TransLink considers aerial gondola to SFU

METRO VANCOUVER – TransLink is considering a proposal for an aerial gondola to Simon Fraser University, saying such a move would free up buses, save costs and potentially whisk 3,000 people an hour up the mountain.

The transit authority has issued a request for proposals for the gondola, which has been pitched by the SFU Community Trust.

TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said the transit authority decided to consider the proposal based on the success of Whistler’s Peak 2 Peak gondola.

It’s still early stages, he said, but a proposed gondola would likely run from Production Way Station on the Millennium Line to SFU, making the trip in just eight minutes – four to six minutes less than a typical bus ride up the mountain. Hardie said a gondola would also be more reliable because it wouldn’t be affected by snow and rain, which can clog up the roads and tie up buses.

Such a move would also free up buses for other areas of the region, Hardie said. If TransLink were to move 3,000 people up the mountain now, he said, it would need about 25 to 30 buses.

"This could be a green alternative," he said. "What we really need to do is have a very serious look at the concept to see if there is a business plan for it."

Hardie had no specifics on the cost or alignment of such a proposal, saying that would come out in the RFPs, which are expected to come back by March next year.