Billions of dollars in investments are being planned to improve bus and SkyTrain in the region and TransLink wants your say on the details.
The regional transportation authority is looking for input on its plans for Phase 2 — a $7.3 billion, 10-year investment in roads, buses, bike lanes, light rail and SkyTrain.
A discussion paper and an online survey is available and a pop up event will be at Coquitlam Centre on Wednesday, May 2 from noon to 7 p.m.
Among the improvements planned for the Tri-Cities, Anmore and Belcarra (Northeast Sector) are the following:
• B-Line upgrades, including transit priority and enhanced passenger amenities for the route between Maple Ridge and Coquitlam Central station along the Lougheed Highway. (The route along Lougheed Highway from Haney Place to Coquitlam Central Station through Port Coquitlam is expected to be rolled out by the end of 2019 so these would be enhancements.)
• Optimized routing and increased usefulness of the 181/182 Moody Centre Station/Ioco/Moody Centre Station/Belcarra;
• Extended hours of service for the 181/182 and N9 Downtown/Lougheed Station/Coquitlam Central Station
• Reduced wait times on the 151 Coquitlam Station/Lougheed Station, 152 Coquitlam Station/Lougheed Station, 156 Braid Station/Lougheed Station, 159 Port Coquitlam/Braid Station
• Improvements to the Expo and Millennium Line including modernization of stations, power, control systems and storage, 108 new SkyTrain cars and 95 new cars to replace aging fleet. As well, the plan is to increase Expo and Millennium Line service during rush hours.
• Planning for expanded West Coast Express capacity
• Road, walking and cycling improvements.
In addition the Phase Two plan proposes to do engineering and design for the Millennium Line Broadway Extension and the Surrey-Newton Guildford Line.
Students will benefit from a number of the transit enhancements.
For example, on the list is planning for a potential gondola from the Millennium Line to take staff and students to the SFU Burnaby campus. The plans are also looking at rapid transit to the UBC Point Grey campus.
Meanwhile, the Millennium Line Broadway Extension is on the Phase 2 plan, too. It is expected to be complete by 2025 and cost $2.83 billion, pending final approvals by senior governments. The route would begin at VCC-Clark Station and end at Arbutus Street, providing a one-train, no-transfer ride from Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station in Coqutilam to Arbutus Street in Vancouver in approximately 46 minutes.
A Surrey Guildford Line is expected to be complete by 2024 at a total cost of $1.65 billion, pending final funding approvals. It would run from Guildford to Surrey Centre in approximately nine minutes and run from Newton to King George Station in approximately 13 minutes. It would operate along dedicated train-only lanes on the road.
