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Old Posted Oct 15, 2009, 6:48 PM
trofirhen trofirhen is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2008
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Exclamation The best so far . . . realsitic and comprehensive

Quote:
Originally Posted by fever View Post
I think the distances get to be too big to make extending skytrain worthwhile. It's just too long of a ride with too many stations.
It's better to differentiate services into a downtown surrey-centric LRT network for trips within north surrey, south surrey/white rock,
and north delta and a regional network for longer trips south of the fraser. It can start off as B-lines and commuter buses and
eventually switch over to rail line by line as ridership grows. It should also anticipate future connections across the fraser that may
happen decades down the road.

I think something like this would be pretty good for a ~4 million person Metro Vancouver. It might even be a bit too much. I'd be ok
with a LRT to UBC from Arbutus, for example.
Many plans for future rapid transit and communter rail systems have been submitted over the past number of months.

Some were overly fanciful, but most had great merit in one or more domains. It is
a tough choice to decide which one is the best: a combination of comprehensive coverage and realistic feasibility.

My personal opinion is that this plan, while not overly elaborate,
blends efficiency and broad-range coverage for the whole Metro Region, combined with a realisitc approach of not going overboard with fanciful
(but often wonderful) ideas that would wind up being too expensive.

It is a shame that Port Moody would lose its WCE Express station, but it's equally important to remember that that station was built over 10 years
ago, before the great impetus to expand rapid rail throughout the city. The remainder of the commuter rail system shows resourcefulness
and ingenuity.

The extension of the Canada line to North Vancouver is terrific, and as one reader pointed out, several stations in West Vancouver could be eliminated.
Nevertheless, the line serves Horsehoe Bay, and presumably, goes to Lions Bay and perhaps Squamish/Whistler: commuter-train-hungry regions.
Equally good is the comprehensive coverage of the Fraser Valley - a future "commuter belt" if ever there was.

The inclusion of Kerrisdale is important, because it represents the closest thing to a "West Side" Town Centre due to its density, and has the existing
Arbutus rail line running through it, just waiting to be put into use.

This plan also offers flexibility, in that, as Fever states, some routes could be converted to rail if and when required.

This plan isn't super-fancy, but it's very comprehensive, and offers a great 'jumping-off pont' for future expansion.

It would get my vote for its realism and comprehensiveness, plus its flexibility for future elaboration when called for.

As far as Richmond riders feeling left out: they can always increase bus links when the density increases, as it is doing now.

p.s: Here in Paris, the already-elaborate commuter rail system has just purchased a fleet of suburban trains from Bombardier, and they are SUPER.
Fast, lightweight, quiet, comfortable. (No need to imagine snarling diesel engines or delapidated old Budd Cars for Vancouver's upcoming system)!!

And for anyone who has a problem with this map, remember; it ISN'T written in stone!! Adjustments CAN be made.

Last edited by trofirhen; Oct 16, 2009 at 1:54 AM.
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