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TransLink turns 10!

TransLink turns 10!

Happy 10th birthday to TransLink!
Happy 10th birthday to TransLink!

It’s TransLink’s tenth birthday today!

And yes, it’s funny that it lands on April 1, but we have some good company: Apple also celebrates its birthday today, as well as the Wrigley candy company.

You might not know this, but TransLink is a pretty unique organization — it’s the very first transportation agency in North America, responsible for planning and managing both public transit, major roads, and other transport modes in the region.

This integrated model lets us plan the network as a strategic whole, has helped Metro Vancouver become one of the most livable regions in the world, and has won us some lovely accolades along the way. (Check out this nice article about us from Mass Transit magazine in May 2006!)

Similar agencies now exist in New York City, London, UK, and very recently (as in two days ago), the greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

If you’re interested in learning more, have a look at our recently written history book (3MB PDF) — it tells our story from the start in 1999 to 2008.

And if you’d like some quick tidbits, here’s our last 10 years by the numbers!

1999 2008 Increases
Population of Metro Vancouver 2.02 M 2.27 M An increase of 12.37%
Number of annual boardings (by service) Bus 175.8 M
SkyTrain 43.6 M
SeaBus 5.1 M
West Coast Express 1.8 M
Total 226.3 M
Bus 220.7 M
SkyTrain 73.5 M
SeaBus 5.5 M
West Coast Express 2.7 M
Total 302.4 M
Bus 26 %
SkyTrain 69 %
SeaBus 8 %
West Coast Express 50%
Total 34% increase
Number of transit service hours provided 4.1 M 5.6 M An increase of 36.6%
Size of the bus fleet 1,330 buses 1,830 buses An increase of 37.5%
Length of SkyTrain system 28.26 km 67.30 km (including the Canada Line) An increase of 135%
SkyTrain cars 150 210
(By Feb 2010: 298)
99% increase (1999 – 2010)
Annual funding for transit operations $392.7 M (in 2000) $780.5 M An increase of 99%
Size of capital program (investments in road and transit expansion and upgrades) $600 million $2.3 billion An increase of 283%
Total provided to Metro Vancouver municipalities to operate, maintain and rehabilitate arterial roads on the Major Road Network

$141 million (1999-2008)

Total invested in road and bridge improvements (minor capital program) $320 million from 1999-2008, including

  • Crosswalk upgrades
  • Pedestrian signals
  • Sidewalks
  • Left-turn lanes
  • Lighting
  • Bicycle lanes
  • Cycling corridors and paths
Total invested or committed for new roads and bridges (major capital projects)

$1.630 billion from 1999-2008, including

  • Golden Ears Bridge (Surrey/Langley to Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows)
  • David Ave. Connector (Coquitlam)
  • 204th St. Overpass (Langley City)
  • Dollarton Bridge Replacement (District of North Vancouver)
  • Pattullo Bridge seismic upgrading (Surrey to New Westminster)
  • Roberts Bank Rail Corridor (Langley Township to Delta)
  • Fraser Highway Widening (Surrey to Langley City)
  • North Fraser Perimeter Road (New Westminster)
  • Main Street Widening (District of North Vancouver)
  • Murray-Clarke Connector (Port Moody)
  • Coast Meridian Overpass (Port Coquitlam)

Happy birthday, TransLink!

TransLink

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