Could the next West Coast Express stop be in Burnaby?
Credit to Author: Jennifer Saltman| Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2019 01:15:45 +0000
Burnaby’s mayor is looking into whether it is feasible to add a West Coast Express stop on the north side of his city.
“I see it as a great possibility, but there’s always lots of bridges to cross before we actually get to putting details down,” Mike Hurley said. “I still think it’s a realistic option. Others may not think so, but I think it could be and I think it could really serve north Burnaby very well.”
The West Coast Express is a Monday-to-Friday commuter rail service that operates 75-minute trips between Vancouver and Mission during peak morning and evening periods.
The service runs five trains westbound in the morning and five trains eastbound in the evening, and stops at eight stations: Waterfront, Moody Centre, Coquitlam Central, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Meadows, Port Haney, and Mission City.
TransLink pays CP Rail to use its tracks to run the service.
There was talk of including a Burnaby stop on the route around the time the train went into service 24 years ago, but nothing came of it. The thinking, Hurley said, is that the stop would be somewhere at the north end of Willingdon Avenue, near the Parkland Refinery and Confederation Park’s off-leash area.
Hurley said it would make sense for the residents of busy north Burnaby, as well as those travelling to the B.C. Institute of Technology, Simon Fraser University and Burnaby Hospital.
Hurley said he has not run the idea past council yet, because he would like to speak to TransLink staff about the feasibility first.
“I don’t think it’s gotten to point where I can really fly that kite yet,” Hurley said. “I need to do a lot of background work first.”
Debbie Reid, the acting chair of the Heights Neighbourhood Association, said the possibility of a West Coast Express station has not been a topic of discussion for the association. However, the longtime north Burnaby resident said she is interested in sustainable transportation and would like to hear more information.
At a meeting last month, Maple Ridge council said it would like to see a transit hub, which could include a new West Coast Express station, in Albion, near 240th Street, included in a TransLink transportation plan for the northeast sector. Maple Ridge already has two stations: Port Haney and Maple Meadows.
A station was considered for the Albion ferry terminal when the commuter rail service was first planned — and supported by the council at the time — but it was believed that since most of the population in the area lived west of the ferry dock in Haney, it would make more sense to locate it there, closer to the town centre and other transit routes.
Maple Ridge Mayor Mike Morden said he wants TransLink to help get people out of their cars and ease congestion as the city grows, and having a hub that could accommodate buses, future rapid transit and even a West Coast Express station could help.
“We’ve got to make sure we plan for the east side of Ridge,” Morden said.
In response to a query about the feasibility of adding West Coast Express stops, TransLink said in a brief emailed statement that expanding capacity is part of the third phase of the 10-year regional transportation plan.
Two new and six refurbished locomotives for West Coast Express have already been funded, and there are plans to add 10 train cars in the final phase of the plan, which has not been funded.
“Further expansion plans could be considered as part of the Transport 2050 process,” the transit authority said.
Asked when he would like to see a station in Burnaby, Hurley said the sooner the better.
“They seem to put everything into the Transport 2050 plan. That’s likely where we’d be looking at, but I’d sure like to see it a lot sooner than that if it’s a possibility,” he said.