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  #1  
Old Posted Oct 20, 2007, 8:01 PM
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Arrow SkyTrain Station Renovations


SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES FOR BROADWAY, MAIN STREET, AND METROTOWN SKYTRAIN STATIONS

Translink, the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, intends to conduct significant upgrade to three high volume SkyTrain stations along the Expo Line - Broadway, Main, and Metrotown stations.

These stations play a central role in the transportation network and currently experience significant access and capacity constraints. Demands on these stations will continue to grow with expansion of the regional transit network, regional population growth and land use change around the stations.
Translink has recently completed design work for these three stations that, when implemented, will allow the stations to meet current and future ridership demands. These major station upgrades will be completed by the end of 2009, prior to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Given the importance of these station to the network and the limited time available for construction, a Phasing Strategy for these projects is critical to the successful implementation of the station plans. The Phasing Strateg will manage system and operational impacts and maximize cost and time effieciencies gained from taking a coordinated approach to the upgrades.



ARCHITECTS

Broadway Station: Via Architecture/Stantec Architecture
Metrotown Station: Busby Perkins & Will Architects
Main Street-Science World Station: Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects





Broadway Station





Metrotown Station







Main Street-Science World Station






Metro Vancouver Rapid Transit Map (2011)
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Old Posted Oct 20, 2007, 8:01 PM
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BROADWAY STATION REDESIGN

The planned Broadway Station renovations can be summarized as follows:

1) Station entrance on Broadway
- Remove existing 2 coiling grilles,
- Remove elevator,
- Relocate eletrical riser next to new elevator
- Install 2 new coiling grilles,
- Create a CRU

2) Centre stairs
- Reduce the width of the stairs, and install a new escalator

3) Centre of the station
- Accommodate the exist from Safeway and provide connection between Safeway and Station fire alarm systems
- Extend the concourse space by enclosing the currently exterior space to the south of the station
- Extend the concourse space by replacing west wall by glazing,
- Create 2 CRU's

4) South of the Station
- Remove existing emergency stairs,
- Create new stairs,
- Install a new elevator,
- Install 2 new coiling grilles.

5) General improvements
- improved lighting,
- improved signage/wayfinding,
- new flooring,
- replacing metal mesh screens with glass panels.

6) Other
- expanded passarelle between Broadway and Commercial Drive Stations
- expanded entry to Commercial Drive Station from Commercial Drive
- integration of adjacent paved area and implementation of customer amenities.

7) Cost
- $25 million



New South Entrance




Concourse level





Platform level









































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  #3  
Old Posted Oct 20, 2007, 8:02 PM
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METROTOWN STATION REDESIGN

Starting in January 2006, Translink and the City of Burnaby hired a team of consultants to recommend options for upgrading Metrotown Station, the second highest ridership SkyTrain station in the greater Vancouver region. The team engaged a variety of stakeholders from both agencies, along
with representatives from SkyTrain and Coast Mountain Bus Company. A Station Assessment report was completed, “Metrotown SkyTrain Station Transit Village Plan – Site Assessment & Design Concepts Report.” That report identified five key issues for the station plan to address:

• Ridership at Metrotown Station exceeds the existing station capacity, and ridership is projected to grow.
• No direct, accessible paths are provided at the station from any direction.
• The bus loop does not meet existing capacity needs and presents pedestrian safety hazards.
• The superblock pattern of development at Metrotown reduces the station catchment area, particularly to high density housing to the north.
• The streets throughout the station area are oriented toward automobiles only and do not support high levels of walking.


In addition the site assessment recommended more detailed analysis of the following design options:


A) STATION BUILDING

1) West Entrance
- Improves circulation and expands capacity, including both vertical circulation and platform capacity.

2) Lengthened platform
- To improve the utility of a new west entrance, the platform may be lengthened by 20 metres to the west.

3) South platform
- Possible means to expand vertical circulation and platform capacity, but introduces operational, wayfinding and circulation challenges.

4) Expanded Mezzaine
- Connecting the east Station House to the existing elevator can provide accessible connection to passarelle and mall.
- Connecting the existing elevator to a future Station Square passarelle can provide an accessible connection to the mall.

