Six options proposed for new rapid transit link to Metro Vancouver’s North Shore

Could Metro Vancouver see a fixed rapid transit link to the North Shore in the coming years?

The results of the first phase of a technical feasibility study into the idea suggest it’s a possibility and has shortlisted six potential options, should the province proceed.

The province partnered with municipalities on both sides of the Burrard Inlet and hired engineering firm Mott MacDonald Ltd. to explore the concept.

The first phase looked at ways to connect the North Shore to the region’s wider transit network and has proposed the following options for rapid transit link.

“We do have six options for a rapid transit solution to the north shore that we believe are workable and technically feasible, at least according to the first stage of the study,” said North Vancouver MLA Bowinn Ma.

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• Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Brockton Point (tunnel crossing)
• Downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver via Lonsdale (tunnel crossing)
• Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (new bridge crossing)
• Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (new bridge crossing)
• Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (existing bridge crossing)

Those six options will now face further review in phase two of the study. Phase one did not provide a cost estimate or timeline for any of the options.

Traffic gridlock in North and West Vancouver and on the two existing bridge crossings has been a perennial headache for North Shore residents.

“Delivering efficient and sustainable transportation options to North Shore residents is crucial in keeping our communities vibrant and moving,” said City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan in a media release.

“I’m pleased to see this study enter Phase 2 and to see the positive results of intergovernmental co-operation on issues that matter to all people.”

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart also threw his support behind the next phase of the study.

“The city understands that residents throughout the region are looking for reliable travel times and convenient access to jobs and leisure opportunities on both sides of the Burrard Inlet,” he said.

Connecting North Vancouver’s Lonsdale City Centre with the region’s rapid transit networks was one of the recommendations of the 2018 Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project.