UBC students call for rapid transit line to Point Grey campus

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      University of British Columbia students are preparing to weigh in on TransLink’s plan to create a rapid transit route that connects Commercial Drive to the Point Grey campus.

      Jeremy McElroy, an executive member of the UBC Alma Mater Society, told the Straight this afternoon (April 22) that, despite opposition from residents and businesses along the corridor, students want a faster and more convenient connection.

      “We want to make it known that the students, who are the largest users of transit, are in fact in favour of rapid transit,” McElroy said.

      TransLink has revealed six options for consideration that include light rail, rapid rail, and improved bus service. A series of public workshops are planned during the next three weeks in Vancouver as part of a consultation process. The first is tonight in the UBC Student Union Building from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

      McElroy criticized the existing transit service along the Broadway corridor. He said students complain that the 99 B-Line bus is too crowded and does not run frequently enough during non-peak hours.

      “The fact that UBC is a publicly funded, provincial university that’s world-class, a lot of students want to come here, but there are financial pressures keeping them physically away from the campus,” he said. “A lot of students think that it’s only right to have highly accessible, affordable transit to this campus given that it is so removed from the city and the majority of the suburbs where most students live.”

      McElroy said he has heard from students who favour below-grade rapid transit as an option. But he added that the Alma Mater Society is still mulling the six options TransLink has presented.

      “The AMS doesn’t have an official position as to which we prefer at this time but we will be deliberating on it over the next week and a half and we’ll probably have a formal statement released next week,” he said.

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      Comments

      91 Comments

      Peter K

      Apr 22, 2010 at 5:01pm

      How about Coquitlam gets their long (20 year) promised (N)evergreen Line, before UBC gets their recently promised line?

      GVRD

      Apr 22, 2010 at 7:45pm

      Can you ride it naked to wreck?

      keep studying finance ...

      Apr 22, 2010 at 9:58pm

      Let's see, $3 billion financed at 5% over 30 years for 30,000 B-Line riders = $14,406 per rider per year for the next 30 years. Who is going to pay? You are only paying $200 each every year for transit.

      How about buying a bicycle? You are young. Cycling should be a piece of cake and you won't end up becoming a fat overweight transit sloth when you are in your 30s.

      Rapid

      Apr 22, 2010 at 10:46pm

      Agreed Peter. Nobody really supports diverting funds away from Evergreen for Broadway. Let's get Evergreen built ASAP, and hopefully in 5 years we'll be able to get the funds for Broadway soon after.

      KLTV

      Apr 22, 2010 at 11:25pm

      The only solution is skytrain. Fast. Efficient. Reliable.

      Light rail cannot work in Broadway because it is BOTH CONGESTED and NARROW. Light rail can work for one or the other, but NOT both.

      With light rail, be prepared to see NARROWER sidewalks, REDUCED parking and travel lanes, and INCREASED accidents (especially is it's moving fast throughout Broadway's many intersections). Not pleasant at all, especially its inflexibility to manoever out of an accident.

      Canadian Mind

      Apr 23, 2010 at 1:05am

      Zweisystem, your plan for light rail is a failure. Every city a lightrail system as been built in without a completely separated right of way has caused increased traffic congestion, major traffic collisions (ie. the cars get crushed by the trains), and just generally interferes with the streetscape. worst part about traffic collisions is that when it is a car vs a train, the occupants are very likely to end up severely injured or dead. I don't like needless car use in urban areas, but I would never wish severe injury or death to them over their choice.

      Video of the Housten LRT to illistrate the point of traffic collisions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV2rdGX4JYc

      And look to the above posters comments with regards to what happens if there is already a crash, the train can't go around, causing gridlock in the system. would also leave less space for both cars and the group who walks, cycles, etc. to work... plus no space for cars to park to get to the buisnesses on Broadway.

      This all can be prevented if you use a grade-separated right of way for your precious LRT. And if you are going to do that, why not just pay the extra 10 percent to have a continuous line from Douglas College all the way to UBC, rather than force an unneeded transfer on people at VCC-Clark?

      zweisystem

      Apr 23, 2010 at 7:44am

      For all those SkyTrain types. SkyTrain was conceived to mitigate the high cost of subway construction!

      If a Broadway subway is built it will:

      1) Increase the 1 zone fare to $5.00
      2) See the elimination of the U-Pass
      3) Replace frequent electric trolley bus servcie, with infrequent diesel bus service.
      4) Cause the South Fraser Valley to secede from TransLink.
      5) See a doubling or tripling of property taxes which will lead to massive rent hikes.

      You guys in Vancouver want SkyTrain - bring it on!