Vancouver — Subway, Streetcars Proposed

Rail Transit Online, April 2002

City transportation officials have developed a bold, long-range transportation plan that includes a SkyTrain extension, a subway and a downtown streetcar network, although the initial phase is limited to improving bus service and replacing the life-expired trolley coach fleet.  The rail elements include prolonging the new Millennium SkyTrain Line through the employment intensive area of Central Broadway to Granville Street and a north-south subway line in the heavily developed Cambie Street corridor from Richmond to downtown that would also serve the airport.  The latter proposal immediately ran into a flurry of opposition over the high cost, at least C$1.9 billion.  It would be about 21.1 miles (34 km) long and could include up to 17 stations.  Average weekday ridership in 2010 is estimated at 107,500, with 75,000 passengers being new to transit.  Doug McCallum, chairman of TransLink, noted that an underground route would be double the cost of an elevated alignment and said he did not know where the necessary financing could be found.  The 3.1-mile (5 km) SkyTrain extension would have five stations and serve City Hall, Vancouver General Hospital, and Granville Street.  The line would carry an estimated 45 million riders annually by 2021 and cost around C$527 million (1999 dollars). The first streetcar line would link Waterfront Station, Gastown, Chinatown, Concord Pacific, Science World, and Granville Island at an estimated cost of C$60 million.  Future extensions would serve Stanley Park, Vanier Park and the Arbutus Corridor.  Public meetings on the proposals will be held starting in April, followed by a decision on the final plan by the city council.