and 20 buses in Halifax a few years ago. So your 10 billion is a pretty small number.
Just incase you don't believe me.
@@AmurTiger based on the 10s of billions we've already spent on skytrains while the cost of housing has skyrocketed especially since 1986 (flat before then) which was coincidentally the inauguration of the expo line
if you think that anyone except the very rich will afford those ultra luxury condos in Jericho then you're not thinking right
and no, there isn't a huge demand of non-students going to ubc day-to-day and it's a ghost town during the summer and holidays
Great video. I am a frequent transit user (when I’m not cycling) and I learned a lot here. Just earned a new subscriber!
Lifetime Toronto resident (and subscriber) here... again, thanks for your efforts to share interesting, encouraging news.
Means alot to those of us who care about our communities.
I'm currently a resident of Vancouver but I'm heading back to Seattle soon so I have a pretty interesting viewpoint being able to see both of the PNW (and N-America in general) major transit oriented cities and their development.
Currently the system in Vancouver is pretty good, however the main issues I've found (and many others share) is the lack of transit & congestion going to North Van, as well as UBC.
For North Van, you have essentially 1/3rd of the city that relies on 2 main bridges with no real alternative (Yes (I know the Sea-Bus exists but it doesn't have great capacity, and requires a connection stop before and after using it). The city desperately needs a sky-train that links downtown to park royal and one that links Burnaby with Capilano. The current system is plainly speaking, atrocious, busses are caught in the congestion on the 3-lane lions gate bridge (yes 3 lanes total, not for each direction, its a really dumb design), and going around to the Iron-Workers takes forever requiring 2 bus-transfers and isn't really close to many major destinations. Unfortunately the prospect of getting a sky-train bridge, or later a sky-train link across West & North van is quite unlikely for the next decade or two as the current local government has stifled any progress on those fronts. I've worked with some of the companies that contract with the provincial BC government for rail & transit construction and they're pretty under-funded and the current ABC Vancouver political group is vehemently against increased spending on transit programs.
For the 2nd major problem from my experience, transit connections to UBC are pretty terrible when accounting for the actual demand. On any given weekday from 11am-8pm almost every single 99, 84, 44 and R4 will be jam packed from UBC to their terminus stations. The R4 is especially bad as it passes through a ton of semi-dense developments with almost no transit alternatives for east-west travel. South Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Oakridge all pretty much have to use the R4 to go east-west, with no real alternative, and Joyce-Collingwood & Metrotown also connect decently close to the R4 meaning there is insane demand for the route, that really just isn't provided by the bus. A bus that comes every 8 minutes and has a capacity of maybe 100 people just isnt enough for the demand, and its only going to get more exasperated with the massive development in Oakridge with almost a dozen 30-40 story high rise buildings going up in the are over the course of the next 5 years. The R4 needs to become a sky-train line however with the trend of NIMBY's in Dunbar/West-Point-Grey shutting down any construction plans, it will likely have to be a tunneled line which would increase construction & development time by about a decade. Even if a proposal was voted in today an elevated line would likely take 10-15 years to build, with an underground line taking 20-25 when considering engineering, station construction as well as just the immense cost and labor of tunneling.
In addition to this the Millennium line extension only going to Arbutus is an absolutely asinine decision, once again because of NIMBY politicians and wealthy residents of West-Point-Grey who are opposed to development in their neighborhoods. While the millennium line extension is nice, especially with it connecting to the Canada line at Broadway-City Hall, it stops short of one of the most transit-demanding areas of Vancouver in UBC. It would be nice for me as I'm just about 1km out from the Arbutus station, but for anyone commuting to UBC it won't make a big difference as they're still going to be hopping on to the 99, just a decent bit closer to campus then they would before.
I really hope that the zoning changes will add increased pressure to construct new sky-train lines here in Vancouver, but with how much the population of the city is growing year in and year out the current plans don't really even keep up with the increasing demand, let alone increase the quality and scope of the transit system. Vancouver is in an awkward spot in my experience, it's ahead of most of North America, but unlike many others its transit system will look mostly the same in 10-15 years while cities like Seattle have committed to continued development and will be expanding their network in scale and quality in a major way through 2040. The potential UBC extension of the millennium like would likely only open in 2032-36 and any North Van SkyTrain bridge or R4 Skytrain conversion would happen by 2045.
I am 100% with you. I live in North Vancouver. I studied at UBC for years while living there and now I work in West Point Grey. I spend three hours each day in transit because of this terrible planning. TransLink actually contacted me to be part of a study looking at people's use of their services. I hope it does something. The seabus is not frequent enough. We need an actual SkyTrain station. I know that UBC offered to pay TransLink to get the new station all the way to them. So I think it will get there. It will just take a long time. I saw that the old pie restaurant on the Alma stop of the 99 had moved. I kind of wondered if TransLink had bought the huge building. It would make a good place for a station.
