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Backgrounder
Project office opening launches Evergreen Line
February 28, 2009
- The Evergreen Line is a key component of the Provincial Transit Plan, which is designed to:
- double transit ridership across the province to more than 400 million trips per year by 2020;
- attract to transit a market share of 17 per cent in Metro Vancouver by 2020, laying the foundation to attract 22 per cent by 2030;
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air contaminants from cars by 4.7 million tonnes cumulatively by 2020;
- support increased population and employment densities near transit hubs and along transit corridors; and
- potentially remove up to 60,000 cars a day from area roadways.
- Federal funding comes from the Building Canada plan. Announced in Budget 2007, the seven-year, $33-billion plan consists of a suite of programs to meet the varying needs of infrastructure projects across Canada:
- the Gas Tax Fund and an increased rebate in the GST paid by municipalities, which provide predictable, long-term funding for municipalities;
- the Provincial/Territorial Base Funding initiative, which provides $25 million per year for each province and territory;
- the Building Canada Fund, which supports infrastructure projects across Canada, both large and small;
- the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund and the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative to strengthen trade-related infrastructure; and
- the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Fund, the first national infrastructure program in Canada dedicated to public-private partnerships.
- People using the Evergreen Line will be able to travel from Coquitlam Town Centre to downtown Vancouver in about 40 minutes. Compared with a rush hour driving time of 70 to 85 minutes, this will save at least an hour per day based on a two-way trip.
- Service on the Evergreen Line will average 20 hours per day, 365 days a year.
- The Evergreen Line is expected to result in numerous benefits to people in the Lower Mainland, including:
- more transit options with faster, more frequent and more efficient service, especially for commuters in the northeast quadrant;
- more economic opportunities for businesses near the Evergreen Line;
- provide a significant boost to the Lower Mainland and B.C. economies, both during construction and long-term;
- enables faster travel time (13 minutes from Coquitlam Town Centre to Lougheed Town Centre);
- more frequent schedules (every three minutes); and
- easily integrates with the existing rapid transit system, notably the Millennium Line.
- The Evergreen Line will be 11 kilometres, running on a northwest route from Lougheed Station in Burnaby, elevated on North Road to Burquitlam, and then tunnelled to Port Moody where it runs at-grade parallel to the Canadian Pacific Rail right of way to Coquitlam West Coast Express Station, then elevated on Pinetree, terminating near Douglas College in Coquitlam.
- The Evergreen Line will include six primary stations on opening day, including:
- Lougheed Town Centre;
- Burquitlam;
- Port Moody West Coast Express;
- Ioco (near Barnet Highway and Ioco Road intersection);
- Coquitlam West Coast Express; and
- Douglas College/Coquitlam City Hall.
- Two additional station locations will be considered, working in consultation with local communities, based on their ability to shape land use and promote increased density and ridership.
- Preliminary assessment indicates the Evergreen Line is a candidate for a public-private partnership (P3). A detailed assessment of procurement options, including traditional and P3 delivery, is underway to determine which model will provide the best value for taxpayers.
- The Evergreen Line Project Office will advance the project through design and construction, providing information to the public and ensuring extensive consultation with communities and stakeholders.
