Have you been wondering what the new station names along the Evergreen Line extension project are going to be called? Well, we’re excited to tell you the names were just released this weekend and they are:
Lougheed Town Centre Station
Burquitlam Station
Moody Centre Station
Inlet Centre Station
Coquitlam Central Station
Lincoln Station
Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station
The line will provide a valuable transit link for Metro Vancouver residents when it opens in summer 2016. As TransLink’s CEO, Ian Jarvis said, “The Evergreen Line SkyTrain extension is a much needed link in the region’s transportation network and will be part of our communities for generations.”
Funding for the project is a partnership between the Government of Canada, the government of British Columbia and TransLink. TransLink will be responsible for operation and asset management of the Evergreen extension when it opens.
For February 2013, we’re going back to basics with TransLink 101—explaining TransLink and its work!
SkyTrain at night. Photo by kennymatic from Flickr. (Click the image to go to the original!)
As we’re nearing the end of the TransLink 101 series, we thought we’d talk about something that we get asked quite often: why can’t SkyTrain run 24/7?
We often get this question as SkyTrain is an automated, driverless, light rapid transit system, which provides a lot of flexibility in how we can run our trains.
But even without drivers, there are other key factors that affect how long SkyTrain can run every day. Here’s a quick FAQ!
For February 2013, we’re going back to basics with TransLink 101—explaining TransLink and its work!
Buses settled in for the night, in a photo from about 2006.
You ride our buses and trains during the day, but what happens when they go home at night?
Well, just like the rest of us, our vehicles need some downtime and TLC at the end of a long day of work. Each night, our SkyTrains, buses, SeaBuses and West Coast Express trains retire to their own resting places for a well-deserved break. Read on to find out just what happens!
SkyTrain
From 2009: two generations of SkyTrain car inside our operations and maintenance centre near Edmonds.
For most of our SkyTrains, the end of the day means heading over to our Maintenance and Storage Facility near Edmonds SkyTrain station (15 stay on the line overnight, some along the Millennium Line and near King George Station).
George Booth, vehicle supervisor, says trains start coming off the line in the evening reduced service times so cleaning can start at 7:30 p.m. and finish by 4 a.m. Crews work through the night cleaning, changing light bulbs, replacing seat covers and doing other maintenance as needed.
And, depending on the temperatures outside, some of the SkyTrains might even head over to our automated train wash (how fun is that?!?). It’s just like a car wash, but for SkyTrains!
The east side of Main Street-Science World Station is temporary closed
This is a quick update of the Phase 1 of the Main Street-Science World Station upgrades. The east side of station (park side) will be temporarily closed. Passengers are being re-directed to the west side of the station (Science World side) via a covered walkway and temporary fencing.
A permanent extension to the east side platform and new east side station house featuring a new elevator, escalators and bike storage will be built. Of note, some of the work will be done at night due to safety concerns and traffic regulations.
We will be single-tracking the SkyTrain between these two stations on the Millennium Line for a short period of time on Sunday, June 27, 2013
We’ve been doing some upgrades to our SkyTrain fibre optic network of late.
Why replace these fibre optic cables? Well, new fibre optic cables will provide a more efficient communications network across the entire SkyTrain system, keeping it safe and reliable for passengers.
As Fred Cummings, president of British Columbia Rapid Transit Company, which operates the SkyTrain Expo and Millennium lines puts it,
“[Fibre optics run the communications among staff, operate ticketing and security systems, and — perhaps most important — are the vital lifeline between our trains and the control centre, helping maintain the trains’ on-time reliability of greater than 95 per cent”. So, keeping them in good working order and serving the entire SkyTrain network, including the forthcoming Evergreen Line, is a good idea.
This latest upgrade will require that we single-track (when SkyTrains travel on the same track in alternating directions) between Lougheed town Centre and Sapperton Stations this Sunday from start of service until approximately 2 pm. Passengers may have to switch trains at Braid Station and are being encouraged to allow for up to five minutes extra travel time. SkyTrain staff will be on hand to assist passengers during the single-tracking. The Expo Line (Waterfront to King George Stations) will operate normally.
