Evergreen Line (TransLink)

Evergreen Line
Overview
Type	Light Metro Rapid Transit
System	SkyTrain
Termini	VCC–Clark via Lougheed Town Centre Station Lafarge Lake–Douglas
Stations	17 (6 new/11 existing)
Operation
Opening	2016[1] (scheduled)
Owner	TransLink
Operator(s)	British Columbia Rapid Transit Company
Rolling stock	Bombardier ART Mark I and Mark II, possibly Mark III
Technical
Line length	11 km
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	Third rail (Linear motor)
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)[2]
Route map

The Evergreen Line is a 10.9 kilometre (6.8 mi) long SkyTrain rapid transit line being built for the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.^[3] It will extend the SkyTrain network from Lougheed Town Centre in Burnaby to Lafarge Lake–Douglas in Coquitlam, with the addition of six new SkyTrain stations and major upgrades to two existing stations (Commercial–Broadway Station and Lougheed Town Centre).

When the extension is open, the Millennium Line will be shortened to operate from Waterfront to Lougheed Town Centre, and the Evergreen Line will operate between VCC–Clark and Lafarge Lake–Douglas.^[4] Service was planned to begin by the middle of 2016,^[5] and the line expected to serve 70,000 passengers per day in 2021.^[6] Plans for the line call for the use of tunnels and elevated guideways, using the same automated technology as the existing SkyTrain rapid transit lines operated by TransLink elsewhere in Metro Vancouver. On January 25, 2012, the provincial government announced that pre-construction work would proceed on the line, including the removal of some buildings and the construction of underground utility tunnels.^[7]

At 79.6 km, Vancouver's SkyTrain system will become the longest rapid transit system in Canada after the completion of the Evergreen Line, surpassing the Toronto subway and RT (76.9 km after the York University/Vaughan extension in 2016) and Montreal Metro (69.2 km).

The Evergreen Line uses the colour green on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.

History

A rapid-transit line to Coquitlam was intended to be part of the new Millennium Line that was completed in 2002. As the costs of the project rose, however, plans to extend the new line into Coquitlam were halted, though not before a third incomplete platform on the westbound side of the Lougheed Town Centre station was built, with a spur of tracks for the extension.

After completion of the Millennium Line, TransLink has undertaken several studies regarding the fate of the Coquitlam line, considering a variety of possible options, including a diesel multiple unit-based railway, a tram line, a new SkyTrain line, and an express bus service. In September 2002 the 97 B-Line express bus service was implemented. In 2004, it was decided that a tram line was the best option, as it would better blend in with the neighbourhood, cost less, better fit ridership patterns, and not compete with customers from the existing West Coast Express.

Detailed design began in October 2006, when the TransLink Board approved the Evergreen Light Rail Transit (LRT) project definition phase. Despite a series of public consultations held during this period, in a community update issued May 2007, TransLink summarized the state of the project as follows: “Work continues to resolve several outstanding issues before the project proceeds. Until there is project certainty, the planned consultation process in support of detailed design, the planned submission of the Application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate and the anticipated start date of the project construction are delayed.”^[8]

This prompted local news agencies to interpret the statement as meaning TransLink had shelved the project. TransLink responded by issuing the following statement on July 19: "The Light Rail Transit system for the Northeast Sector is the number one rapid transit priority for TransLink", TransLink Chair Malcolm Brodie said. "We have defined the project, and now we are waiting for funding to be confirmed from senior levels of government."^[9]

On February 1, 2008, the provincial government and TransLink unveiled a revised business case for the Evergreen Line, preferring the Advanced Light Rapid Transit (ALRT) used by SkyTrain over the light-rail technology that had been proposed. The expected completion date was pushed back from 2011 to 2014.^[10] On April 18, 2008, the Transport Ministry and TransLink announced that of the two routes proposed in the business case, the North West route was selected after consultation with the various municipalities.^[11] On August 5, 2008, the Province of British Columbia and TransLink agreed on Evergreen Line delivery.^[12] On May 4, 2009, the Ministry of Transportation released a Project Description Report for the Evergreen Line. The report provided more information about the scope and characteristics of the proposed line and detailed the project's environmental and socio-economic requirements.^[13]

On September 3, 2009, the release of the report on TransLink's 2010 ten-year plan by Martin Crilly, the Regional Transportation Commissioner appointed by the Province of BC, indicated that rapid transit expansion, which includes the Evergreen Line, was highly unlikely without a predictable source of operational funding. Although he stopped short of offering his opinion on the project, he agreed nonetheless with TransLink that upgrades to the existing system should be prioritized before the construction of the Evergreen Line.^[14]

On September 11, 2009, the second project update was released by the Evergreen Line Project. The update stated that contractor selection would begin in early to mid-2010, environmental assessment would be completed in 2010, and construction would proceed in late 2010. The update also announced open houses for the environmental assessment process for September 2009 and open houses for preliminary design in October and November 2009. It did not make reference to the funding issues that remained unresolved.^[15]

On October 26, 2009, the TransLink Mayors' Council voted against the increased funding necessary to pursue the Evergreen Line, instead voting for keeping existing services as they are.^[16] However, on October 28, 2009, Premier Gordon Campbell stated that the line would continue even though it had been voted down.

