Now that the province has commenced construction on the Broadway Subway project, I have to change my position.

While I no longer feel that decision-makers will agree that the Broadway Subway should be canceled and replaced with the LRT concept that I outlined in smartforvancouver.com in 2011, I still do think that this LRT line would make a good supplement to the Broadway Subway.

Since 2008, when Vision Vancouver won control of Vancouver City Council, they have strongly supported the Broadway Subway project, and have also strongly opposed LRT or streetcar in Vancouver. I have written about this often elsewhere; the signs of this are numerous and obvious.

After Vision was wiped off the Vancouver electoral map in 2018, Translink got very nervous and decided to test the new council. They requested that the city council re-affirm their support for the Broadway Subway.

While there was debate and some opposition (councilors Colleen Hardwick and Jean Swanson opposed), the majority of council did reaffirm their support for the Broadway Subway project in 2019.

Now that the project is underway, it is time for another test. Will council support the idea of spending another $3 to 4 billion to extend the subway to UBC, or would it make more sense to spend $1 billion to establish an LRT line which runs from downtown to UBC, and intersects with the Skytrain system at 4 or 5 stations?

Such a line, if supported now, could be completed in time to be in service at the same time as the Broadway Subway. This would mean four to five years sooner than a Broadway Subway extension to UBC. In addition, such an LRT line could be constructed with minimal disruption to existing roads, unlike the Broadway Subway, which involves 4 to 5 years of traffic disruptions.

Some critics may say that it does not make sense to have two mass transit lines that run in close parallel corridors. I do not agree. Such lines would serve different customer bases – skytrain serving long-distance commuters who want fast, long-distance service, while LRT serves those who need short distance rides, and are more concerned with comfort, easy access and a pleasant travel experience than with speed. The two lines would complement each other and add to the attractiveness of the corridor.

Finally, if the City of Vancouver really does want to spend ANOTHER $3 to 4 Billion on mass transit projects, instead of spending it on 7 km of skytrain in tunnels, the same amount would achieve 50 to 100 km of LRT, depending on where and how it was designed.