Part B
SkyTrain Extension to UBC
Logan Hall, Katie Levin, & Michael Morris
Submitted to: Sany Zein, CIVL 441
Part B
Logan Hall, Katie Levin, & Michael Morris
CIVL 441 – Transportation Planning & Analysis
SkyTrain Extension to UBC
2009
Cover Picture Source: Environment Canada
i
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................................... iii
1.
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................1
2.
Current Conditions ...........................................................................................................................................1
3.
Identifying the Need .........................................................................................................................................3
4.
Study Objectives ...............................................................................................................................................5
5.
Scope ................................................................................................................................................................5
6.
Stakeholders .....................................................................................................................................................6
A.
Appendix A: References................................................................................................................................. 12
ii
List of Figures
Figure 1: Translink`s SkyTrain.................................................................................................................... 1
Figure 2: Existing bus routes from UBC..................................................................................................... 3
Figure 3: Predicted growth in transit ridership to and from UBC ............................................................. 4
Figure 4: Proposed alignment for UBC SkyTrain extension ...................................................................... 6
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1. Introduction
With the winning of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver needed to improve and implement some
major transportation projects. Already there is the successful construction of the Expo Line and
Millennium Line, and now Translink is extending the SkyTrain system (see Figure 1) with a new Canada
Line connecting downtown Vancouver, Vancouver International Airport, and Richmond. During the
process of designing and approving
the Canada Line, a proposal to
connect downtown Vancouver with
the University of British Columbia
(UBC) through a SkyTrain running
down Broadway Street was discussed
and considered. However, in the final
design, the UBC-Broadway Line was
cut. Discussion has continued and the
idea is still considered a possibility. In Figure 1: Translink`s SkyTrain
(Source: Environment Canada)
September 1996, demand between
downtown Vancouver and UBC was great enough that BC Transit (now Translink) created the 99 Bus
route. The 99 route, or the so called “B-Line”, is an express bus that connects UBC with the Broadway
Station, part of the SkyTrain system near Science World. It travels down 10th as it leaves UBC and
connects onto Broadway at Alma Street. From there it is a straight run to its final destination. Because
it is an express bus it makes only 10 stops between UBC and the Broadway Station. It is part of
Translink's larger “B-line” system, connecting with the 98 route at Broadway and Cambie. There has
always been demand for public transportation between UBC and downtown Vancouver. The first year
of operation for the 99 B-Line had an average ridership of 12,000 people per day, 30% higher than
projected (Lovegrove). In 2002 the Millennium Line was built to replace 5 stops past the Broadway
Station. The next potential phase now is to replace the remaining 11 stops with a new, SkyTrain
system from the Broadway Station to the UBC transit loop.
2. Current Conditions
A typical weekday at UBC includes more than 120,000 person trips (2007 data), with public transit
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clearly accounting for the greatest amount of trips (see Table 1). There are five roads that enter into
UBC property, and in 2007, an average of 57,500 vehicles went to and from UBC (see Table 2). (UBC
Pg 8, 12-13, 15)
Table 1: Average daily person trips to and from UBC for different methods
of transportation.
Method of Transportation
Average Daily Person Trips
Public Transit
54,000
Single Occupancy Vehicals
40,000
Car Pooling
23,000
Bikes, Pedestrians, Motorcycles, & Trucks
5,000
Table 2: Breakdown of person trips made to and from UBC on an
average day for personal vehicals.
Entering UBC Property Through Average Daily Person Trips
NW Marine Drive
1,640
Chancellor Boulevard
10,550
University Boulevard
11,360
th
16 Avenue
12,920
SW Marine Drive
21,030
Total
57,500
As mentioned before, the 99 B-Line currently services people traveling between UBC and SkyTrain’s
Broadway Station. The B-Line runs seven days a week from around 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. During
weekday peak hours, the 99 B-Line arrives every 2-3 minutes and takes around 40 minutes from the
UBC Loop stop to Broadway Station (Translink). Other express buses leaving UBC include an 84 bus
route (an express bus between UBC and the VCC-Clark SkyTrain station) and a 44 bus route (an