@@Lily-ni5po AFAIK the Millenium line extension to UBC is in developmental limbo. Practically it really isn't that big of an issue, the soil composition is relatively similar to the areas already being worked on, routing and construction are all quite manageable.
The real issue for getting the UBC extension done is just political pressure from rich NIMBY's in West Point Grey. Basically the Ken Sim political group is heavily favored by the super wealthy west-point-grey neighborhoods and so through their action and just resistance in townhalls & development phases any attempts to fund the extension have been voted down in the council even before being put to a general public election.
The main issues are "construction noise from tunneling" and "disruption to current commerce" from station building. Really its just because having stations around McDonald, Alma and Blanca would increase pressure for re-zoning & added density which they want squarely out of their backyard.
The likely cost of a UBC extension would probably be in the range of 2-2.5Bn CAD, with 50% from the federal government and 50% from the provincial government. Stations would likely be as follows: McDonald & Broadway (Occupying what currently is the Safeway Parking-Lot & RBC branch. Broadway/10th & Alma (there are 2 open lots currently occupied by community gardens). Either a Jerico-Lands station on 8th & Discovery, a station on 10th and Sasmat on the current lot (former safeway) or further along at 9th & Blanca where the current Small bus Loop is. The Terminus station would be on University & Wesbrook (Currently the lot occupied by the former ministry building).
The major issue with expanding the transit system in Vancouver is that the government wants it to be done in micro-instalments ie: the Broadway extension (2.8Bn for 6 Stations 5.7km distance mostly tunneled), the evergreen extension (1.45Bn for 6 stations, 10.9km elevated). Both of these extension plans have taken longer to do separately than the entire initial construction of the Millennium Line and in addition they have been much more costly per-km.
Any proposed south UBC-Metrotown connection line will likely be a majority underground (as with the current Broadway extension) which would make the potential 21Km 14 stop project cost an appalling 12Bn (compared to a much more manageable 5-6bn using an elevated rail line and similar station design to Renfrew, Gilmore & Brentwood)
A lot of what you say is sensible. But I take issue with you saying that the Lions Gate Bridge is “a really dumb design”. It was built in the 1930s so I doubt if its design was considered dumb at that time. Nowadays, yes, as far as overall transit infrastructure, it’s a bit of a sow’s ear and is unlikely to be transformed into a silk purse.
What's great is that the policy also applies across the province. I know more than a few bus exchanges in Kelowna that could use some TOD...
And perhaps a few more places that could use a bus exchanges 😉
Thanks for covering this topic. As a Vancouverite I'm very happy about our province's new housing policy. You did a great job explaining the positive feedback loops between smarter zoning, housing, and transit.
This is good to see, although I worry that this could give NIMBY's a new angle to attack transit expansion. I could see in the future that a new transit line would get pushback from local NIMBY's not because they don't want to see the line built, but because they don't want the new zoning regulations to be expanded to their neighborhood. I still think this change is a good thing, but advocates should probably prepare to counter this stance.
So true :/
I think with how much of Vancouver is actually covered by the Skytrain zones, the other policy that enabled higher density on frequent transit routes for the rest of BC (sadly not applicable to Vancouver), and removing public hearings for development that is inline with community plans, there will be a lot of development possible over the next few years that NIMBYs will make noise about the larger projects, but they can't really do much to stall or stop them.
Hopefully by then others will experience the benefit of nearby density and services, and there will be less need to build as much / as big, so that NIMBYs get much less purchase over fear mongering about gradual density increases.
(I've seen a bunch of people claiming that the new law will force land to be developed to 8/12/20 stories in these areas, which is not how it works. It will be a long while before any of them have a majority of the zoned land redeveloped, and we'll probably see a lot of shorter buildings developed in the outer areas since a 5+1 is much cheaper and faster to build than 8 story concrete)
I see, so NIMBY is just a childish label that you hang on anyone who doesn't want to live the same way that you do. You do you and let other people live the way they want to.
@@nebulabobcontrolling peoples lives is actually NIMBYs specialty
@@nebulabob "You do you and let other people live the way they want to." yes this is the point.
Living near a Skytrain station is the DREAM!
Nothing like waking up to or getting home in the evening to relax to the sound of the squealing and scraping noise of Skytrains coming and going.
Literally never heard anyone talk about Vancouver's transit network or "transit-orientation". It being "one of" the best in North America is an incredibly low bar.
Vancouver finally becoming affordable again just feels like a dream lol
Yes, you are dreaming. It will never be affordable. If you think this changes anything you are in la la land. Unless the government builds and provides housing, there is no such thing as affordable housing. It's expensive to build. The land is expensive. The end result, all that new density, is new expensive condos.
