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  #1  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 8:10 AM
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raggedy13 raggedy13 is offline
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SFU/Burnaby Mtn Gondola | Proposed

I know this idea has been thrown around a lot on here but I'm assuming this is news for most. Surprisingly I don't think this has been posted anywhere yet but if it has let me know. Thanks to Yellow Fever at SSC for first posting this:

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Originally Posted by Yellow Fever View Post
Gondola planned for Burnaby Mountain



By Chris Bryan - Burnaby NewsLeader


Published: February 09, 2009 4:00 PM
Updated: February 09, 2009 5:41 PM

Burnaby Mountain could soon be home to a gondola to serve the rapidly-growing community of UniverCity.

The SFU Community Trust has put forward the estimated $68.9 million project, and is assessing the feasibility of a gondola transit system to improve reliability and travel times to and from Burnaby Mountain, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions currently produced by the fleet of diesel buses that service the area.

The proposed "Burnaby Mountain Gondola Transit Project" would serve SFU students, faculty and staff as well as residents and businesses of UniverCity.

Because a section of the proposed gondola route would travel over the Burnaby Mountain Conservation

Area, community consultation will take place prior to decision to proceed, states a planning document from the community trust.

That said, the unique nature of gondola construction provides "flexibility for minimizing environmental impacts," it states.


Various routes under consideration


Various gondola alignments are being assessed for Burnaby Mountain. Based on initial feasibility studies,

a potential alignment is a 2.65 km route that travels from Production Way SkyTrain Station directly to the Transit Loop on the SFU campus. Travel time on this route would be approximately six minutes, a saving of at least 10 minutes from the current bus route.

One argument being forwarded in its favour is improved reliability.

On approximately 10 days each year, bus service to SFU is either severely hampered or cancelled due to weather conditions, impacting as many as 20,000 rider trips for each day of impacted service.

Loading and unloading of the Burnaby Mountain gondola would be universally accessible due to the very low speeds in the terminal buildings and a level threshold with no step, and gondola cabins would be outfitted with flip seating to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers and bikes.

Preliminary cost estimates peg the project at $68.9 million with an operating cost at $3.14 m.

A review of technology options indicates that a Tricable gondola—similar to the Peak-2-Peak Gondola in Whistler—would provide the best technical solution for the Burnaby Mountain Gondola Transit Project.

With long spans using only five towers, interference with existing infrastructure can be eliminated and disturbance of green space can be minimized.


Stay tuned to www.burnabynewsleader.com for more details.
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  #2  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 8:21 AM
ravman ravman is offline
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yah... this is old news.... but it has gone public because Harry Bloy opened his mouth in the BC Leg today... it was underwraps for almost a year... or i became first aware of it a year ago but it was in a closed-door meeting... so it could have been a bit longer....

personally, i think its desperation to get re-elected. but the timeframe is YEARS AWAY! i am not going to say when... but it wont be happening anytime soon... or atleast it is not planned to happen anytime soon

Construction timeframe after funding is secured and plans are made is approx a year
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  #3  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 8:22 AM
deasine deasine is offline
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AHA Funny.

Mr.X's dreams are realized now =)
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  #4  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 8:26 AM
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Originally Posted by deasine View Post
AHA Funny.

Mr.X's dreams are realized now =)
wait till construction starts!

I am sure the university has "OTHER" priorities that are higher on funding... #1 would be restoring the funding cuts that have been made over the past couple years... there was a rally held last wednesday at SFU ( it was on the Front page of 24 last thursday)
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  #5  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 8:31 AM
deasine deasine is offline
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It's called long term planning, something you and the NDP obviously don't know about.
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  #6  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 8:45 AM
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Offtopic: Oh burn!

Ontopic: What are the capacities of these kind of arrangements anyways?
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  #7  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 9:01 AM
ravman ravman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deasine View Post
It's called long term planning, something you and the NDP obviously don't know about.
IF we dont know about it then who built the Skytrain extension to the bottom of SFU?

IF we dont know about it then who built the HOV lanes on Highway 1?