express bus between UBC and downtown Vancouver). In addition to the 99, 84, and 44 bus routes,
there are 7 other regular service buses connecting UBC with downtown Vancouver (see Figure 2)
(GVRD et al). Person trips on public transit to and from UBC in 2007, the most recent data available,
were more than 54,000 during an average weekday (UBC 16-17). During peak morning hours (6-9
a.m.), it was almost 9,000 person trips, and during peak evening hours (3-5 p.m.) it was more than
13,000 person trips.
2
All students attending UBC,
whether full-time or parttime,
must
purchase
the
mandatory semester long bus
pass, the “U-Pass”. Therefore,
public transit use plays an
important role in student’s
mode choices. Between 8 and
9 a.m., more than 75 buses
arrive at UBC, an average of
one bus every 50 seconds
(GVRD et al 10). UBC has a
large transit facility, the bus
loop with 10 docking bays,
which is used by most transit
Figure 2: Existing bus routes from UBC
(Source: GRVD et al)
riders to board and exit buses
(GVRD et al 13). UBC has
shifted times when certain morning classes start. This has lead to a decrease in peak traffic during the
morning.
3. Identifying the Need
There have been some key changes to UBC’s travel patterns. A significant contributor to the change is
the increase in student population. UBC’s daytime population has increased from 42,300 people in
1997 to 56,000 in 2007, an increase of more than 30% (UBC 4). This has increased the strain on the
surrounding transportation systems. Another change was the implementation of the mandatory “UPass” in 2003 for all students attending UBC. This greatly increased the demand for public transit,
especially the 99 B-Line. Between the fall of 2002 and the fall of 2003 there was a 53% increase in
ridership on buses to and from UBC (Urban Systems 4). From 1997 to 2007 transit ridership has
increased 185% (UBC 8).
Popular bus routes such as the 99 bus route are beginning to turn away riders more and more
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frequently because the buses are full. During peak hours, the 99 bus arrives every 2 - 3minutes. Yet,
even with this frequency, the buses remain full and more than two buses can pass students by before
one will stop (GVRD et al). Unfortunately it is impractical to have the buses arrive any more frequently
than they do now. This is partially due to the fact that UBC is a hub for many student travelers and
that there are many other buses running the same routes at peak times. Any more buses would
essentially saturate the downtown core and cause additional strains on Broadway. From UBC to
where the 99 bus route ends at the Millennium Line, Broadway has between two and three lanes
each way. However, the amount of buses traveling down Broadway essentially takes up one entire
lane each way. This causes major frustration between vehicle drivers and buses, and leads to
significant congestion.
The need is there already during peak hours on Broadway Street. But in addition, the continuing
growth and the predicted increase in student enrollment at UBC will put even more strain on the
current transportation systems in place. For the 10 years from 1996 to 2006, UBC had 60% growth in
applications and a 49% growth in students admitted (Arida). Predicted ridership for transit is going to
be 53,000 (70,000 total
daytime
population)
by
2011 (see Figure 3), and it is
estimated that 141 buses
will enter UBC at peak
morning hour. This would
cause significant strain on
the transportation facilities
at UBC. The bus loop has
been expanded or changed
three times in the last 20
Figure 3: Predicted growth in transit ridership to and from UBC
(Source: GRVD et al)
years, and yet by 2011 it will
be at full capacity again (GRVD
et al). In addition, UBC`s Campus Transit Plan is committed to reducing the amount of single
occupancy vehicles and increasing ridership on an already strained transit system (GRVD et al). The
need for a UBC-Broadway Line is apparent when considering the staggering growth that UBC is
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expected to experience in attendance and transit ridership.
4. Study Objectives
There are many possible alignments of extending the sky train to UBC such as along West 4 th Avenue,
West Broadway, 16th Avenue, 49th Avenue, and South west Marine Drive. However, the focus of this
study will be on the alignment along West Broadway from Cambie Street all the way to UBC’s bus
loop. The objective of this report is to look at the replacement of the B-Line with a SkyTrain similar to
the Canada Line and Millennium Line. The study will also assess whether the SkyTrain would be best
located above or below grade. Although the proposed SkyTrain route will replace the 99 B-Line, it is
assumed that people traveling different routes will also use it due to its high speed and consistency,
showing up every four to five minutes. The objectives include:
 assessing the current conditions and all those who are affected
 providing data relevant to the potential UBC Line
 analyzing the potential costs and benefits
 determining the impacts of introducing an extended UBC Line
 deciding if a UBC Line is appropriate
 to suggest and make recommendations about the feasibility of a UBC Line
Hopefully the end results of this report will give a compelling argument as to why or why not the UBC
Line should be considered to replace the 99 B-Line, and make clear to the reader the impacts of such