I wouldn’t count on anything becoming “affordable”
@@Canucker4Life developers should be forced to build a certain number of rental units for every building, and there needs to be rent control. the fact that rent is tied to the tenant and not the property just incentivizes landlords to evict, driving rent up indefinitely.
landlords should also have to be licensed just like any other small business. if you get caught breaking the residential tenancy act, you should get your license revoked.
@@jugbrewer1. Rent control makes housing less affordable, not more.
2. Developers are already incentivized to build rental real estate because of a tax break. They still have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per rental unit built though.
@@benchoflemons398 how does rent control make housing less affordable? Is there a source for that?
I used to live in the interior, and being able to do things without needing a car is amazing!!
Great land use policy!!The California legislature passed a similar yet smaller approach with SB10 which gives local governments the option to allow more density within 0.5 mile of a major rail station and bus stop without the need for environmental review.
I live in Langley. I'm hoping that the station we're getting at Willowbrook Mall gets that area turned into a high density area like they've been doing at Brentwood mall in Burnaby. When I was a kid the Brentwood Mall area was not covered in high rises, there was no Skytrain, now there is both. I want to live near a Skytrain station and this new provincial housing policy is making that look more affordable and more likely.
I agree completely, Willowbrook mall was a place I spent a lot of time at growing up and I would love to see a big redevelopment
BRT line to Abbotsford anyone?
@@red_skies80 I'd like to see that or at least something better than what's here now. The current bus connection to Abbotsford through Aldergrove I don't think is very good.
@@thisisjeff9845 I agree with the aldergrove thing, they need to make another bus route going on 32 ave, up into the meadows, down station rd, and down to 26 ave or something.
the white spot at will brook mall is going to close its doors at the end of the year ..why sky train .. its going right to 203 and Fraser highway the one thing its going to bring more drug addicts good bye langley
Im all for more RMHousing. Loved the video
Awesome! Thank you!
This is fantastic. I used the transit system in Vancouver in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was fantastic then, and I'm thrilled that it's getting such an incredible expansion. I hope that other places are paying attention, because this is absolutely brilliant.
I think they have to go this route anyway because much of Vancouver is hemmed in by the North Shore Mountains north of the city, the Fraser River through the city, and the US border to the south. And they should consider electrified commuter rail that connects Abbotsford, BC all the way back into central Vancouver.
Density is certainly inevitable, or at least it should be. The NIMBYism is strong 😅
WCE2 baby!
There's a few challenges with rail for the valley and similar schemes.
They're not in Translink and that's the primary transit planning organization, the sooner they get in the sooner they have a chance of having something built around their needs.
Rail is... tricky in Vancouver. This close to the ports there's a lot of traffic on the existing rail and the connections aren't as good as you think they'd be due in part to elevation challenges around the steeper areas. Minimum effort to get good passanger rail service would at least involve new two-way rail bridges over the Fraser and probably taking out the swing stage and all the infrastructure needed to support that, might even have to tunnel actually to get the grades down. I do hope they start thinking about addressing these things but it's going to take a long time and probably some funding changes.
Best solution is probably an REM down the TransCanada, with mid-stations at Guildford, Carvolth and Trinity Western.
BC Transit ran the numbers though, and they'd only get 3k riders/day (probably less after the pandemic). Gotta wait another few decades.
Definitely going to need upgrades. None of your videos show the skystrain stations during peak hours. This shows the skytrain looking like nobody is riding it, the platforms are already packed to capacity. I Definitely agree with you, major upgrades are needed.
As someone who lives near one of the ‘bad’ skytrain stations, this is very exciting! I would love to have more density here so I don’t have to take my car or go to another station to go shopping, going out to eat, etc.
David Eby an absolute chad. This guy came out swinging as soon as he took over as Premier almost a year ago and hasn't stopped swinging since. Love to see it.
Not sure if you've noticed, but Eby seems to be preparing to be tossed into the trash next election.
Awesome news! Thanks for this video!
I think the most important thing is to extend the Skytrain out as far as possible, to Delta, White Rock, Abbotsford, places like that. Take the places that are already cheaper to live and make the city car more accessible to them. Then you'll get people moving away from downtown Van to places they can live more cheaply or with more space while still being able to easily get to downtown. I keep getting priced out of the possibility of being anywhere near to the Skytrain.
This sounds awesome. Greater Vancouver area definitely needs more varied density as well as mixed use zoning to help with its issues.
Along with high density housing, what Canada really needs is to prevent investors from buying houses, and keeping them empty. In my neighborhood in Burnaby, almost 1 in 5 single family house is unoccupied. There are some cul-de-sacs where every house is unoccupied. If suddenly without any additional construction, 15% more houses are available, the prices will go down.
