Evergreen Line Rapid Transit Project

operational

Opportunity Metro Vancouver’s northeast sector—including the municipalities of Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra—is expected to experience population growth of 66 per cent by 2031. The current and anticipated population growth is putting pressure on the regional transportation network, and traffic is becoming increasingly congested. On July 19, 2012 the federal government pledged $7 million in funding through the P3 Canada Fund to build Lincoln Station, an additional stop on the Evergreen Line in the City of Coquitlam. Challenges The construction process for the Evergreen Line took longer than expected, opening in December 2016 despite completion originally scheduled for summer 2016. Innovations Due to the fixed price contract the contractor is responsible for all costs related to the schedule delay. Results The Evergreen Line is an 11-kilometre long extension of the existing SkyTrain system in Metro Vancouver connecting to the Millennium Line at Lougheed Town Centre Station in Burnaby, allowing passengers to travel to Vancouver without changing trains or platforms. Twenty-eight new SkyTrain vehicles were procured to accommodate the Evergreen Line service. The Evergreen Line uses Advanced Light Rapid Transit (ALRT) technology, which is automated and driverless. The maximum operating speed is 80 kilometres per hour, with trains in service 20 hours per day, running as frequently as every three minutes during peak periods. Stations were designed in accordance with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design guidelines, intended to reduce opportunities for crime by ensuring that people in the station can easily see one another through unimpeded sightlines and security cameras. Analysis undertaken as part of the business case estimates that the new system will draw 50,000 riders daily in its first year of operation, increasing to 70,000 daily riders by 2021. A corresponding reduction in car trips of 40,000 by 2021 is expected, resulting in significant positive environmental impact. During construction an estimated 8,000 direct and indirect jobs in B.C.’s lower mainland will be created with further jobs for system operators, supervisors and vehicle maintenance technicians once operations commence. “With Greater Vancouver’s population forecast to grow by nearly one million people, as a region we face a growing need to invest in integrated regional transportation infrastructure that supports development, leads to improved air quality, and provides for the efficient movement of goods and people now and into the future. The increased development that will come with the completion of the Evergreen Line will assist the region in its efforts to manage both growth and development objectives. This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through partnerships at all levels of government.” - Richard Walton, mayor of North Vancouver and chair of the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation

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