a transportation system.
5. Scope
The geometric scope of this study will focus on the direct impacts of the Broadway alignment shown
in Figure 4. Although the study will be limited to just West Broadway, other areas of Greater
Vancouver will be affected. The surrounding areas not being considered are the Vancouver area,
downtown Vancouver, UBC, Richmond, YVR, and Burnaby. These areas will be affected because of the
increased speed and ease of commuting to UBC from these locations with the introduction of the
SkyTrain. However, to include them in the study would create a far more complicated scope then we
are prepared to evaluate, and cannot be effectively analyzed in the time frame given.
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The main focus of the geometric scope will be directed on the impacts of the main intersections
located on the West Broadway alignment. These intersections are located on Cambie, Granville,
Arbutus, McDonald, and Alma Streets. The direct impacts of the SkyTrain extension on these
intersections will be of importance because they are currently affected by the high volumes of buses
operating through them. Once the SkyTrain extension is completed it will decrease the bus volumes
through these intersections having an impact on their current operations. The construction stage of
Figure 4: Proposed alignment for UBC SkyTrain extension
Source: MapQuest
the SkyTrain will also have impacts on the operations of these intersections and how West Broadway
and 10th Avenue function.
With the current developments in Vancouver and the rapidly approaching 2010 Olympics it is not
feasible for the UBC extension to be completed before the Olympics. Although the rapid growth of
the University of British Columbia and the continued push for a more environmentally friendly
community, the timeline for the extension should be within the near future. This is to help benefit all
the stakeholders as soon as possible and to help reduce the continually increasing traffic problems in
Vancouver’s West end. The scope of the timeline for the extension will be for the next 15 to 20 years,
projecting from 2010 to 2025 and 2030.
6. Stakeholders
There are several stakeholders that would be affected by the proposed extension of the SkyTrain to
UBC. They include:
Business Owners - The first group to consider is the business owners along Broadway and 10 th
Avenues. These stakeholders may be represented by a number of different business associations
including the West Broadway Business Association, which includes the businesses from Alma to
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Cambie Street along Broadway, and the Point Grey Village Business Association. During construction
these businesses will be affected by closures to the street as well reduced access to businesses via
sidewalks under construction. The work on Broadway will reduce the amount of foot traffic in the
area as people tend to avoid construction sites when possible. Business owners may also be
concerned about impacts after construction as their establishments will not be as visible to SkyTrain
users as they are to the patrons on the buses. Whether the SkyTrain is above or below ground would
probably not change the effect on the business owners.
Homeowners - Homeowners in the areas around the proposed SkyTrain route would be affected by
the reduction in road usage due to construction. The affected neighbourhoods include Point Grey,
Kitsilano and Fairview. They may also be concerned with vibration and noise pollution during
construction, as would the business owners. Tunneling under the roadway may contribute more
vibration than building above ground. Another problem for homeowners could be the traffic taking
alternate routes on local, quiet streets during construction.
Translink - Translink would be the owner and operator of the SkyTrain and thus the primary
stakeholder. They would be responsible for ensuring that the project is economically and physically
feasible. Translink would possibly have to reroute the bus traffic along this route during construction
and would need to revamp the bus schedules after construction. They would also need to look at
whether they could budget for a project such as this one or if they would need to get financial
assistance from any government agencies.
City of Vancouver - Translink would need to get approval from the city before the project could
commence and would continue to need their approval as they would require several permits during
construction. Vancouver city planners and engineers would have a great deal of interest in the
extension of the SkyTrain as it may affect their plans for the area.
BC MoT - Translink may also need to consult with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
to see what plans they have for the area. The Transit Plan issued by Premier Gordon Campbell in
January 2008 calls for BC to invest $11.1 billion in new funding for public transit by the year 2020. Part
of this investment will contribute to four new rapid transit lines in Metro Vancouver including the UBC
Line. The other investors included in the plan are Translink as well as federal and local governments.
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UBC – The University of British Columbia will also have a great deal of interest in the extension of the