I live in an area in south central Edmonton called Old Strathcona(it used to be a city at one time). There are mostly small walk-up apartments and some older houses in the immediate area of Whyte Ave, although some newer developments. In this area there are 15 large empty lots and no construction activity happening. Big time investors come into the area and buy old houses in batches of 3, flatten them leave the land empty. City of Edmonton just jerks around and lets these 'investors' get away doing nothing to alleviate an aging residential area with lots of crime.
That's cap. Vancouver vacancy rate is actually the lowest in the country which is less than 1%
I just moved out to the Vancouver area from NJ to live with my partner (Vancouver native) and let me tell you... the access to transit is night and day! We only have easy access to the nearby West Coast Express and bus terminal, but the thought of the prices becoming affordable enough that we could move into SkyTrain range is going to make me giddy the rest of the day. Thanks for making this video, we'll definitely be on the lookout for the policy's effects in the coming years!
SkyTrain is amazing!
Vancouver's wisdom in choosing an automated system-- and the Canadian government's wisdom in developing it-- can hardly be overstated. Thirty trains an hour is a rare luxury in North America, but it's commonplace in Vancouver. In my own city of Atlanta, dense residential development is occurring, but it's remote from rail stations because people don't want to rely on trains that come only every ten minutes at best even during peak hours.
10 minutes??! in sicily(southern italy) i live in a city of 800k pop. and we do have trams and an extremely developed bus system but people still prefer the urban train system that has trains coming once every 30 minutes
@@deggho5877 Our buses suck, though. I can't even find a system map online. I guess MARTA's too embarrassed to depict how sparse their bus network is.
I once lived in Atlanta. MARTA was neutered from the beginning with Cobb & Gwinnett Counties not allowing MARTA heavy rail and that mostly Fulton and DeKalb Counties pay the once cent MARTA tax. Still, a LOT of work on MARTA heavy rail needs to be instituted and it needs to serve all citizens and not be looked at as transport for those without other means. Taking MARTA from the airport to Brookhaven can be "interesting" until the train is past Midtown. Even then getting a cab to/from MARTA in those days was difficult and once was in a taxi so beat up and broken that the rear bumper fell off near Peachtree and Club Road. I lived about a mile from that. Uber should have solved that issue but in the mean time, I moved out to the west coast and have not been back to Atlanta for years. I miss the greenery of Atlanta but don't miss Atlanta one bit. MARTA should be so much better than it is.
10 minutes is great try living in an area with 1 bus an Hour!
Agree about the wisdom of automation. Besides the frequency of the trains, the other great thing about an automated system is that when a transit strike occurs and the buses stop, management can at least keep Skytrain running. That way, people can still make it most of the way to their work or other destinations. The city isn't paralyzed.
I'm happy to hear that Translink is actually going ahead and building the housing itself, and it's going to profit from it (from the sound of it).
A proposed transit line made completely of concrete rampart and stations along with ancillary apartment buildings? A suburban dystopian nightmare paid for by taxpayer money.
@@spartacusyoyaSounds like a dream come true. Doesn't matter how much you want to make it sound like a bad thing. No number of fake accounts created 6 months ago can change that.
@@firefox39693 Oh, a wonderful extension of a concrete jungle? No one will smile anymore.
@@spartacusyoya I doubt anyone is smiling with the current house prices either. Would you rather be frowning indoors or be frowning homeless?
@@1224chrisng Right now I'm shreaking, two major apartments fires in the immediate area in the past two weeks, and four in the 6 months.
I recently moved to Vancouver from Ottawa and Kitchener in Ontario, I absolutely loved the other day when I was able to go see a late night movie and get back home (my apartment is only a minute away from a skytrain station) so as a young woman alone I didn’t have to worry about my travel home, movie theater in the station and short safe walk home, in Kitchener the transit ended at like 11:50, so I was never able to go to a movie without having to walk home at 1AM
So refreshing to hear good news on the transit/housing fronts!
There was lots of transit already getting built, this housing is the icing on the cake! 🎉
I subscribed, I am 100% pro transit.
My city (Saskatoon, SK) just got over $150 million in transit funding from all 3 levels of government for BRT and replacement of older buses.
I am so excited for the future of Saskatoon Transit! 😊
I remember Vancouver 50 years ago and how terrible public transit was then. Things have improved immensely since.
You got me excited when you said no parking spot minimums
My only issue with all of this is security on public transit here is lacking... I feel on edge in certain cities/areas in north america so driving more people into the system without addressing the issue of safety is halfbaked. On the otherhad, just got back from Japan and the local and regional trains there are incredible; clean, safe, affordable and efficient.
