Main Street – Science World Station

Main Street – Science World Station (formerly Main Street Station) is an elevated station on the Expo Line of the SkyTrain system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The station is accessible from both sides of Main Street at the intersection of Main Street and Terminal Avenue, and is adjacent to Pacific Central Station, the city's inter-city railway and bus terminal.

History

Prior to SkyTrain opening for full revenue service, the station served as the western terminus of a short 1 km demonstration track during the summer of 1983. A single two-car prototype train ran both eastbound and westbound on the current westbound track, between the station and what was at that time the end of the completed guideway, at the eastern end of the centre median of Terminal Avenue.

In December 1985, SkyTrain began revenue service with the station opening as "Main Street Station" and was one of two stations that served the Expo 86 site: the other being Stadium–Chinatown Station. This station served as an access point to the East Gate of Expo. This was the first elevated SkyTrain station to have buildings built around and above it, as witnessed by the Vancity tower on the west side of the station.

Once Expo 86 had ended, many of its buildings had either been torn down or removed. One of the few to remain was the nearby geodesic dome, known during the fair as "Expo Centre." Now one of the city's most recognizable landmarks, a science museum known as Science World moved into this space. On September 21, 1990, the station's name was hyphenated adding "Science World", due to its proximity to the then-newly popular landmark attraction one block away. Original maps designated the station as "Science World-Main Street."

With the station remaining the oldest on the Expo Line, plans to re-design as well as lengthen the 27-year old structure are currently underway, with construction set to commence in 2012.

Services

• The Main Street-Science World station is a major connection point for the TransLink Main Street trolley bus routes, as well as for the Via Rail and Amtrak trains that arrive and depart from the nearby Pacific Central Station
• The eastern terminus of the Downtown Historic Railway is located near this station; that line's streetcars run westbound along the south side of False Creek to Granville Island.
• The eastern terminus of both False Creek Ferries and the Aquabus can also be found nearby just south of Science World.
• The station is within walking distance of four fast food chains including Starbucks, Burger King, McDonald's and Tim Hortons. Prior to the opening of Starbucks, the same space was occupied by the "The Exchange"—a small newspaper/snack outlet that opened in 1986 as part of a retail programme initially set up with the introduction of SkyTrain.

Station information

Station layout

Entrances

• West Entrance is located at west end of Main Street, serving to Science World and the False Creek ferries. Up escalator is available between concourse and platform level, but no escalator is provided from the street level.

• West Entrance Elevator Access is separated from the main entrance, located on the far west end of the platform. No access to concourse from the elevator, and tickets must be purchased from TVM located at street level. See West Entrance above for transit connections.

• East Entrance located on the east side of Main Street, beside Thronton Park and with close proximity to Pacific Central Station for long-distance rail and bus services. There is no station house and concourse for this entrance, and passenger must purchase or validate tickets from the machines located at platform level. There is also no elevator and escalator access.

Transit connections

• Transit connection includes local bus routes travelling southbound on Main Street, near the west entrance:

3 Main / Marine Drive Station

8 Fraser

19 Stanley Park

22 Knight via Terminal Avenue (peak only)

N8 Fraser Night Bus

N19 Downtown Night Bus

• Community shuttle service C21 Beach is also available on Quebec Street beside Science World, one block away from the west station entrance.

• East entrance serves local bus routes travelling northbound on Main Street:

3 Downtown

8 Downtown

19 Metrotown Station

22 Macdonald (peak only)

N8 Downtown Night Bus

N19 Surrey Central Station

• In addition, community shuttle C21 Beach and C23 Main Street Station start/terminating on Station Street in front of Pacific Central Station, one block away from the east entrance.

References

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Main_Street-Science_World_Station Main Street-Science World Station] at Wikimedia Commons