SkyTrain. While UBC is not a municipality, it is also not a part of Vancouver. UBC and the property it
occupies are managed by the UBC Board of Governors, who would need to be consulted. There would
be a lot of construction at and near the university causing problems for travelling to school for
students and staff. UBC would have to locate a suitable position for the train station as well, which
may conflict with current projects underway at the school. Some UBC student groups could possibly
protest the building of another transportation facility at the school as they have done so in the past.
Cyclist Groups – The Vancouver Cyclist Meetup Group, the Vancouver Bicycle Club and the Vancouver
Area Cycling Coalition are other possible stakeholders in the cyclist community. While Broadway
Avenue is not necessarily a specified bike route there are cyclists that use it on a daily basis that
would be affected during construction. The increased pressure in the area may also cause more traffic
onto the bicycle routes on 10th and 7th Avenues creating safety issues for other commuter cyclists.
Environmental Groups - The construction does not take place near any water bodies so the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans will not likely need to be considered. However, all construction
projects have the potential for environmental impacts, and thus some environmental agencies may
have to be consulted as well. For example, during any excavation measures would need to be taken to
ensure sediment was not washed into the storm drains. Translink may be required to complete an
Environmental Impact Assessment for some government agencies before the project would be
approved.
Emergency Services - Other groups to consult are the Emergency and Medical Response teams,
especially the RCMP detachment located at UBC and the ambulatory services located at the university
hospital. These emergency services would need to address the issues that arise when a route is
removed from the system. They need to be aware of any changes so that they can be prepared and
maintain efficiency in the services they provide.
Each of these stakeholders would have to be addressed in a different manner. But whether it is by an
open house for the public or a formal report for the city, the concerns of the stakeholders must be
considered and dealt with.
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7. Issues
There are a variety of issues with Broadway and the transportation of people to UBC and throughout
the rest of Broadway. Some major issues with the current transportation system in place between
UBC and downtown Vancouver are delays, damage to infrastructure, and the general impacts on UBC
and its ability to grow. Issues with construction and completion of a Broadway SkyTrain to UBC
include similar issues such as delays and damage to infrastructure, but also impacts on surrounding
neighborhoods and areas, and construction costs. The different stakeholders have different issues,
and what may not be a problem for one stakeholder may be a problem for another. Below is a brief
outline of three important issues to consider.
7.1.
Delays
Broadway is a very busy street during peak a.m. and p.m. traffic flow. Unfortunately it is only four
lanes for most of its course and there is very little room to expand this. With the 99 B-Line bus route
running every 2 – 3 minutes, and more than five other bus routes traveling down all of or on various
parts of Broadway, one lane each way becomes saturated with buses (Translink). The buses
essentially reduce Broadway from a four lane arterial road to a two lane one. This is significant when
considering that the average lane capacity is approximately 1000 vehicles per hour (vph). The buses
are effectively reducing the vehicle capacity of Broadway from 4000 vph down to 2000 vph.
Students and other people traveling to UBC also face delays due to the fact that buses are becoming
full and having to pass certain stops. It is not uncommon for a transit rider to have two buses pass
them during peak hours before a bus stops and allows them on. This can lead to frustration with the
public transit system and a perceived idea that the buses are incapable of handling the demand. The
goal of Translink and the City of Vancouver is to increase public transit ridership. It is therefore
important to make sure that all transit systems are capable of managing the current demand and the
expected increase.
If the SkyTrain to UBC is approved and construction begins above or below ground, delays on
Broadway are inevitable. Recent construction of the SkyTrain on Cambie Street shows that there is
not an easy way to build a SkyTrain down a major road without major traffic delays. This issue is
serious as it will affect people’s choice to go downtown or not, greatly affecting the economic
9
prosperity of the area.
7.2.
Damage to Infrastructure
The continual high volume of buses traveling down Broadway causes serious damage to the road. The
significant weight of the bus puts pressure on the roadway causing depressions and other common
damage. With weighting as much as twenty times the average weight of a car, buses can rapidly
deteriorate the surrounding asphalt pavement and cause additional settlement of the soil below the
road. Maintenance costs for Broadway will decrease significantly with the reduction in bus traffic if a
