TransLink has announced the first transit improvements being rolled out as part of Phase 1 of the 10-Year Vision.
The first phase of the plan, which is projected to cost $2 billion, was unanimously approved by the Mayors’ Council and TransLink in November.
TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond told reporters Tuesday that the service improvements, some of which were already implemented on Sunday, will make room for approximately 185,000 more people on a weekly basis.
To achieve this, Desmond says they are investing in better use of their existing fleet by extending weekday peak service and increasing weekend mid-day and early evening services on the Expo and Millennium SkyTrain Lines.
“This will mean shorter waiting times and more options for our customers travelling during some of the busiest times of the day,” Desmond said.
TransLink is also increasing peak service frequency on Canada Line on weekdays.
Finally, SeaBus service is getting doubled on Sundays and holidays, with sailings every 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Desmond promised the changes announced today would happen quickly and efficiently. “It is so important for us at TransLink to get these services on the road as quickly as possible to meet the needs of this growing region,” he said.
Chair of Mayors’ Council, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, says it’s the biggest investment in transit improvements since 2009.
“We desperately need additional service on Canada Line,” Robertson said. “The additional service on Expo and Millennium Line has also been long overdue. That will help reduce the crowding we had on the trains during rush hours.”
Robertson says they have enormous challenges with traffic from the North Shore, and the improvement in the SeaBus service has been needed for years.
“These are comprehensive improvements around the region, that’s why the mayors supported it so strongly,” he said. “It will make a difference in every community in Metro Vancouver.”
But Robertson says they want to see firm commitment from provincial and federal governments on three major projects, including rapid transit in Surrey, the Broadway Line extension and the Pattullo bridge, so “we can keep the pace up and don’t lose any time building these projects.”
Phase 1 will be funded by a $370-million contribution from the federal government and $246 million from the provincial government, with the remaining $1.3 billion coming from TransLink, along with increases in property taxes and transit fares.
— With files from Amy Judd