IF we dont know about it then why didnt we cut "to the bone" funding to post secondary institutes? ( because reducing 80 faculty this year, reducing course offering and course choices will help in planning for the long term)

i could go on...

but for long term planning, there are tonnes of projects that are higher priority for SFU and UniverCity and one of them is to actually build the entire UniverCity project, expand the size of SFU, restrofit existing buildings that are 40 years old and in desperate need of repair etc...

this is not long term planning: this is pre-election rhetoric!
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  #8  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 9:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usog View Post
Offtopic: Oh burn!

Ontopic: What are the capacities of these kind of arrangements anyways?
There goes all of SFU's snow days.


The Whistler Peak to Peak has a capacity of 2,050 passengers per hour per direction.
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  #9  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 10:30 AM
deasine deasine is offline
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I don't see how this is pre-election rhetoric if there isn't a damn announcement yet. You can call that then. The truth is, something like this was always planned or envisioned. Whether the election has anything to motivate this being accelerated, it still benefits the region, and the commuters that will be using the gondola regardless.

By the way, there goes the warning, next is suspension. I shouldn't have added fuel to the fire.

I doubt you'll see that capacity for this =P
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  #10  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 10:32 AM
twoNeurons twoNeurons is offline
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Hey... they read our idea.
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  #11  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 4:12 PM
DKaz DKaz is offline
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Ravman, why must everything turn political for you? Stop it, it's annoying.
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  #12  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 4:23 PM
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flight_from_kamakura flight_from_kamakura is offline
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this is neat, but it still seems to me that a funicular is a much more sensible idea, though the views wouldn't be as nice.
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Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 4:39 PM
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Peak2Peak gondola around 4.1km long with 4 towers and cost around $55 million? How does a 2.65km gondola, albeit with 5 towers, cost $68.9 million? In Burnaby no less. Seems a little odd to me. Oh, and I guessing the construction was a little more difficult in Whistler what with 1000 foot drops, snow, and all the rest of it.
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  #14  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 4:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flight_from_kamakura View Post
this is neat, but it still seems to me that a funicular is a much more sensible idea, though the views wouldn't be as nice.
Having moved to quebec 5 years ago, I have some experience with funiculars. They are better for short hauls with more serious grade, like 45 % . For a longer distance like that , the grade would vary, it would not make as much sense. Also, I think there is some concern over the environmental impact of the footprint of 5 towers, a funicular would cut a large swath of forest for the track.



Also, this thing had a cable snap or something a few years ago, injured a bunch of people. Not good.
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  #15  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 5:07 PM
randito randito is offline
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Portland has a gondola too

Portland has a gondola to a mountain top university that is integrated into it's transit system to.

Here is a link to a very good wikipedia article about it





The price seems in line with our proposal, it got done for $57 million in a P3. Operating costs were projected to be under $1 million but is over $1.7 million / year
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  #16  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 5:08 PM
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Quote:
and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions currently produced by the fleet of diesel buses that service the area
in order to do any project in this country, one always have to worry about greenhouse gases. there are probably cheaper and more efficient ways to help the environment than building a gondola.

that being said... its still pretty cool
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  #17  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 5:08 PM
johnjimbc johnjimbc is offline
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Rumour has it there will be some sort of electoral process occurring this spring.

In the meantime, does every single topic have to be a campaign opportunity?

I can be as interested in elections as anyone and I realize the government plays a part in many ways - direct and indirect - on development in Vancouver. However, please consider the rest of us who like to read about pretty buildings, new parks, and big gondolas ; ) for a few minutes without election plugs, or attacks? (rather ineffective ones, I might add).

Thanks ; ).
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  #18  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 5:32 PM
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Humm....can't wait to hear more about the plans
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  #19  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 5:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by awvan View Post
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Peak2Peak gondola around 4.1km long with 4 towers and cost around $55 million? How does a 2.65km gondola, albeit with 5 towers, cost $68.9 million? In Burnaby no less. Seems a little odd to me. Oh, and I guessing the construction was a little more difficult in Whistler what with 1000 foot drops, snow, and all the rest of it.
Probably costs associated with procuring rights of way, expropriation, etc. Obviously more expensive in a city than on a mountain. Also, inflation - Peak 2 Peak was probably budgeted 5 years ago, if not more.
And yes, as somebody mentioned, there could be P3 costs to consider.
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Old Posted Feb 10, 2009, 5:34 PM
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They could shorten the distance and cost by linking to a future Evergreen Burquitlam skytrian station.
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