SkyTrain were to be built. While not significant when compared to the total cost of the proposed UBC
Line, these savings should still be considered when costing the price. The City of Vancouver is
responsible for maintenance of the road ways, and is most affected by this issue.
7.3.
UBC Specific Issues
UBC is predicted to grow, and the demand on the transportation systems around it will continue to
increase. Currently, there are already issues with peak a.m. and p.m. traffic conditions between UBC
and downtown Vancouver. However, as mentioned before, it is difficult to increase the bus traffic
throughout Broadway. The current conditions will only restrict the amount of traffic between UBC
and downtown Vancouver and hamper the future growth of the University.
Student housing is a problem at UBC which is evident from the long waiting lists. Nearby housing can
be expensive due to the demand. Therefore, students and employees of the university are forced to
find housing further away from UBC. This creates environmental issues with people making long
commutes.
With the addition of a SkyTrain from downtown Vancouver to UBC, peoples housing options will
increase as the travel times to and from UBC will be greatly reduced. The option of public transit will
become more feasible. Environmentally, improvements will be felt. With an assumed increase in
popularity for public transit, the growth in student population at UBC will not result in more traffic.
Finally, a SkyTrain to UBC will be able to hold and transfer more people to and from the downtown
core and UBC. This will allow for UBC to continue growing while not putting a strain on the
transportation network.
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8. Improvement Options
The challenge of improving the efficiency and safety of transporting people from the Downtown
Vancouver area to UBC has many different options. There are options that are more cost effective
and options that have less of an impact on the environment. There are also options that are more
practical in design and options that have bigger impacts on the surrounding communities. The
following is a list of options that could be considered to improve transportation to UBC.
 building a SkyTrain route at-grade from Cambie Street to UBC
 building an elevated SkyTrain route from Cambie Street to UBC
 building a underground SkyTrain route from Cambie Street to UBC
 Increasing the number and frequency of buses along the Broadway route
 Providing a Rapidbus Route to UBC
All these will improve the movement of people from Downtown Vancouver to UBC but they all will
impact the surrounding communities. Two options will not be considered in this analysis and they
are, the at-grade SkyTrain route, and the option of adding more busses. Increasing the number of
busses is not a practical solution because the alignment is already flooded with busses and adding
more will only further hamper the operation of all the vehicles along the route. Building an at-grade
SkyTrain route would also negatively affect the operations of the alignment due to the amount of
space that would be required to provide this option.
9. Advantages/Disadvantages
All the different improvement options have positive and negative impacts. The following is a list of
advantages and disadvantages for the three improvement options of
 building an elevated SkyTrain route from Cambie Street to UBC
 building a underground SkyTrain route from Cambie Street to UBC
 Providing a Rapidbus Route to UBC
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RapidBus
Elevated Skytrain
Underground Skytrain
Can handle the number of
Can handle the number of
riders projected for the next 5 riders projected for the next
years; after that, the system
20 years.
will need to be upgraded.
Can handle the number of
riders projected for the next
20 years.
Lower cost to build.
Higher cost to build because
of the need to acquire space
for the alignment.
Highest cost to build because
of the tunneling and
relocating of local utilities.
Very little change to the look
of the street, with a few
changes to the operation of
the corridor.
Potential for significant
improvements to the look
and operations of the
corridor.
In a tunnel, very minimal
change to the look of the
street with very significant
improvements to the
operation of the corridor.
A full lane in each direction
required to provide Rapidbus
Route.
Little street area required to
provide elevated SkyTrain
Minimal street area required
to provide underground
SkyTrain
Significant impacts on traffic
(including cycling), parking
and access to side streets and
businesses.
Some impacts on traffic,
SkyTrain has least impact on
parking and pedestrians along existing traffic on Broadway.
Broadway.
Most likely to experience
delays.
SkyTrain is an on-time service. SkyTrain is an on-time service.
Least impact during
construction.
Highest impact during
construction.
Limited impact on traffic
during tunnel construction.
10. Evaluation Criteria
The different improvement options will be evaluated using several different criteria. The main
objectives of any transportation project are to make it safe, efficient, economic and environmentally
sensitive, which provided the basis for these criteria. The criteria include requirements for during and
after construction and are listed here:
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Maximize Safety
Maximize efficiency
Maximize
Benefits

