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A Proposal for Transit on Broadway

This proposal for transit linking Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain station to UBC was sent to us from Adam Fitch. It was posted to stimulate discussion about transit options for the Broadway/UBC corridor and doesn’t represent the views of Transport Action BC.

Tunnel_vs_Green

PDF Presentation:  Tunnel Vision vs Green Vision PPP Nov 6 2014

Some of our comments on this proposal are:

  • It misses a lot of the major transit destinations along Broadway such as VGH, Central Broadway business district, West Broadway
  • Some of the areas especially along 16th Ave are quite low density now and likely in the future
  • The cost estimates are ballpark and don’t reflect some of the estimates done in more rigorous studies.

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One thought on “A Proposal for Transit on Broadway

  1. I can’t believe this is still going around anymore. I was hoping the comments I published in response on my blog, earlier this year, would nullify this absurd proposal at the time and just prevent it from being circulated. http://darylvsworld.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/skytrain-critics-alternative-to-broadway-subway-is-half-baked/

    The thing about Adam Fitch is he resembles the typical Light Rail advocate biased against anything to do with SkyTrain. He’s neither interested in getting the numbers right with what he opposes (i.e. suggesting that completing the Broadway Subway to UBC, from Arbutus, would cost $3b in itself) or with what he supports ($500 million considering expensive land requirements for an OMC, rolling stock, engineering costs to study a never-explored alignment? Impossible). On top of that, this is a poorly planned idea from someone who doesn’t have a clue how this city works. It’s 2.3km longer than a direct Broadway solution, completely negating the travel time benefits: it would be faster to take the existing 99 B-Line during off-peak hours, and barely faster if at all to use this LRT in the peak. Apart from very few benefits to UBC, there are no benefits to Central Broadway (where a significant number of 99 B-Line riders are headed) or West Broadway – and very few connection opportunities for anyone on the corridor. Because Central Broadway just isn’t serviced, the 99 B-Line would need to continue operating, with the LRT doubling the annual operating debt of providing Broadway-UBC corridor transit (by comparison, a full SkyTrain extension to UBC would allow the elimination of the B-Line, saving $7 million annually – TransLink study).

    And, like every typical Light Rail/anti-SkyTrain activist, he uses fear-mongering to push his nonsensical point because there’s really no other way he could do so; like suggesting a Broadway Subway would likely go over budget (at this point, no one can predict that outcome – and if it’s an indicator of anything, the Canada Line opened both under budget and ahead of schedule – mentioned in TransLink 2009 annual report).

    Light Rail supporters who are like Fitch aren’t doing anything to solve anyone’s problems. They’re lying to people to push an anti-SkyTrain agenda and should be given no attention by any form of media.

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