5) Passarelle
- The existing passarelle to Metropolis can be widened to improve capacity
- A new passarelle can connect the existing elevator to Station Square.
- A new passarelle could connect a new west station house to a redeveloped Station Square

6) Bus Exchange
- Narrow Exchange: In this option, buses are looped around the station
building, with a new bus-only road between Central and Beresford. The BC Parkway would be routed on a dedicated path between the busway and Beresford.
- Wide Exchange: In this option, buses are looped around the station building, with a new bus-only road between Central and Beresford. The BC Parkway would be routed on a dedicated path between the busway and Beresford.

7) Bus Layover
- Central/Beresford: Buses laying over would be provided curb spaces
alongside the BC Parkway along Central and/or Beresford, immediately adjacent to the bus exchange
- Bus Loop: The existing bus loop would be used for layover.

8) Cost
- $25.071 million












































Station Area Strategies






Planning Area Strategies



















Recommended Upgrade Elements

There is a package of station improvements that clearly meet the study’s technical requirements and evaluation criteria. These include:

• Lengthened platform. The original Metrotown Station was designed to allow the platform to be lengthened to the west, in acknowledgement that this would be a high ridership station. Lengthening the platform allows trains to be staggered at the station, reducing crowding from passengers waiting to board trains. Lengthening the platform also puts the base of the stairs and escalators for a new west entrance precisely at the middle of a relocated bus exchange.

• West Station House. This is critical for two primary reasons: 1) It balances loads of passengers waiting for trains on the platform, relieving current crowding at the east end of the platform, and 2) It provides critical additional vertical circulation to the platform with out compromising passenger circulation on the platform through additional mid-platform stairs and escalators. A new West Station House strongly complements a lengthened plat form and relocation bus exchange.

• New elevators. The existing elevator is slow, opaque and inefficient. It would be replaced by a pair of modern, transparent elevators located at the new midpoint of the lengthened platform, allowing the existing elevator to remain in place during construction. The new elevators would provide redundancy, allowing one to maintain access to the platform while the other was closed for maintenance.

• Improved East Station House. Once the new West Station House is completed, the existing East Station House can be modernized. It would be made level with the passarelle, eliminating the existing steps. It would also be made more transparent, as in the Millennium Line Gilmore Station.

• Improved passarelle. The existing station passarelle would be widened and made more transparent to provide better passenger comfort and personal security. Stairs at the east Station House would be eliminated. The passarelle would also be redesigned to highlight the regional significance of the Metrotown station and area.

• Station roof and enclosure. A redesigned station roof and enclosure would not only provide weather protection for the entire length of the platform, but also provide more transparency and mark the station as a major landmark.

• Bus exchange. The bus exchange would be moved out of the current bus loop area and routed around the station itself. The bus loop would be maintained for bus layover, and as an important bus stop serving the front door of Metropolis.

• BC Parkway Improvements and urban plaza. Separated bicycle and pedestrian paths are included through the station area, connecting to continuous paths being implemented between New Westminster and Vancouver. At the station, care is taken to address conflicts between through cyclists and transit passengers. A very high level of design amenity is provided at the ground level to ensure both the functionality of the space as a major transit exchange, as well as a destination in its own right, as one of the symbolic “front doors” of Burnaby.

• Neighbourhood connections. Improved pedestrian access is provided on all sides, connecting to Maywood, ground level destinations north of Central, and second level destination at Metropolis and the MetroTowers.












































Station poised for $25M refit

By Leslie Dickson
NewsLeader

Oct 18 2007

Metrotown SkyTrain Station is set to get a $25 million facelift.

The expansion would address overcrowding on the SkyTrain station platform, an overtaxed transit exchange below the station off Central Boulevard, and poor bike and pedestrian access to the station among other issues.

Key upgrades outlined in the Metrotown Transit Village Study presented to Burnaby council Monday include:

• A new roof and enclosure for Metrotown SkyTrain Station, as well as an extended platform

• New westbound station access;

• Upgrades to the east entrance;

• A rebuilt passarelle, or passageway, to the station;

• New elevators; and

• A new transit exchange/public plaza under the SkyTrain station.


