Canada Line

[Orange Seeds]

Yesterday, Vancouver's newest addition to the skytrain system opened and became the first airport to downtown mass transit system in the country.

IAN BAILEY

VANCOUVER — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 02:42AM EDT

Thousands of people waited for up to two hours to get a first ride on Vancouver's new $2-billion transit system yesterday - the first rapid-transit link between a Canadian city and its airport.

The Canada Line offered free rides yesterday to encourage the public to check out the rail service. The 19-kilometre system links the Vancouver waterfront and central Richmond - with a spur line to the Vancouver International Airport.

The 16-station system was to remain open for eight hours yesterday. There were 30,000 passengers in the first three hours. Normal capacity would be 6,000 people an hour, but there were 10,000 by late afternoon, said TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie.

Lawyer Elliot Poll, off for the day, happily took a ride from Richmond to Vancouver on the "fantastic, unbelievable" system, predicting after his first ride he might never again drive into Vancouver.

"My plan is to use it every day," he said. "It's the smoothest subway ride I have ever had."

But he found himself stranded when he tried to enter the Vancouver City Centre station for a return trip to Richmond as a transit worker predicted an hour wait to enter.

When he asked about the wait at the Waterfront station a few blocks north, he was told to expect a "longer" wait there.

"I hopped on not thinking about getting home," he said, 45 minutes into an eventual hour-long wait at the brand new Yaletown station in the city's renovated warehouse district.

Passengers were let into the stations in small groups to avoid unsafe overcrowding on platforms. However, there were no technical problems with the trains, Mr. Hardie said. "[They] have been running almost flawlessly," he said.

Mr. Hardie linked the crowds to the brand-new status of the system. "It's nice that crowds are getting what I call, 'Oh gee whiz' [about the line]. They are impressed by something new," he noted.

Mr. Hardie said late yesterday that to ease the crush on the system, TransLink decided to cap the lines at several stations at 7 p.m., and only people making the return journey would be allowed on.

Mr. Hardie expected service to be routine today as Canada Line begins its role as a key part of the region's rapid-transit system, running from the waterfront to the airport in 25 minutes. "We won't have as many sightseers looking at the line," he predicted.

The chaos came hours after Premier Gordon Campbell, federal Trade Minister Stockwell Day, mayors and other leaders opened the system with a buoyant ceremony and speedy inaugural ride. The system was opened to the public about 90 minutes later.

Reviews from first-day passengers were generally enthusiastic.

"It's very good. It seems very smooth, modern, state-of-the-art," said Burnaby resident Jay Lees, who was riding the line with his friend Vicky Zhao, visiting from Beijing. They had travelled to Yaletown from Langara and 49th and were planning to head back south into Richmond.

Charles McInnes and his wife, Tere, Yaletown residents, took a train to the airport. Appalled by lineups of more than two hours at the airport, they took a cab from the airport to Oakridge and 41st Avenue.

"It looks like a good system," he said. "It's speedy." Venture capital consultant Peter Campbell, disembarking from a ride from Oakridge-41st Avenue, described it as an efficient system.

"A lot of cities would give their left arms for this."

Needless to say I am very happy and excited. The number of people that waited to ride it for the first time yesterday was more than twice the number who rode Seattle's similar rail line earlier this summer. It is somewhat disappointing as most of it is underground but the views of Richmond and the Fraser river are fascinating. I live about a fifteen minute walk from City Hall Station so i hope to use it frequently. I got in line at 12:30 and waited until 2:15 before i got my chance. I was waiting at Waterfront:

Spoiler :

Waterfront(downtown):

and it continues:

Richmond(other end) warning coarse language:

Spoiler :

youtube

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Vancouver_SkyTrain_Map.svg

$2 Billion for a system doesn't plan to reach 100, 000 rides a day for ten years and services a municipality with less than 200, 000 citizens, only about 40, 000 people live within walking distance of the stations. It will actually lose money for at least five years at current ridership. But the mayor of Richmond expects his city to triple in size within forty years. Would such a transit system be possible in an American city of comparable size? Why did half as many people show up for Seattle's system on opening day despite Seattle being a larger city? Would you rather have this or a ten lane freeway? What do you think?

 

[Adria]

I just wish they could run a line right out to the ferries. But that route will likely never happen due to lack of ridership. Oh well.

I'll find out in the fall (next trip to Van likely won't be until the NHL season starts) if this new line makes the trip in from the ferry significantly shorter. I'll still have to take the bus in as far as the airport. Hopefully they'll put a direct bus on that route, without stops between the ferry & airport.

 

[warpus]

Kinda funny that Vancouver got one of these before Toronto.

Toronto's airport desperately needs some sort of a transit connection to the airport. Sure, there's busses now, but that's not convenient enough.

Judging how long it took to get ANY sort of transit connection to Pearson, I wouldn't expect a subway line to open by the airport anytime soon.