We’ll try our best to keep you all informed of future delays due to fibre optic upgrades moving forward. For day of updates on Sunday’s and future upgrades, you’ll want to follow our Twitter handle @TransLink.
A rendering of the upgraded Main Street-Science World Station
It’s the oldest SkyTrain station and is in need of an upgrade. Originally built in 1982, Main Street-Science World Station was a demonstration station of the future Expo Line during Expo ’86. Now, the over 30-year-old station has become one of our busiest.
Why we need to upgrade the station
There are a few reasons why the station needs to be upgraded. In short, we need to prepare for the growing number of people who use the Expo Line (more than 200 000 currently use the line each weekday), improve accessibility and get the station ready for faregates. There’s a dedicated page for the Main Street-Science World Station upgrade you’ll want to read for specifics about the upgrade and the reasons for it.
What upgrades mean for riders
Phase 1 of the upgrades starts now (winter) and runs until fall 2013. During this time you’ll see some construction that will reroute some pedestrian walkways and temporarily the East side of station (park side) will be temporarily closed close the park and ride. SkyTrain will run on normal schedule during this phase. Again, check the Main Street-Science World Station upgrade page for specifics.
During the roughly four month Phase 2 period between fall 2013 and winter 2014, work will be done on the station platforms one at a time. As each station platform will be a construction zone during this time, only two-car shuttle trains will be stopping at Main Street to ensure passenger safety. For all other trains, Main Street-Science World Station will become a “skip stop” – i.e. trains will move through the station without stopping. For example, if you get on a four-car or six-car train at Metrotown heading toward downtown Vancouver, that train WILL NOT stop at Main Street Station.
So, if you want to get off at Main Street Station, you will need to transfer to the special two-car shuttle train at Commercial-Broadway Station. The two-car train will stop at Main Street and every stop between Commercial-Broadway and Waterfront. Passengers traveling to/from Main Street-Science World Station should plan for up to 10 minutes of extra travel time.
This upgrade is part of the Expo Line Upgrade Strategy, which provides some great detail about the Expo Line, “the backbone of Metro Vancouver’s rapid transit network”. We’ll be updating the blog with any new info about this upgrade over the next two years. As usual, we’ll try our best to answer any of your questions about it!
An old rendering of the original Main Street-Science World Station
One of our busy 99 buses, with a crowd of bikes in front.
The Vancouver Sun published an article today on the present state of TransLink’s operations and future financial challenges.
Our Executive Vice President of Customer and Public Engagement, Bob Paddon and TransLink Board Chair, Nancy Olewiler sat down with The Vancouver Sun’s editorial board and talked with them about the lack of short and long term funding, halting of any transit expansion (except The Evergreen Line), the possibility of some reduced service, possible reduction of extra buses and recovery time for bus operators, some reduction in SkyTrain requency and the selling off of property in order to “live within our means.”
We know that more people are taking public transit in Metro Vancouver than ever before. We also know that many people in Metro Vancouver want quality transit that keeps up with the demand.
We’re interested in what readers think of TransLink’s current funding challenges and how we are planning to deliver what we believe is the best possible service with the funding provided to us.
This is an important subject about an important time for public transit in Metro Vancouver, and something we’ll definitely be talking about more in the near future. We look forward to your thoughts!
Would you believe that the Millennium SkyTrain Line is 10 years old? Well, it’s true! The line officially opened on August 31, 2002, and connected to the bus network on September 3, 2002.
The Millennium Line was a long time coming, a version of it having been in the works since the inception of SkyTrain 26 years ago. Today it’s an integral part of our system. In fact, there are roughly 80 000-85 000 people who board the line everyday (excluding Commercial-Broadway Station)! Here’s a great primer on the building of the 13 stations and over 21 kilometers of track that make up the Millennium Line. In addition, this station tour brochure of the line gives an overview of the each station and each station’s unique features. Read more »
Back in October, I joined a group of CUTA Youth Summit 2011 delegates on a tour of BC Rapid Transit Company’s Control Centre. BC Rapid Transit Company (BCRTC) operates and maintains SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines from its Operations and Maintenance Centre (OMC) near Edmonds SkyTrain Station. Read more »
The SkyTrain system officially turned 25 late last year (December 11, 2010, to be exact), but today we celebrated the Silver Anniversary with an event at the BC Rapid Transit Company’s (SkyTrain’s) Operations and Maintenance Centre as a celebration of our 25th year of regular service.