Totally agree. East Asian transit systems makes Vancouver's look like it is from the 1950s. It's an embarrassment
I am so stoked for this. My place is 350m from a new station so we will have more density which bring more culture, shops and entertainment with better transit. I really hope we can prove this case so other cities take the model and use it.
For all your praises of Vancouver's system (where I live) I was impressed by Singapore; each MRT station is connected to a mall/shopping center, and also a bus hub. Busses would take you from your home to the hub, which was either your destination or you'd transfer to the MRT.
And the MRT was *extensive*. Covering huge swaths of the city with many different lines. I'm a car lover, but Singapore impressed me.
it's the same story in many Asian cities. My home city is one of those and it makes me laugh how ppl can Vancouver's transit system is good LOL
Wow I can’t believe it. I really hope that this plan comes to fruition!
Yeah! Vancouver with more affordable housing sounds like the place to be.
hopefully Ontario copies it eventually because the Ontario line and Scarborough subway extension are perfect for this and especially the go expansion it's perfect for this redevelopment
For sure, but honestly it’s even more about the existing stations! So much redevelopment potential!
It's already happening. The Ontario line will force NIMBY's to except new development in their areas resulting in new density from mid to high rises in areas that we'd never think would get any density. Areas like the Danforth and Don mills are about to get shaken up like crazy in the next 5-10 years.
@RMTransit yeah that too there's a ton of potential for alot of density around various transit infrastructure
Love it when you do a vancouver video. Speaking translink not being afraid to try new things how about that Gondala project up to SFU.
So happy to see so many of my daily commute Skytrain stations featured in this video. Hope this means someday I'll be able to afford to buy a condo within walking distance of a skytrain station.
You should do an episode where you try to plan a transit system for Victoria at some point with those markers of yours. A lot of BC’s recent housing policy comes from the missing middle debate on the lower island - the provincial policy was overseen by a former Victoria mayor. This puts Victoria in the funny position of having a head start on transit-oriented-development compared to the rest of the province but without any of the corresponding transit (just a really nice bike network - arguably the best one in Canada). The possibility of some sort of rail transit system keeps on popping up then disappearing here since VIA stopped running in 2011, so it seems like it’s bound to happen eventually, but nothing concrete has happened yet.
Interesting to see as I left Vancouver for Montreal in 1989. I imagine I would not recognize parts of the city anymore. Plus I see that you are filming in a Montreal Metro station. (I do miss Vancouver)
I'm optimistic for the future of Translink because, like you said, I think it's the region's biggest asset but I'm really really hesitant in being optimistic for what it means re: housing in this city when there's so little promise in current developments where they are permitted. If future developments around stations are going to be the same 700sq ft luxury condos that largely serve as speculative investing for property owners, then the housing crisis isn't really addressed all that meaningfully. There's so many connected pieces of the puzzle that need to be addressed together to solve this wider issue and this is definitely a great step forward but without addressing other issues municipally and provincially I'm sorta bracing myself for less meaningful change than I'd hope.
Not enough people are talking about this aspect of it
Man, I miss Vancouver's transit. Didn't appreciate TransLink enough until I moved to Toronto.
This seems like a really good idea.
This is so nice, living in Toronto I just feel like the transit development is so far behind. Part of it I suspect is due to the TTC being dug way before the skytrain, and the larger part is just bureaucratic incompetence so new lines take forever to build.
So glad you took notice of this news! This will be huge for the region for years to come.
Btw, any chance at a Surrey-Langley SkyTrain video in the future? 👀👀👀
I’ve used transit across the GVRD for more than 40 years. It’s always been poor. Compared to Japan, Thailand and Singapore, the Lower Mainland has been primitive. I’ve used them all. We are a car city, and getting higher taxes on residential property is never going to happen. So funding for transit will be insufficient. Your optimism is misplaced, and transit in future will be as bad as in the past. High density living can be highly stressful and unpleasant, like an insect colony or prison.
Biggest issue that Vancouver is facing with building new housing is a level of NIMBYism so rabid that it hobbles the true TOD potential that Skytrain offers that we've seen in stations such as Metrotown. Commercial Broadway is still surrounded by strip malls, parking lots, single story retail buildings, and single family housing, VCC-Clark is a wasteland with nothing of value, and King Edward's idea of TOD is a wimpy seven story building over a Canada Line station. Hell, the Broadway Plan faced massive opposition from a mostly grey and white haired group who was afraid of it "destroying the character" and "pricing out Vancouverites" when it was going to add major character to the corridor and offer thousands of affordable units. I think that now these people are too tired to do anything but retire is objectively good for the urban fabric of our city.