 

[Orange Seeds]

Kinda funny that Vancouver got one of these before Toronto.

Toronto's airport desperately needs some sort of a transit connection to the airport. Sure, there's busses now, but that's not convenient enough.

Judging how long it took to get ANY sort of transit connection to Pearson, I wouldn't expect a subway line to open by the airport anytime soon.

CTV news showed a couple from Toronto on the Canada-line heading to the airport and they were jealous of our new toy. It made me feel smug and arrogant. Unfortunately the line seems kind of useless right now because none of the buses are being redirected until Sep. 7.

i was really surprised at the excitement around it, and the crowds that showed up. I know I am excited, but i am a partisan transit user and will never drive in my life. Now i await the ten year delayed Evergreen Line and the twenty year delayed UBC/Broadway line.

 

[Leonel]

You didn't have a railed transit system from the airport to downtown? Well that's just common sense, really!

 

[Adria]

Kinda funny that Vancouver got one of these before Toronto.

Toronto's airport desperately needs some sort of a transit connection to the airport. Sure, there's busses now, but that's not convenient enough.

Judging how long it took to get ANY sort of transit connection to Pearson, I wouldn't expect a subway line to open by the airport anytime soon.

At least you have buses. Victoria International Airport has no public transit connection to downtown. Well, unless you make the 20 minute hike (I'm guessing - I've never walked it) out to the park'n'ride, where buses come by maybe once an hour. The only other options for those without cars are cabs or the airporter ($25 one way).

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Kinda funny that Vancouver got one of these before Toronto.

Toronto's airport desperately needs some sort of a transit connection to the airport. Sure, there's busses now, but that's not convenient enough.

Judging how long it took to get ANY sort of transit connection to Pearson, I wouldn't expect a subway line to open by the airport anytime soon.

What you talking about? There is the airport rocket! Only 2-3 transfers away...

 

[warpus]

What you talking about? There is the airport rocket! Only 2-3 transfers away...

I think that's what I caught when I was returning from Chile.. not sure.. it didn't take me downtown - I had to jump on the Bloor line for that.

And in 2007, when I was going to the dominican, they didn't have anything! unless me and my friends just missed the obvious..

 

[emzie]

Our light rail ends like 3 KM north of the airport, and there's nothing in the way of development. I guess it wasn't built because the rapid bus network ends there.

Well enjoy the toy D:

 

[Orange Seeds]

Our light rail ends like 3 KM north of the airport, and there's nothing in the way of development. I guess it wasn't built because the rapid bus network ends there.

Well enjoy the toy D:

This line basically replaces the 98 B-line rapid bus.

I will enjoy it. It will hopefully cut down on my trip from my new house to my old house(and friends) by half an hour depending on how they re-route the east-west buses.

Actually a lot cities don't have light rail to the airport. The bus from St.Petersburg's airport to the main shopping/historic district was small, cramped and very difficult to find.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Seems almost useless to have a rail system that doesn't go to the airport. Although I'm not a city person to begin with, I can't imagine living in a city if it didn't have that feature.

 

[Orange Seeds]

Seems almost useless to have a rail system that doesn't go to the airport. Although I'm not a city person to begin with, I can't imagine living in a city if it didn't have that feature.

Why? I only go to the airport twice a year or so, most of the population even less. the majority of people who go to the airport have too much luggage to carry anyways. It won't have nearly the traffic of suburban lines.

 

[warpus]

Why? I only go to the airport twice a year or so, most of the population even less. the majority of people who go to the airport have too much luggage to carry anyways. It won't have nearly the traffic of suburban lines.

Too much luggage to bring on a subway? Hmm, I find that hard to believe. I suppose it depends on where you're going and how many pairs of shoes you're bringing, but when I went to chile for 3 weeks, I managed to fit everything in one giant bag, that weighed ~ 25kg, that I was able to drag everywhere with me. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but the last.. 4 times that I had to fly somewhere, I was able to drag everything around with me on busses, subways, etc.

And I disagree that having a transit line to the airport is a "must" for a city, but it is def. a giant plus.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Why? I only go to the airport twice a year or so, most of the population even less. the majority of people who go to the airport have too much luggage to carry anyways. It won't have nearly the traffic of suburban lines.

Airports are major transportation centers, and it seems like a great idea to me to be able to get from the airport to the middle of the city where all the hotels and restaurants and offices are or to the other side where people might be staying or leaving homes or friends or relatives... I mostly use Atlanta's subway to get to or from the airport, and there's always some people with suitcases traveling with me. I'd think for the amount of people who are flying or working in the airport, it would be far more convenient to take the subway than deal with airport traffic.