Grace McCarthy and Bud Smith (Former Attorney General of BC who spoke on behalf of former BC Premier Bill Bennett) - photo by Anna Mae Abia
There were roughly 100 people in attendance including Grace McCarthy, the former minister of BC Transit, whose government under then Premier Bill Bennett was responsible for launching SkyTrain 25 years ago. Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Peace River South; Fleetwood-Port Kells Member of Parliament, Nina Grewal; TransLink CEO, Ian Jarvis, and SkyTrain President and General Manager, Fred Cummings, were also in attendance. Four SkyTrain employees were honoured at the event for working with SkyTrain for 25 years. Thanks for all those years of service!
TransLink COO Doug Kelsey - photo by Anna Mae Abia
Having helped put together this Silver Anniversary video, it’s amazing how long the system has been in operation. I personally love the old footage of Transit Control (now named T-Comm) SkyTrain Control Centre at the Operations and Maintenance Centre (OMC) and their old instruments. The video provided a dramatic entrance to a Mark II SkyTrain with a special design that entered the platform at Maintenance Centre seconds after the video concluded.
Now that the first 25-years is behind us, I can’t wait to see what the next 25-years will bring!
Canada Line turns 2!
Canada Line traveling over the Fraser River on the Canada Line Bridge
Yup, it’s been part of our lives for a couple of years now, and it’s become a mainstay for many Metro Vancouver commuters. Today marks the second birthday of this latest installment in Metro Vancouver’s SkyTrain system.
InTransit BC, the company that built the Canada Line, has this to say about the anniversary:
“Canada Line is a very successful public/private partnership between TransLink and InTransit BC. Average daily ridership is approximately 107,000, up substantially from when the System opened 2 years ago. At the end of our 2nd Operating Year, Canada Line has handled 73,622,384 passenger trips. InTransit BC’s Operator, PROTRANS BC, has delivered first-class service, and TransLink is to be commended for enhancing the integration of the overall transit system in Metro Vancouver. The new Canada Line schedule was developed based on increased level of service required under the contract between InTransit BC and TransLink. Doug Allen, the President and CEO of InTransit BC, is confident the new schedule will be well-received by passengers traveling all parts of the Canada Line System and beyond.”
That new Canada Line schedule mentioned is an increase in the number of trains running during peak hours. Here’s the skinny on that from the press release:
There will be 16 trains operating in peak service hours, up from 14, meaning more frequent service and shorter intervals between trains. Weekdays, peak service levels will start a half-hour earlier at 6:30 am and will run an hour later until 7 pm. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, peak service levels will continue to start at their regular times (9:00 am Saturdays and 10:00 am Sundays and holidays) but will run an hour later each day until 7 pm.
Comments on TransLink's Facebook page about Canada Line turning 2
Although this birthday isn’t one of the big ones for Canada Line (we like to celebrate birthdays every five years), fans of TransLink on Facebook had some very nice things to say about the line:
As part of our accessibility focus, I wanted to chat with someone who uses a wheelchair and knows our transportation system intimately. Brad Jacobsen is with the BC Paraplegic Association’s Peer Program. He’s also the creator of the Bus Stop Hop, an annual event that teams up able-bodied people with people who use mobility aids to partake in an Amazing Race-style competition on public transit.
It’s a pretty cool race with an aim to help people in need of accessible transit overcome their fear of it and for able-bodied people to better understand what accessible transit is all about.
Here is an excerpt from our conversation:
Brad, tell me about your injury and what happened afterwards.
I broke my neck on the May Long Weekend in 1994 in a diving accident. I dove into a glacier river in Pemberton trying to get a Frisbee. I was instantly paralyzed and left floating in the spring run off. I was able to hold my breath until a friend got me. My life took a different direction after that. I was 24 and was just accepted into BCIT’s broadcast journalism program and was thinking of becoming a teacher one day.
You know, when I finally realized what had happened, I faced my challenge head on. I thought I could overcome my disability. So I just pushed myself and did as much as I could as fast as I could. I moved out as soon as I finished rehabilitation, I got my own place and I got a job with BC Ferries.