The thing is, Vancouverites are already priced out (something boomers/older Gen X fail to realize)
@@avrowolf There really aren't too many Gen Xers who are against more affordable housing. They spent years being marginalized by the boomers, and now that they're in charge, they're making some beneficial changes. David Eby comes to mind, as he has been at the forefront of the beneficial zoning law changes being made in BC. The recent change to TOD zoning along with the province-wide change in Single-Family zoning will solve our housing crisis in only a handful of years. Half the reason why we were falling short on housing was governments constantly downsizing developments and restricting density.
Uhhhh lol.
This was a brilliant video. Fingers crossed that it is implemented in the most affective way possible. 🙏🙏🙏👏
This is SO needed right now, Hell, it was needed a decade ago. A sane and forward-thinking plan that will help address everything from the QOL to productivity in Vancouver.
I can't wait to see a new Metro Vancouver take shape.
many thousands of condo units and higher density have been built everywhere skytrain is for decades and prices are higher than ever
why would a leg to UBC make any difference
those condos are going to be the most expensive we've ever seen
@yankfish Thousands of units have been built, but clearly it isn't enough, and a lot of the developments in the last decade cater to short term investment rather than long term housing.
As Reece mentioned, the 'tall and sprawl' style of density that you see in Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey is a result of poor zoning policies that protect SFHs in high value land areas. The land that these homes sit on has become prohibitively expensive for the type of housing that currently occupies it. This new legislation will allow for more "gentle density further from skytrain stations. That means it won't just be highrise towers next to SFHs, but low and midrise apartments and condos as well. This will add thousands of more units for a lower construction cost.
And while we have a lot of stations with condo towers around them, we have just as many that don't. Commercial Broadway Station, the most convenient and easily accessible station in the entire region (with direct access to six different municipalities) remains practically unchanged since the 1980s. C/B Station should have thousand of homes built around it by now, but due to local opposition, the surrounding area is stagnant and run down - while houses a few blocks away reach 2.5-3 million dollars. This area should be Vancouver's Midtown.
Metro Vancouver's insane housing prices are a direct result of bad policy ie. outdated zoning laws and weak politics that cater to local NIMBYS/BANANAS that protest absolutely anything proposed in their backyards. Pragmatism towards housing hasn't been in thing in the Lower Mainland for decades. Luckily, good sense and sound policy is making a comeback.
I'll say it again, nothing is going to change or at least wasting more billions so mostly foreign students save 10 minutes to the ubc commute won't lower housing costs
if it didn't in burnaby, surrey, new west, south and east van, Coquitlam with the other trains why would this one
it goes through near the very top of land cost in the country, how will developers be able to buy large plots of land where so little is undeveloped
they will have to buy 6, 10 or more contiguous houses to build anything at the cost of 10s of millions to build a low rise?
what do you think those apartments are going to cost? millions!
no development at commercial and Broadway?
what makes you think the same NIMBYism won't happen in kits.
building skytrains to lower housing cost when it always does the opposite seems like the definition of insanity or in the case of those who praise this video; stupidity.
I am so happy about these new changes. I only hope I'm not priced out of the region before we can start seeing the benefits.
Same - this has given me some hope there will be a place I can afford in a few years, but whether I make it that long or it just makes financial sense to move away first is still uncertain.
My family was priced put before I even got to high school. Perhaps sometime in the future I might be able to come back. I don't hold much hope though, historically I've only been disappointed by housing all across Canada.
Skytrain started construction in the early 80's and began operation in 1985, 16 months ahead of Expo 86.
Also in this legislation: Re-zoning applications that are within the guidelines of the Official Community Plans are barred from going to public engagement or a city council vote! This part is going to be pretty big in the greater Victoria area; we often have months or years long back-and-forths between public engagement and council for relatively modest developments within OCPs.
I'm so up to date with Vancouver transit, that the only reason i knew about the SeaBus is from IFHT interviewing the guy making SeaBus Memes...xD
Cheers from Switzerland
For a second I thought this was clickbait but you’re right! This is game changing! Every city in North America needs this
One of the transit adjacent development situations that drives me nuts in Vancouver is how many stations we have that are just standalone islands. Even within the city core we keep planning stations, (Broadway ext,) that are just small standalone buildings instead of just having the station entrances as part of a building above. Broadway-City Hall, for example, not being a full mixed use building that just has the station entrance on a corner is just silly. Such inefficient use of space, and missed opportunities for continuous revenue from rental to support the network.
translink doesnt think, they just waste taxpayers money for the heck of it. I would of taken Bombardier over the crap korean trains that are incompatable with the existing system with stations that are too small.
The GVRD is very close to being manageable without a car. A bit more access via Skytrain into the valley, and the North Shore, and it'll be looking great. The North Shore in particular is a complete disaster in terms of traffic. They needed a tunnel or bridge for high speed rail about 10yrs ago, and the problem doesn't get any better with time.
Pump this video straight into my veins! I love it!
Toronto really needs this
Never clicked on a video so fast! This is outstanding policy and I couldn’t be more proud of the BC government and the bold action it’s taking.