Too much luggage to bring on a subway? Hmm, I find that hard to believe. I suppose it depends on where you're going and how many pairs of shoes you're bringing, but when I went to chile for 3 weeks, I managed to fit everything in one giant bag, that weighed ~ 25kg, that I was able to drag everywhere with me. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but the last.. 4 times that I had to fly somewhere, I was able to drag everything around with me on busses, subways, etc.

And I disagree that having a transit line to the airport is a "must" for a city, but it is def. a giant plus.

Yep, I might fly more often than the average person (or less, I don't really know), but I've never had so much luggage that I couldn't take it on the subway, and that includes when I moved here in the first place.

 

[Orange Seeds]

Airports are major transportation centers, and it seems like a great idea to me to be able to get from the airport to the middle of the city where all the hotels and restaurants and offices are or to the other side where people might be staying or leaving homes or friends or relatives... I mostly use Atlanta's subway to get to or from the airport, and there's always some people with suitcases traveling with me. I'd think for the amount of people who are flying or working in the airport, it would be far more convenient to take the subway than deal with airport traffic.



Yep, I might fly more often than the average person (or less, I don't really know), but I've never had so much luggage that I couldn't take it on the subway, and that includes when I moved here in the first place.

we are young and we are men. Most people statistically bring more than one suitcase and generally people don't like to carry that through a subway/skytrain.

Of course its a good thing to be able to get between downtown and the airport. That does not mean that it is worth the money. Atlanta has one of the largest airports in the US. Most airports are not that busy. In Vancouver my frustration is that we built a skytrain to an airport that will service about 20, 000 people a day instead of to UBC which would go down the second largest employment region(West Broadway) and would automatically have 40, 000+ students for it to service.

However that has less to do with poor planning then it does with rich west-siders not wanting to have the sounds of construction outside their homes

 

[mrt144]

And you also closed the BC tourism promotion entity. So they're be less people to utilize that connection now.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Seems almost useless to have a rail system that doesn't go to the airport. Although I'm not a city person to begin with, I can't imagine living in a city if it didn't have that feature.

It is much more useful to, say, have stations in the bottom of major malls!

There is utility to having rail go to the airport, but they don't tend to be the busiest sections. Vancouver's goes to the airport because the airport paid for the spur line that branches off before Richmond.

That being said, Toronto should really get on building the express rail from the airport to Union Station.

@Orange Seeds. The reason for the Canada Line instead of the UBC line is because of the Olympics. Otherwise, ya, why does Richmond make more sense than one of the denser areas of Vancouver proper, connecting downtown, Millenium, and Expo to UBC.?

 

[Adria]

Of course its a good thing to be able to get between downtown and the airport. That does not mean that it is worth the money. Atlanta has one of the largest airports in the US. Most airports are not that busy. In Vancouver my frustration is that we built a skytrain to an airport that will service about 20, 000 people a day instead of to UBC which would go down the second largest employment region(West Broadway) and would automatically have 40, 000+ students for it to service.

However that has less to do with poor planning then it does with rich west-siders not wanting to have the sounds of construction outside their homes

Isn't UBC next in line for a skytrain line? I was under the impression the Canada Line got priority because of the Olympics, but that a line to UBC wouldn't be far behind...

 

[Bamspeedy]

Why did half as many people show up for Seattle's system on opening day despite Seattle being a larger city?

Perhaps due to Vancouver's 'opening day' being during the week (Monday) vs. Seattle's 'opening day' being on the weekend (Saturday)? Seattle also has half the population density of Vancouver.

Would such a transit system be possible in an American city of comparable size?

The cities themselves are a comparable size (Seattle vs. Vancouver), but if you count the whole metro area, then Seattle is indeed bigger. I do not know how much of the metro area where it would be feasible to use the rail, so you would have to look at where exactly the rails are running (how many people they can service).

Vancouver
Population (2006 Census)
- City 578,041
- Density 5,335/km2 (13,817.6/sq mi)
- Metro 2,116,581

Seattle
Population (April 1, 2009)
- City 602,000
- Density 7,179.4/sq mi (2,772/km2)
- Urban 2,712,205
- Metro 3,344,813

 

[mrt144]

Perhaps due to Vancouver's 'opening day' being during the week (Monday) vs. Seattle's 'opening day' being on the weekend (Saturday)? Seattle also has half the population density of Vancouver.



The cities themselves are a comparable size (Seattle vs. Vancouver), but if you count the whole metro area, then Seattle is indeed bigger. I do not know how much of the metro area where it would be feasible to use the rail, so you would have to look at where exactly the rails are running (how many people they can service).

Vancouver
Population (2006 Census)
- City 578,041
- Density 5,335/km2 (13,817.6/sq mi)
- Metro 2,116,581

Seattle
Population (April 1, 2009)
- City 602,000
- Density 7,179.4/sq mi (2,772/km2)
- Urban 2,712,205
- Metro 3,344,813

You hit it. The area the Seattle Light Rail services is pretty small for the whole metro area not to mention that half of the metro area is separated by a lake.