Quote:
Originally Posted by Anorak
While what you say is true and I definitely agree the Broadway extension should have been built a long time ago, I have to disagree with your reasoning. This connection and other projects like the George Massey bridge are meant to be payed with through tolls, paying for itself within a period of time. The Broadway Extension would/will not pay for itself, in fact it will be revenue negative, so they're two very different scenarios.
I think as long as they can estimate it can be paid for with a toll that is less than a ferry ticket, then there is no reason it shouldn't be built as it would be faster and cheaper, with more reliability and bring numerous economic benefits as outlined above and would be cost neutral for the province.
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How so? The 99 B-Line is the busiest bus route in Upper North America and gets about 55k riders daily. Estimated ridership for the Broadway extension is 320k daily, almost six times the B-Line and 30k more than our Expo Line (one of the few metro lines in the Western world to operate at a surplus).
It's also four times the existing George Massey traffic, and ten times the
total population of the Sunshine Coast. Unless they charge $30 tolls each way and build condos all over Delta and Gibsons, it's probably the Skytrain that'll pay for itself first.