Cities likely to choose costlier transit plans: report
Eric Doherty
Cities likely to choose costlier transit plans: report 0
By Michael Mui, 24 Hours Vancouver
TransLink lays out some future options for rapid transit. (SUBMITTED)
TransLink has found seven rapid transit options for both the University of B.C. route in Vancouver and Surrey’s trio of proposed routes, with the cheapest two pegged at a combined $2 billion.
Municipalities, however, will likely choose costlier solutions, according to the TransLink report released Tuesday. It suggests the cities’ most preferred options would instead have a combined $4.69 billion capital cost.
Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs said city staff prefers the most expensive option of the municipality’s three choices. That pick involves an underground tunnel to UBC — a full extension to the SkyTrain network — and has the best long-term potential to tackle growing demand.
That option alone could cost $3.01 billion, the report noted.
“But it’s the best investment,” Meggs said. “We think it’s the best value, it’ll produce the biggest jump in ridership, achieve more economic goals at less of a cost to the city of Vancouver in terms of disruption to businesses.”
Meanwhile, Surrey’s “urban development aspirations,” according to the TransLink report, would best fit a $1.68 billion proposal that would see a mix of light-rail services — an above-ground train on tracks — and “rapid-bus transit,” which looks similar to a train with rubber tires that runs on separated street lanes.
Bob Paddon, an executive vice-president at TransLink, said the cheapest solution for Surrey would be a $900-million rapid-bus transit network, to run along 104th Avenue, King George Boulevard and Fraser Highway.
The lowest-cost option for Vancouver is above-ground light rail transit from Commercial-Broadway station to UBC at $1.11 billion.
“We don’t state a preference,” Paddon said, noting the trackless rapid-bus transit is “very attractive” and sets a good base for light-rail conversion.
“What we’ve bundled up are variations of different technology we believe might solve that (transit growth) problem.”
All of the report’s options meet forecast demand by 2041, though the more costly options would have additional “spare” capacity past that date.