Improved signage and access for people heading to and from Metrotown SkyTrain from Kingsway and the Maywood and Grange residential neighbourhoods are also proposed.

The report notes TransLink has budgeted $25 million for improvements to the Metrotown SkyTrain Station in its 2008 Financial Plan. Metrotown is among TransLink’s three busiest SkyTrain stations, along with Burnaby/Commercial in Vancouver and Surrey Central.

Specific details will be brought forward in future reports, in partnership with TransLink and other groups. The Metrotown SkyTrain station refit would require TransLink to bring forward a rezoning proposal to the City of Burnaby to go ahead.

Coun. Nick Volkow, chair of Burnaby’s transportation committee, welcomed the major refit to the SkyTrain station.

“It’s long overdue,” Volkow said Wednesday. “Nothing’s really been done to it since it opened in maybe ‘83 or ‘84.”

Volkow noted the proposed extended platform would allow passengers to board a six-car train, or three of the recently redesigned cars, reducing the wait time for commuters.

The refit to the station also provides an opportunity to fix problems that have been an issue since the beginning, including the transit exchange below the SkyTrain station.

“We’ve been quite fortunate there haven’t been any major accidents between buses and people,” said Volkow.”

Volkow added one of the major things missing not just at Metrotown, but at every SkyTrain station, is public toilets, the lack of which could be deterring seniors and mothers with small children from taking transit.

“This is the 21st century. I think we should get with the program,” said Volkow.

Other TransLink transit improvements expected for Burnaby soon are B Line service between SFU and downtown Vancouver, and expanded service for the #130 route between Metrotown and North Vancouver, and #25 route between Brentwood mall and UBC.








Metrotown station bursting at seams
Study says $25 million in work needed to upgrade Skytrain Station

Brooke Larsen, Burnaby Now
Published: Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Burnaby's Metrotown SkyTrain station is bursting at the seams and needs more than $25 million in upgrades.

That's according to a transit study funded by the City of Burnaby, TransLink and the federal government that highlights overcrowding at the station. Released this week, the study calls for a longer platform and wider walkways, along with improved access for cyclists, pedestrians and wheelchairs.

TransLink is expected to pay for the upgrades, with some help from the city and the province.

City councillors will consider the plans - still in the early stages - at a council meeting Oct. 22. In 2005, council agreed to share the cost of the $150,000 study with TransLink and the federal government.

The study shows growth and development in Metrotown has stretched capacity of the SkyTrain station, causing overcrowding and blocking access for bikes.

"The centre platform, escalators, ticketing concourse and elevators are undersized to meet current demand," the report states.

"Current crowding of the station platform during peak periods does not allow bikes to access the system."

The report also points out that the overhead walkway from the bus loop to the station is crowded and not accessible to those in wheelchairs. The walkway is now used by 40,000 people each day.


Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who sits on the city's transportation committee, said he's glad to see so many people using transit.

"Obviously, we are victims of success," Dhaliwal said in an interview Tuesday.

But he believes the station needs major upgrades to make transit safer and more inviting to users.

"The station needs to be looked at in terms of accessibility - I don't think it really handles the volume of people safely."

The report calls for a redesigned station roof and enclosure similar to those on the Millennium Line, along with an extension of the station platform to boost capacity.

Plans also include the replacement or improvement of the existing overhead walkway so that it could be used by wheelchairs.

New elevators, upgrades to the east station entrance and a new mezzanine, a new bus loop and a possible second overhead walkway connecting Metropolis to the upgraded station are also part of the plans.

The study also looked at boosting access for pedestrians and cyclists, calling for improvements to pedestrian and cyclist routes.

Dhaliwal said Burnaby could start a trend by including public washrooms at the station.

"I think it would make travellers more comfortable," he added.

TransLink's 2008 financial plan includes $25 million for the station upgrades, the report states. Additional funding could come from the city and province. If design starts this fall, construction could follow in 2008.

Changes would be advanced through rezoning applications from TransLink.