Minimize interference with car and truck traffic

Minimize interaction with pedestrian and cyclist traffic during
construction

Minimize congestion at intersections

Minimize travel time

Minimize wait time

Minimize travel time to the pickup location (i.e. walking/cycling/driving
time)
Economic 
Minimize
Environmental
Impacts
Minimize life cycle costs
o Includes initial costs, maintenance/replacement costs, operating
costs, decommissioning costs

Maximize job creation

Maximize payback (via fares, etc.)

Minimize economic impact to businesses

Minimize sediments and pollutants washing into storm sewers

Minimize impact to surrounding structures (i.e. vibration)

Minimize noise pollution

Minimize air pollution
The evaluation will be measured quantitatively where possible and qualitatively otherwise. For
example, most of the economic considerations can be estimated in terms of dollars and efficiencies
can be measured in units of time. Other things such as noise pollution and interference with
pedestrians and cyclists during construction will have to be evaluated qualitatively and relative to the
performance of the other options. Each option will be rated as to how well it satisfies each condition
in an ensuing section of this report.
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A. Appendix A: References
Arida, Andrew . "Enrolling the Class of 2011: A behind-the-scenes look at the UBC admissions
process." Enrolment Services. 2006. UBC. 18 Feb 2009
<http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:r77e6WZSh88J:https://you.ubc.ca/ubc/htmlemailu
pload/File/services_cid_enrolling2007.ppt+ubc+enrollment+growth&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&g
l=ca>.
Environment Canada. "Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Internation Airshed Strategy." Environment
Canada. Environment Canada . 18 Feb 2009 <http://www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/airshed/links_e.htm>.
GVRD et al. "Campus Transit Plan." University of British Columbia. June 2005. GVRD, Translink, & UBC.
18 Feb 2009 <http://www.planning.ubc.ca/corebus/pdfs/CampusTransitPlan2003-web.pdf>.
Lovegrove. Gordon. "BC Transit Enhances 99 B-Line," Great Treks 1998. UBC. 16 Feb 2009
<http://www.trek.ubc.ca/research/pdf/GreatTreks_98fall.pdf>
Translink. "099 Bus Schedule." Translink South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority. 29
Dec 2008. Translink . 17 Feb 2009
<http://www.translink.bc.ca/bus/50/timetables/tt099.pdf>.
UBC. Fall 2007 Transportation Status Report. Vancouver: UBC, 2008.
Urban Systems. U-Pass Review Final Report. Vancouver: 2005.
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