On October 7, 2011, the Mayors' Council approved the "Moving Forward" 2012 Supplemental Plan to fund various transportation projects in the Metro Vancouver region, including the Evergreen Line. Funding would be provided in part by a two-cents-per-litre increase in the Metro Vancouver fuel tax that was implemented in April 2012, with further funding from new sources that had yet to be determined.^[17][18] Of the projected $1.4 billion cost for the Evergreen Line, TransLink would provide $400 million, the provincial government would contribute $583 million, and the federal government would contribute $417 million. Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom announced that construction was expected to begin in mid-2012, soon after a winning bid for construction was to be chosen from three shortlisted builders.^[5][19]

In May 2012, preliminary construction began, including the removal of some buildings and the construction of underground utility tunnels in certain areas of Port Moody and Coquitlam. At the same time, the province also awarded contracts to widen sections of North Road that were to be affected by construction of the line in the middle of the year.^[20]

On July 19, 2012, the Government of Canada, the City of Coquitlam, and Coquitlam Centre Mall reached an agreement to add Lincoln Station onto the Evergreen Line, with the federal government contributing $7 million to the public-private partnership.^[21]

On October 4, 2012, SNC-Lavalin was chosen as the primary contractor to construct the Evergreen Line.^[22]

On December 3, 2012, the BC government and TransLink signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation to supply 28 SkyTrain cars.^[23]

On December 8, 2012, the final early works contract for the Evergreen Line was awarded and was to be completed by March 2013. Also in the statement is that the project is still on track for completion in 2016.^[24]

On February 5, 2013, Thales Canada announced that it was awarded a contract by Partnerships B.C. to install the company’s SelTrac Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC).

On March 23, 2013, the final names of the Evergreen Line stations were announced. It was also announced that construction of the guideway of the Evergreen Line will start in the Burquitlam area of Coquitlam in mid-2013 and continue south to Lougheed Town Centre station. The stations will be built in the following order:

• Inlet Centre Station, including utility work;
• Moody Centre Station, including utility work and relocation of the railway in the area;
• Lincoln Station, Burquitlam Station, and Lougheed Town Centre Station (beginning in mid-2013); and
• Coquitlam Central Station and Lafarge Lake–Douglas Station (beginning in late 2013).^[25]

In October 2014, the entire elevated guideway section between Lougheed Town Centre Station to the South Tunnel Portal was completed. The launching truss was transported to Coquitlam Central Station, where crews will continue to build the elevated guideway north to Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station.^[26]

On February 13, 2015, the provincial government announced that the opening of the line will be delayed until late 2016, due to slower-than-expected tunnel boring process. Any costs associated with the delay will come at no cost to the taxpayers, and will instead be covered by the contractor.^[1]

Route description

Evergreen Line Route Map

Evergreen Line
Legend
0:15 Lafarge Lake–Douglas Lincoln West Coast Express to Mission 0:12 Coquitlam Central 0:09 Inlet Centre 0:07 Moody Centre West Coast Express to Waterfront Queens(future) Snake Hill 0:02 Burquitlam Millennium Line to Waterfront via Columbia 0:00 Lougheed Town Centre Millennium Line to VCC–Clark

The July 2012 project update gave the following description of the alignment:^[27]

“

Burquitlam The Evergreen Line will run north from Lougheed Town Centre Station on an elevated guideway along the centre of North Road. Burquitlam Station will be on the east side of Clarke Road near Burquitlam Plaza. Leaving Burquitlam Station, the line will cross to the west side of Clarke Road, before entering a tunnel towards Port Moody. Port Moody The Evergreen Line will emerge from the tunnel just east of Barnet Highway. It will travel at ground level along the south side of the Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR) tracks to Moody Centre Station (with a connection to the West Coast Express), located at the Port Moody transit exchange site. Continuing east, the line will cross the CPR tracks just before Inlet Centre Station, located north of Barnet Highway. Coquitlam The line will continue along the north side of the CPR tracks towards Coquitlam Central Station, located at the Coquitlam transit exchange site. Turning north, the line will run on an elevated guideway along the west side of Pinetree Way to Lincoln Station. It will then cross to the east side near Northern Avenue, before ending at Lafarge Lake–Douglas Station, north of Guildford Way.

”

Design

The May 2009 Project Description Report and September 2009 Project Update provided previously unconfirmed details about the Evergreen Line, including the following:

• Travel time from Coquitlam City Centre to Lougheed Town Centre will be 15 minutes.
• Service will be every 3 minutes during peak hours.
• Operating hours will be approximately 20 hours per day on weekdays, and less on weekends.^[28]
• The line will provide direct connections, without transfers, to what is currently the Millennium Line.
• Projected ridership is 70,000 per day in 2021.
• Peak hour system capacity will be 10,400 passengers in 2021.
• Operations will be integrated with the existing SkyTrain facility near Edmonds Station on the Expo Line.

