SkyTrain Station Renovations

[Waders]

New escalators at Metrotown SkyTrain station are now in service!

Picture from Buzzer blog.

At a height of 13 metres (43 feet), the new escalators at Metrotown Station are the second highest in the SkyTrain system, surpassed only by the escalators at Granville Station at 14 metres (46 feet).

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by Waders

New escalators at Metrotown SkyTrain station are now in service!

Picture from Buzzer blog.

*sigh*

If only there were that many faregates at Richmond-Brighouse station.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

*sigh*

If only there were that many faregates at Richmond-Brighouse station.

or that many at Canada-Line Waterfront Station.

[teriyaki]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

or that many at Canada-Line Waterfront Station.

Yea, the 3? at Waterfront is completely insane. The one at Vancouver City Centre gets bogged down real hard during rush hour as well.

Side note, i'm excited for the new bus loop? at Richmond Centre, Brighouse station. Anyone have any plans for the place?

[ilikeredheads]

the brighouse bus loop should've been built a long long time ago.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by teriyaki

Yea, the 3? at Waterfront is completely insane. The one at Vancouver City Centre gets bogged down real hard during rush hour as well.

Side note, i'm excited for the new bus loop? at Richmond Centre, Brighouse station. Anyone have any plans for the place?

Yeah very piss poor planning. If you ask me, that station should have been built with provisions for a second entrance and maybe even a third entrance, as well as having the tunnel to Granville Station ready for opening. The Canada Line is a totem of shortsightedness and piss poor planning for the future.

As for the bus loop, should've been build when the Canada Line was being built, or they should've at least kept that mythological Saba loop. Very strange how the bus stands are miles away from the station. According to a TransLink rep in an email, it was the best they could do for stop placement. They could've at least combined come bays together like the one for the 402 and the 404 so people waiting for the latter could at least have a shelter.

[Transiteer]

The Daily Hive has an article with some photos on Metrotown Station's newly opened West Entry http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro...tionhouse-open

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Transiteer

The Daily Hive has an article with some photos on Metrotown Station's newly opened West Entry http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro...tionhouse-open

And one of the escalators is already down for "maintenance"...

Maybe it would have been better to put a set of regular stairs and a pair of escalators on the west side as it will probably see less usage than the east side.

Those elevators are certainly getting a lot of usage in the middle right now...

[Spork]

Joyce-Collingwood looks like it is on schedule for an early Fall opening. They are starting on prep work for the final concrete pour for the busy bays, and the interior is undergoing what looks to be the final finishing work. If I were a betting man, I would say that the station house will be open for business by Labour Day, with some exterior finishing and landscaping continuing until early October (North side of the station + retail space leasehold improvements).

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by WBC

And one of the escalators is already down for "maintenance"...

...and thus it becomes obvious why there are four escalators.

[Shift]

A few Metrotown pics:

[MIPS]

Maaaan, is it just the photos or is that entrance that big of a ghost town?

[dpogue]

I went through the new entrance at Metrotown this evening, and I was kinda disappointed. Those photos above almost seem to highlight all the things I was disappointed about, but overall it's fine. It serves its purpose well.

That's really the best way to describe it: it's utilitarian. It's a not-even-fully-enclosed glass box that you pass through to get to the station.

There's nothing in the way of public art, or literally anything of interest in the station house unless you count the support beam for the roof (which you barely notice since it's above the two large concrete guideways). It feels like there was no design put into it.

Now, it's worth keeping in mind that this was primarily a capacity upgrade and accessibility improvement project, and not a new station. It was funded as such, so it's not entirely realistic to expect the wood finishings and art integration of the new Evergreen stations, but I feel disappointed with the result.

[Waders]

It would be nice if some "art" can be placed at the new Metrotown station entrance.
At the new Joyce station east station house, the large canopy on the south side uses wood for the ceiling.
The big glass window facing the new escalator has colorful mosaic glass/decoration pattern.

Some photos can be found here.

[Waders]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Maaaan, is it just the photos or is that entrance that big of a ghost town?

For now it is a bit deserted. Passengers going to the bus loop, mall and the Metrotown towers would not use the west entrance as it is not convenient. Also the pavement between the West station house and Central station house is not ready.
The rebuilt east station house will get a lot more passenger traffic.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Maaaan, is it just the photos or is that entrance that big of a ghost town?

At the moment it is a ghost town. The old emergency exit stairs are still in place so people can't really see that that end of the station is open. Plus the sidewalk is blocked off at the bottom so you have to cross the street at McKay.

Originally Posted by dpogue

There's nothing in the way of public art, or literally anything of interest in the station house unless you count the support beam for the roof (which you barely notice since it's above the two large concrete guideways). It feels like there was no design put into it.

Beresford is intended to be an art walk - I think every tower has to include some public art in front of it. Eight towers in that run from Willingdon to Dow... I think that's enough art by the station.

[Shift]

I think the new station house looks great. I'm a fan of the simplicity / glass box design. It feels very grande. Also the surrounding buildings seen through the large glass walls is almost like art. I don't think the station house needs anything added.



There were people using the exit, but I waited til they were out of view before snapping the pic to be considerate.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Shift

I think the new station house looks great. I'm a fan of the simplicity / glass box design. It feels very grande. Also the surrounding buildings seen through the large glass walls is almost like art. I don't think the station house needs anything added.



There were people using the exit, but I waited til they were out of view before snapping the pic to be considerate.

There should be an interesting artistic light fixture in that middle area of those I-beam supports, or some wood details. It's quite basic looking IMO.

[Anorak]

Originally Posted by Shift

I think the new station house looks great. I'm a fan of the simplicity / glass box design. It feels very grande. Also the surrounding buildings seen through the large glass walls is almost like art. I don't think the station house needs anything added.



There were people using the exit, but I waited til they were out of view before snapping the pic to be considerate.

The placement of the 'fare paid zone' signs on the fare gates is really bugging me. Why couldn't they have spread them out evenly?

[Waders]

Originally Posted by Anorak

The placement of the 'fare paid zone' signs on the fare gates is really bugging me. Why couldn't they have spread them out evenly?

I actually think the 'Tap In' sticker should only be placed on those faregates on the right side. During rush hour, the faregates might be operating in unidirectional mode.