Indo Canadian News News That Matters
The Government of British Columbia is considering five options for rapid transit routes that will connect Vancouver to the North Shore and vice versa. The province said that it had determined the best options after conducting a study.
On Tuesday (Sept 15), the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure released the second phase of their study of the Burrard Inlet Rapid Transit (BART) link, showing five tunnel and bridge options that are at least technically feasible. This study is considered as part of a long-term plan. Looking to the future planning, high-speed connections will make the movement of people between the North Shore and Greater Vancouver easier and environmentally friendly.
Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation, has said in a press release, “Our government is committed to creating greener and more livable cities and boosting access to transit as much as possible.”
The five options for transit routes from Vancouver to the North Shore are as follow:
- Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via First Narrows, a tunnel crossing.
- Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Brockton Point, a tunnel crossing.
- Downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver via Lonsdale, a tunnel crossing.
- Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Second Narrows, new bridge crossing.
- Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows, new bridge crossing.
BART New Routes
All options have its origin in the Lonsdale corridor and take different routes to connect to the existing rapid transit lines in Vancouver or Burnaby.
The First Narrows and Brockton Point options will involve the expansion of Burrard SkyTrain Station. The train will depart from the Expo Line station in the city center and arrive at the North Shore not far east or west of the Lions Gate Bridge.
According to the study, the plan will connect Royal Park and Lions Gate Village to Capilano Shopping Center and Central Lonsdale.
The downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale to Lonsdale option will connect the Waterfront Station to the Lonsdale Quay and then to the Royal Park. As per the study, the tunnel will pass directly through the deepest part of the entrance. This connection may involve the reconstruction of the Yaletown-Roundhouse Station to allow further connection to Burrard.
The last option of the new bridge may connect to Brentwood, Phibbs Exchange and Millennium or Expo lines.
At the same time, the Federal Government has allocated funds so that the North Shore can prepare a business case for BART before it passed to the TransLink mayors’ council as the team is looking for options for high-volume transit across the Burrard Inlet.