You love to see it! I HOPE there is a push for more housing co-ops!
GTA, take note.. Seriously..
I’m sure this will be a rising tides lift all boats situation
@@RMTransit I sure hope so! The future suddenly looks a little brighter!
I wouldn't have my hopes up yet on housing being more affordable, though I hope eventually things turn around eventually (not expecting miracles). The expansion is great on transit
This is incredible. Great work Vancouver!
My thoughts
1. There is a number of remote bus stations, such as the Ladner Exchange loop which is surrounded by 2 very big fields, and some hospitals and rec buildings. I wonder if this bus loop will see the redevlopment of those fields into much needed housing?
2. Does the west coast express count as a BC rail system? Ive never been on it so I'm not sure, but you mentioned there werent other rail systems.
Lovely video, love seeing videos on Vancouver.
The remote loops probably need to past muster from a flood / environmental perspective but then I see no reason why we can’t build around them.
West Coast Express exists but I wouldn’t suggest it’s reliable all day transit since it only runs a few trips a day!
@@RMTransitHow do we make the West Coast Express better, quickly?
@@pex3buy the tracks out from the freight rail companies. Just getting the limited service it has was a huge headache, and dealing with the freight companies has made there be very little appetite within TransLink for improving or expanding the West Coast Express.
It’s a real shame, because there are already tracks all over the region to places that could really use good suburban rail transit. Especially to places like White Rock and Delta, up the Valley, and the North Shore. Stations and some passing tracks could be laid down for way less money than building new Skytrain lines, but the freight companies will never allow it.
I’d like Reece to make a video on the sale of BC Rail sometime. I think more people need to know about what an absolute travesty that was and if there’s anything we can do to get the railways back under public control
West Coast Express stations are classified as Type 1B (bus exchange) due to their lower frequency and limited service window
For anyone not familiar with this loop these fields are not farm land. I just wanted to add this as farmland particularly the more productive land in the ALR is very important to maintain.
I do think that these non agricultural fields would be good to see turned into housing.
I wouldnt hold your breath. They havent even started construction for skytrain to Langley yet.
The skytrains and buses are already at max capacity during rushhour.. they all need a massive upgrade!!!
Hi reece, you always seem chirpy and bouncy in your vids which I like ad it adds to the enjoyment of your work, but couldn't help but notice in geoffs video in London you was not hoping it was just a case of jet lag or something glad to see you back to your happy bouncy self
I have absolutely nothing to do with Vancouver and ive never been there but this video made me very happy. :)
❤
If the NDP actually does this, they'll have my vote next election! I'm particularly pleased to see BC Transit getting involved in property development. All those development profits absolutely should be going into public services instead of some rich bastard's pockets. I've been talking about the need for exactly this kind policy ever since I learned about how Japan Railways group makes most of its revenue from transit oriented development, not fares. It's insane that we let private property developers reap all the profits created by publicly funded transit lines.
Of course there are always going to be powerful moneyed interest groups who oppose actual solutions to the housing crisis. For any of this to work, we need leaders with the backbone to tell those people (politely) to go f themselves.
Wishing the US had a party like the NDP, the democrats do everything in their power to suppress the branch that is the most like them...
Please stop voting for socialism and bigger govt overreach.
You presume that BCT can manage a project as well as some profit driven developer. You know what they about making assumptions. I can't wait to hear the outcry from transit users about rising fairs to pay for project overruns. That should be fun.
I was born in Vancouver in the early 1960's and lived here the majority of my life. But in 2014 I moved to Silicon Valley in America and have been working there ever since. I'm back visiting Vancouver for 2 weeks. Learning that the monthly rent for a one-bedroom is now $2500+ shocked me. Not only are the average salaries here much less than in the SF Bay Area but income tax rates are also MUCH more expensive. I truly don't understand how anyone but the wealthiest people are able to afford living here.
I still have my certificate given out on 1st day of skytrain ridership. Was transit operator (bus) for 10 yrs throughout the GVRD. Very cool video. Much appeal to a transit geek like me ❤
That new 80 storey condo tower in Burnaby is supposed to have 14 levels of underground parking, beating the world record of 12 at the Sydney Opera House.
I wonder if they’ll be able to cut parking from non u/c projects
Damn bruh, I had to fact check this 14 levels of underground parking and I am now flabbergasted.
@@universalconquest4447 And Sydney's underground lot doesn't even have a building on top.
Great news, we need more density to save our farms, forests and grasslands, and that density should come around transit lines automatically! That is interesting that they chose a minimum floor to area ratio for these developments, as opposed to just a minimum populatiom density for the surrounding areas. I am also surprised at how dense they must be. I would have expected more 4-5 storey density a la Montréal, these will be interesting to see!