Stations

Six new stations have been confirmed for the opening of the Evergreen Line:

• Burquitlam Station, on the east side of Clarke Road near Burquitlam Plaza
• Moody Centre Station, at the Port Moody transit exchange site
• Inlet Centre Station, north of Barnet Highway, on the north side of the CPR tracks
• Coquitlam Central Station, at the Coquitlam transit exchange site
• Lincoln Station, on the northeast corner of Coquitlam Centre^[29]
• Lafarge Lake–Douglas Station, east side of Pinetree Way and north of Guildford Way

Two existing SkyTrain stations will be upgraded to serve the Evergreen Line:

• Lougheed Town Centre Station. An additional platform will be constructed on the east side of the station, completing a roughed-in platform and track that were constructed previously in anticipation of the Evergreen Line extension. When the extension opens, this platform will be used for Douglas College Station–bound trains. The centre platform will be used for the terminus of the Millennium Line as well as VCC–Clark-bound trains, allowing for cross-platform transfers between those two services.
• Commercial–Broadway Station. Increased ridership is expected to lead to larger transfer volumes at Commercial–Broadway Station in Vancouver, already the busiest public transit hub in Metro Vancouver. As a result, as part of the Expo Line Upgrade Strategy, Commercial–Broadway Station is to receive major upgrades to platforms and passageways to facilitate larger volumes of passengers.^[30] An additional platform for Waterfront-bound Expo and Millennium Line trains will be constructed, which will see the remodeling of the Safeway directly east of the station. This new platform will relieve crowding on existing platforms 1 and 2. Also included in the plan is a new pedestrian overpass over Broadway, and a widened bridge above the Grandview Cut to the Millennium Line platforms.^[30]

The initial LRT-based plan foresaw eleven stations. As part of the decision to use ALRT technology, four previously planned stations were cut: Cameron, Buller, Lansdowne, and Coquitlam Civic Centre.^[31]

The design blueprints show allowances for two future stations, at Queens Street in Port Moody and Falcon Drive in Coquitlam, should future development warrant their construction according to the Evergreen Line project office.^[32] Also, in the design plans a short spur has been worked in at Coquitlam Central Station, for a future extension of the line to Port Coquitlam.^[33]

See also

• 97 B-Line

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Evergreen Line.

• Evergreen Line project website

TransLink services in Metro Vancouver   SkyTrain lines and stations Expo Line Waterfront ■■■ Burrard Granville Stadium–Chinatown Main Street–Science World Commercial–Broadway ■■■ Nanaimo 29th Avenue Joyce–Collingwood Patterson Metrotown Royal Oak Edmonds 22nd Street New Westminster Columbia ■ Scott Road Gateway Surrey Central ■ King George ■ Millennium Line Waterfront ■■■ Burrard Granville Stadium–Chinatown Main Street–Science World Commercial–Broadway ■■■ Nanaimo 29th Avenue Joyce–Collingwood Patterson Metrotown Royal Oak Edmonds 22nd Street New Westminster Columbia ■ Sapperton Braid Lougheed Town Centre ■■ Production Way–University Lake City Way Sperling–Burnaby Lake Holdom Brentwood Town Centre Gilmore Rupert Renfrew Commercial–Broadway ■■■ VCC–Clark Canada Line Waterfront ■■■■ Vancouver City Centre Yaletown–Roundhouse Olympic Village Broadway–City Hall ■ King Edward Oakridge–41st Avenue Langara–49th Avenue Marine Drive Bridgeport ■ Aberdeen Lansdowne Richmond–Brighouse Airport Branch Bridgeport ■ → Templeton Sea Island Centre YVR–Airport   Lines under construction Evergreen Line VCC–Clark Commercial–Broadway ■■■ Renfrew Rupert Gilmore Brentwood Town Centre Holdom Sperling–Burnaby Lake Lake City Way Production Way–University Lougheed Town Centre ■ Burquitlam Moody Centre ■ Inlet Centre Coquitlam Central ■ Lincoln Lafarge Lake–Douglas   Passenger ferry and commuter rail SeaBus Waterfront ■■■■ Lonsdale Quay West Coast Express Waterfront ■■■■ Port Moody Coquitlam Central ■ ■ Port Coquitlam Pitt Meadows Maple Meadows Port Haney Albion Mission City   Bus routes B-Line 91 B-Line 95 B-Line 96 B-Line 97 B-Line 98 B-Line 99 B-Line Express Route 32 43 44 84 135 189 257 301 394 430 480 555 509 590 595 791 Exchanges Airport Station Blanca Loop Capilano University Exchange Coquitlam Recreation Centre Dunbar Loop Guildford Exchange Haney Place Exchange Kootenay Loop Ladner Exchange Langley Centre Lonsdale Quay Marpole Loop Matthews Exchange Newton Exchange Park Royal Exchange Phibbs Exchange Port Coquitlam Centre Scottsdale Exchange SFU Exchange South Delta Exchange South Surrey Park and Ride Stanley Park Loop UBC Loop White Rock Centre Walnut Grove Park and Ride Carvolth Transit Exchange and Park and Ride General Trolleybuses in Vancouver Stations ordered inbound → outbound ■■■■■■■ indicate connections Future stations or routes in italics Former stations or routes in strike See fare structure here