© Burnaby Now 2007
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  #4  
Old Posted Oct 20, 2007, 8:02 PM
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MAIN STREET STATION REDESIGN

In December 2006, Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects + Urbanistes, BTY Quantity Surveyors Ltd., and Earth Tech Consulting Engineers were engaged by Translink to undertake schematic design and costing for renovations to the Main Street Expo Line Skytrain Station.

Key Design Considerations
• Enhancement of elevator and escalator access to the east end of the platform.
• Improving visual and experiential connections between the bus pick up and
drop off points (on both sides of Main Street) and the station entries.
• Enhancement of the mezzanine level on the west side of the platform.
• Enhancement of general pedestrian flow on both sides of the platform.
• Enhancement of adjacency challenges with respect to adjoining retail and residential space on the west side of Main Street.
• Improving the urban design condition.
• Increasing the revenue opportunities for the station if possible.
• Improving the platform experience.
• Enhancing the station’s overall architectural, visual and experiential qualities.



Design Solution

Skytrain/Bus Connection Improvements
- The design proposes extended canopies (bus shelters) on both sides of Main Street to enhance links between the Skytrain and the bus loading and offloading. In addition, stairs and escalators are reoriented to face Main Street.

Eastside Improvements
- A new station house is provided on the east side with reoriented two stage escalators, an elevator, and an architecturally unique oval security screen.

Westside Improvements
- A re-alignment and addition of an escalator onto the eastern face of the platform provides a direct visual link between the vertical circulation to the mezzanine level and the major bus offloading and loading point. The existing south facing entry will be upgraded with the an escalator and stairs will be
replaced. New retail space will be inserted along the Terminal Avenue street front.

Platform Improvements
- The existing platform remains intact with the exception of the east end addition. Architectural improvements include a clip-on to conceal the existing truss structure and a new glass safety barrier to replace the existing chain link barrier.

Cost
- $9.693 million




Preferred Option

The preferred option was then developed in terms of architectural form.


1) Skytrain/Bus Connection Improvements

In order to enhance the links between the Skytrain and the bus loading and offloading points on both side of the street, the preferred design proposes extended canopies (bus shelters) on both side of Main Street. The intention of these canopies is to allow transferring passengers to move under cover
from the bus to the Skytrain station and vice versa. In addition, in order to enhance these links, stairs and escalators are reoriented to face Main Street on both the west and east side of the platform.


2) Eastside Improvements

The insertion of a new station house on the east side with reoriented two stage escalators, and elevator, and an architecturally unique oval security screen is proposed. This accommodates the enhanced functional requirements for both escalators and elevators, minimizes the platform extension, and provides a dramatic architectural statement of station enhancement.



3) Westside Improvements

On the west side, a re-alignment and addition of an escalator on to the eastern face of the platform provides a direct visual link between the vertical circulation to the mezzanine level and the major bus offloading and loading point. While this design requires the reconfiguration of the existing Starbucks, it will enhance pedestrian flow and visual links between the bus passengers and the Skytrain entry. In addition the existing south facing entry will be upgraded with the addition of an escalator and the replacement of the stairs. Finally, new retail space will be inserted along the Terminal Avenue street
front. These new commercial spaces will enhance revenue opportunities and provide an inhabited streetscape along Terminal, while reducing the number of overhung dead spaces. This will have a positive impact from a CPTED perspective.


4) Platform Improvements

After reviewing several alternatives, it was decided that the most cost effective solution was to maintain the structure of the existing platform intact. This meant that there could be no increases (with the exception of the eastside escalator and elevator) to platform access capacity. Because of the nature of the existing station geometry any substantial increase in platform size would be extraordinarily costly. Consequently the focus was on an appropriate configuration of enhanced access at the street and mezzanine level. However, the east side enhancements would provide a much more effective way of accessing a somewhat undersized platform.

The design proposes a clip-on to conceal the existing truss structure of the platform roof. The intention of this clip-on is that there be a visual transformation of the canopy of the Main Street Station without any structural interventions. The agenda would be to create an aluminum face to the north and south side of the existing canopy structure. A lighting feature would be incorporated in this face. The clip on would allow the preservation of the existing skylights.