Tell me about the challenges you face with mobility.
Working at BC Ferries, I worked eight days on/four days off without the use of the HandyDart system. At the time, it was difficult to get across boundaries, so I had to use accessible transit, which back in 1994 was still new. Not all the buses were accessible. Often, I had to wait for long periods of time when buses were full or broken down. I was often the first in line, but I wouldn’t be able to get on when the able bodied people behind me could. My eight-hour days at work were 11 hours if there weren’t any problems. Managing all the things you have to do as a quadriplegic with a spinal cord injury and being at work… was challenging but worth it.
What’s the Bus Stop Hop all about?
One of the main challenges with trying to have events was people [with physical challenges] saying that they can’t get there. There was always the excuse of no transportation, yet right under our noises was this amazing transportation system.
We were always trying to do creative things, trying to make people learn and gain confidence in a fun way. That was about the time when the Amazing Race was popular on TV, so we created an event that took the mystique out of the transit system. We got people in wheelchairs paired with a peer in a wheelchair, along with people from TransLink and a friend or family member to make teams of four. They race around the city in four different modes of transportation. Three modes are directly related to TransLink, the SeaBus, SkyTrain, and the bus system. We also incorporated the Aquabus in False Creek. We created this fun scavenger hunt/race around Metro Vancouver including Burnaby, Metrotown, and UBC. We’re going to have 15 teams this year. All the trolley buses have been accessible since 2008, so that makes the race even bigger [than earlier years]. Now, we also incorporate the Canada Line.
In this 10th year, we want to invite more executives and community partners. In the past, we have had a lot of participation from upper management at TransLink.
When is it this year?
This year it will be on August 7th, 2011. We’ll have some people who competed last year and some new people. We’ll have some people who are very competitive and some that just want to overcome their fears and just get on a bus. Having someone get on a bus on a crowded weekend along with able-bodied people can illustrates the difficulties people with physical challenges have when using transit.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Brad!
Brad told me that the teams for this year’s Bus Stop Hop have not yet been finalized, so do check out the Bus Stop Hop page on the BC Paraplegic Association website. And remember that if you’d like to try out getting on a bus in a wheelchair or using a bike rack, come on down to Metrotown tomorrow, June 8, 2011, for the accessible bus trailbetween 10AM and 2PM. See you there!
The SkyTrain 25th anniversary celebration continues: here’s another fantastic SkyTrain promotional video from 1984, again shot by local video company JEM Productions!
This one stares into the future with a bit more seriousness than the past few videos, but this time with a killer synth soundtrack. (Seriously: I’ve got to make some ringtones.)
It traces the new SkyTrain route, gives us a glimpse of the SkyTrain attendants’ fabulous uniforms, and has a fairly exhaustive list of all the economic benefits and regional growth that Vancouver can expect.
And of course you can check out some awesome aerial shots of historic 1980s Vancouver!
If you’d like to see more, I’ve posted two other SkyTrain videos in the past, plus scans of photos and memorabilia. Check out the entire Transit History category for all of those and even more history tidbits. Happy 25th, SkyTrain!
Up up and away: the SkyTrain Transformer helps kids learn to ride the system!
Why yes, that IS a SkyTrain Transformer! He’s the star of Up, Up, and Away on SkyTrain, a 1986 Transformers-inspired kids guide to the system, kindly shared by my colleague Bill Knight.
The Transformers made their debut in 1984, so we think that BC Transit was just trying to capitalize on what was popular with kids those days. The SkyTrain Transformer is clearly not an official Autobot or Decepticon, but it’s plenty charming all the same :)
And remember, you can check out the entire Transit History category for more photos, videos, and stories on SkyTrain’s history and more. Happy 25th, SkyTrain!
The banner unrolled after the ribbon cutting. Photo by Alan M.
What a bounty: Alan M has shared some great photos from the opening of Scott Road Station in 1990. No, it’s not 80s SkyTrain, but it’s still a part of SkyTrain heritage all the same!
He’s provided captions for each so, as before, I have just put them in and added no extraneous commentary. Click each one for a MUCH larger version as well. Enjoy!
