Extending the Canada Line won’t happen in our lifetime, says Richmond mayor
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie doesn’t believe the Canada Line will ever be extended south, despite a design that could accommodate more track.
“In our lifetimes, you probably won’t ever see it,” said Brodie. “I don’t think we’ll ever see the Canada Line itself extended because the last section of it has only one line, not two tracks.”
Speaking at a Richmond Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday, Brodie acknowledged the Canada Line was “specifically built with the idea that it could be extended” south, but that would come with a big price tag. The Canada Line cost $2.05 billion to build—or $107.9 million per kilometre.
Could a ground-level system be built instead to extend rapid transit farther south than Saba Road? Brodie said there would be enough density in Richmond to support that—at least to Steveston Highway—but directly south of the Fraser River there’s little population to support it.
“So you’re going to have a huge expense for really very little value in terms of densities,” said Brodie.
The Canada Line opened August 2009, connecting downtown Vancouver with the airport and the Brighouse area of Richmond.
On Lulu Island, the line is elevated, travelling nearly four kilometres down No. 3 Road—the last half being a single-track guideway.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.