In addition, one of the weakest design aspects of the existing station is the chain link safety barrier. This is both visually unacceptable and does not provide any screening for the adjoining residences. The preferred design proposes a replacement of the chainlink fence with a glass railing. This glazing
could also provide a dramatic signage opportunity indicating both the name of the station and that of adjoining areas or buildings such as Southeast False Creek and/or Science World. The new barrier would also resolve the ongoing problem of neighbor complaints about lack of privacy.














Proposed Ground Floor Plan






Proposed Mezzaine and Eastern Landing Floor Plans






Proposed Platform Floor Plan












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  #5  
Old Posted Oct 22, 2007, 10:10 PM
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the mainstreet station likes the international airport.
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Old Posted Oct 23, 2007, 12:24 AM
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They look decent!

I don't know about Granville station though... Those tiles going up the escelator need to be changed because everytime I'm in there I get dizzy... lol... so that would be nice to be changed as well.
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Old Posted Oct 23, 2007, 2:06 AM
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The Main st. station is a pretty big improvement. I'm not saying that it's beautiful or anything, but it's far better than the 80s brutalism that it replaced.
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Old Posted Oct 23, 2007, 5:03 AM
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A couple of those Main Street station pics reminds me of the communication structure in the movie Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
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  #9  
Old Posted Oct 23, 2007, 5:19 AM
clooless clooless is offline
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I think if the design is actually going to incorporate "Main Street Station" on the side of the station it should simply say "Main Street." I think the public can figure out that it's a Skytrain station without the unnecessary "station" on the side of the station.
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Old Posted Oct 23, 2007, 6:40 AM
twoNeurons twoNeurons is offline
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^^^ i disagree. Your average person could think it's just an artistic way of saying the street name.

Note: Although "Pacfic Central" drops "Station" or "terminal" off its name, "central" is a term which is usually exclusively used for "train terminals."
The same can not be said of the word: "street."

Another example: Grand Central [Terminal], the much celebrate Train Terminal in New York doesn't drop the "terminal" identifier on its signage:



edit: Btw, functionally, I think Metrotown is by far, the most improved, and looks like it will look the nicest when finished. As usual, Burnaby leads the way when it comes to anything to do with the skytrain system.
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Old Posted Oct 28, 2007, 2:55 PM
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Nice to see that they have will havve the upgrades completed before the olympics.
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  #12  
Old Posted Oct 28, 2007, 11:44 PM
deasine deasine is offline
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We should get Stadium fixed up too... it's so ugly, it's worst than Main St -.-"
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  #13  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2007, 12:18 AM
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29th Ave Station also needs an overhaul.
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Old Posted Oct 29, 2007, 5:32 AM
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They all need an upgrade!
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Old Posted Oct 29, 2007, 6:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paradigm4 View Post
They all need an upgrade!

I FULLY agree
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Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 10:49 PM
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So how are the renovations of these 3 stations affected by the new plans (14 billion initiative and the gates for stations)? Does the timeline change given that the province wants to expand ALL the Expo Line stations to be able to accomodate 6 MKII cars?
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Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 11:39 PM
deasine deasine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WBC View Post
So how are the renovations of these 3 stations affected by the new plans (14 billion initiative and the gates for stations)? Does the timeline change given that the province wants to expand ALL the Expo Line stations to be able to accomodate 6 MKII cars?
Well nothing much has been done other than the lighting upgrades and metal posts at Main St. Station for the roof addition...
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Old Posted Feb 11, 2008, 12:18 AM
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i thought they had factored in the renovations into the $14 billion figure
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Old Posted Feb 11, 2008, 12:21 AM
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i just noticed on the main street renos - that they put a complete roof over

i wonder if that will reduce noise for the condo owners - they must have complained
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Old Posted Feb 11, 2008, 12:40 AM
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Those city gate owners really are terrible (love the development though), they are the reason the Skytrain slows to a crawl around the bend as the trains made too much noise. The also played a huge factor (not the only factor) in the Indy race being canceled, and to think those things were there before they moved in.

Reminds me of the anti-PNE people, the fair's been there for 90+years and you want to move it, maybe you shouldn't have moved into the area.
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