Vancouver, number 1 for livability

For the second successive year, the Economist Magazine’s Intelligence Unit survey has ranked Vancouver as the most livable city in the world, and the thousands of people arriving for the 2010 Winter Olympics will see why. But with its expanding population and an increasing role as an air and sea gateway between North America and Asia, effective, clean transport will be critical to the region’s economic, environmental and social future.

Given this challenge, integrating quality transport options into regional planning, preserving the natural environment, and concentrating development, has been an important focus for Vancouver for the past two decades. The region boasts the highest percentage of trips by sustainable modes on the West Coast and is actively working to reach a market share of over 50% by 2040. It also has a SkyTrain network, supported by complementary bus, trolleybus and ferry services. And in August 2009, the Canada Line – a new rapid transit line linking downtown Vancouver to the airport and Richmond, was opened.

The responsibility for planning, financing and managing all of the region’s transport lies with TransLink, which is continually looking to increase transport choices that can help maintain the area’s high quality of life. Public transit is a key element in its strategy, and Steer Davies Gleave is currently working with TransLink on three rapid transit projects.

To ensure an integrated approach, our involvement offers diverse skills such as long-term networkwide strategy development, alternatives analysis, project development, public engagement and operational reviews.
Rapid transit network review.

As a number of rail and bus rapid transit corridors develop from plans looking to 2020, we were retained to undertake a strategic network review to identify what system expansion will be required beyond 2020 to 2040 and to help TransLink plan the sequencing and phasing of those projects.

UBC line rapid transit study

TransLink’s highly successful ‘B’ Line express bus service connects Broadway- Commercial Drive Station to the Central Broadway business district and onto the University of British Columbia (UBC), but it is reaching its capacity as activity in the 12km long UBC corridor continues to grow. We are undertaking a comprehensive review of all potential alignments and rapid transit modes including bus rapid transit, streetcar, modern light rail, as well as a westward extension of the existing SkyTrain system.

SkyTrain capacity expansion

The SkyTrain System opened in December 1985, coinciding with the World’s Fair, Expo 86. Since then, the system has been extended across the Fraser River and a second line, the Millennium Line, added. Ridership on the system is now over 270,000 passengers per day, exceeding capacity during peak hours. We are providing forecasts of future demand and assessing potential physical and operational options to double the capacity of the Expo Line linking the Central Business District of Vancouver with the rapidly growing communities south of the Fraser River.

The challenges that the Metro Vancouver region needs to address are the same that many of today’s urban areas face: planning for population increases and economic growth while maintaining the city’s inherent attractiveness, planning in a sustainable way and addressing climate change targets. Transport feeds into all of these areas and an integrated approach can make a significant impact to the way we all live.