Nice! Greetings from Belgium 🇧🇪.
This makes sense in a lot of ways. However, as someone who doesn’t like to live around extreme density, it’s kind of nice having so many pockets of quiet natural areas to escape to. This will definitely change the liveability in that way.
Hey Reece,
Congratulations on your amazing videos about public transit globally.
Indeed, I am truly impressed by this novel approach that British Columbia is taking to make housing more affordable, particularly in Vancouver where property prices are skyrocketing.
I'm pleased to note that Transit Oriented Development (TOD) will continue to increase the accessibility of public transportation and social amenities, e.g. residential areas, shopping malls, parks and offices, etc.
I definitely look forward to this progress in Vancouver and across Canada being escalated to alleviate the housing crisis in the Great White North.
This could really be a great model for other countries such as Kenya, my country - to emulate.
Keep it up, Reece! You are the champion for public transit and an activist for the paradigm shift in urban design. My sincere hope is that your resourceful ideas can be implemented in Canada and Beyond.
Best wishes,
Eric Lelei
Two problems... well, maybe three.
1) "Vancovuer is the best place to live" except becoming unaffordable to live here. That's kind of cherry-picking. Which leads me to...
2) Guy who is obsessed with transit predicts changes to zoning rules around transit stations will fix everything. And is ignoring...
3) Price = Demand/Supply. Nothing in this ensures lower prices - and if the new suites fill up as fast as they're being made, then prices will still go up. Basic economics, amigo.
Metro Vancouver is trapped in a cage. It has mountains to the north. Farmland and the US to the south. An ocean to the west. Farmland and more mountains to the east. That's the actual problem, there is no way for Metro Vancouver to get larger to accomodate the influx of people. That means either densifying the Metro (which is basically what you're suggestion), or restricting inflows, which will never happen.
But as I note in #3, you can densify all you want, but if the new suites are filling up as fast as they're made, there is zero incentive for builders to lower prices.
What's actually needed is price control in much the same way BC limits rent increases, but the argument there is that it disincentivises builders from building. The only model I've seen that works is the 'split' model - builders get waivers on restrictions or tax reductions IF they buld a mix of low cost rentals and high cost condos.
In the end though, it's just not sustainable. Canada is the second largest country on the planet but over 50% of the population lives in just 14 cities: 6 in Ontario, 2 in Alberta, 2 in Quebec, 2 in BC, 1 in Manitoba and one in Nova Scotia. A far more rational approach is to build new cities and get people spread out better. It would also let us start from scratch with a good city design, instead of constantly having to build and rebuild.
Good job. Love your pieces, Reece.
It's interesting that Translink is actually investing in real estate and using it to help fund transit projects. I understand that Brightline is doing something similar in Florida. I wonder if California could do the same to help fund California HSR. Or perhaps that ship has already sailed. That's basically how the US government funded the transcontinental RR.
They’ve just started but I concur, extremely interested to see how it goes
@@RMTransit 1) Can you launch an attack campaign on the City of Vancouver's height restrictions.
2) Can you launch a campaign to build a bridge from Deep Cove to Belcarra.
I live in Canada and I didn’t know that Vancouver’s transit system was so “famous”. Anyway we need more housing everywhere so it’s a good idea. Will it make housing more affordable. Probably not. Developers are greedy.
Honestly, they could have done thos twice as big 12 years ago and it still would not be enough for how things are now. 3/4 of that city is owned by people who don't even live in the country.
Great video! Saw some of your past content as well! Subscribed!
I hope more cities follow suit! Here in LA there are some programs meant to incentivize TOD but nothing so ambitious as this. I hope we find the political will soon.
In LA didn’t they have an underground rail development that never got far as ridership was not high enough. really stupid short sightedness as “build it and they will come” is the way to think.
BC went to a zoning model four decades ago. That WHY the high rise concrete condos all the way to Surrey, New Westminster, and Coquitlam are largely within WALKING DISTANCE to a Skytrain rail platform today. It's been done. And prices are NOT going to come down for all kinds of reasons not relevant here.
Well, I think the Chinese will be glad to hear it although the homeless may show a lack of enthusiasm.
I would love to see this also done across Southern Ontario.
Vancouver is like the only North American city that "gets it"
It may not be the best city in North America right now (still NYC), but it could be vying for that spot in ~10 years.
I don't know. This might make Vancouver even more desirable to live in, inducing more demand, and...it could become as expensive as Hong Kong, which has a lot of transit oriented development already that didn't help its housing prices at all.
Amazing coverage! I hope similar legislation can be proposed in mississauga. Especially as the hurontario line expands
I agree, though I’m not confident the Hurontario line has the capacity it needs today, much less if it had this level of development - SkyTrain offers significantly more capacity