One of the greatest side effects of the Olympics is the sleek and silent 26-minute marvel transporting passengers from YVR to downtown
Barbara Yaffe
Sun
It surely is an unusual occurrence to become besotted with a municipal infrastructure project.
But there you have it: I’m in love with the Canada Line.
While never particularly enthusiastic about Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics bid, I now believe the associated inconvenience, costs and even a few minor infringements on civil liberties will have been worth it — because, as a result, we were able to finance the sleek and silent 26-minute marvel that, since Aug. 17, has glided effortlessly from YVR to the downtown harbour.
The city that never had freeways within its limits now, at last, is possessed of the healthy pumping artery it has long needed through its core area, providing a robust 19.2-kilometre, 16-station rapid transit experience that rivals counterparts in Toronto and Montreal.
Our line arguably is more boast-worthy, featuring a link to an international airport; Vancouver is the first Canadian city to offer this convenience.
My initial Canada Line experience came last month when I set off from home to catch a transatlantic flight.
The journey to YVR, by bus and Canada Line, was effortless, saving me $22 over cab fare.
My second flirtation came during an October downpour, waiting too long for a regular bus. I hopped aboard an alternative which took me to the Oakridge Station.
I then zipped — yes, zipped — to the Waterfront terminus, discovering I’d shaved 15 minutes from my commute.
I was hooked.
More recently, I’ve come to appreciate the quiet of the ride — for some reason, passengers are less inclined to use cell- phones — and the complete cleanliness.
A transit official this week appeared on a train, requesting proof of tickets. Everyone complied.
After experiencing rapid transit in Paris and Rome where hideous graffiti is scrawled everywhere — on cars and between stations — the spotless grey Canada Line reveals an impressive civility.
It’s not surprising that just two months after its opening, the Canada Line is at 80-per-cent capacity — 82,000 passengers daily.
This augurs well for future stations, planned at West 33rd, West 57th and Sea Island.
While governments sometimes waste taxpayer dollars, this $2-billion project, four years in the building, shows off government expenditure and cooperation at its best.
The feds anted up $450 million, which arguably they might not have, had Vancouver not snared the Olympics.
B.C. kicked in $435 million and the city, $29 million.
Other contributors: YVR: $300 million, TransLink: $334 million and private partner InTransitBC, owned by SNC-Lavalin, the Investment Management Corporation of B.C., and the Caisse de Depot et Placements de Quebec: $750 million.
The Canada Line came in three months ahead of schedule and on budget, albeit hurting Cambie Street’s business owners.
If there’s a quibble, it’s that the stations, signage and South Korean-built cars are too plain, giving no sense of what sort of city Vancouver believes itself to be.
Subway lines can make valuable contributions to urban personalities.
Toronto, with clean and functional signage and stations, says “I am a clean, safe city.”
Paris, with its curly-Q wrought-iron “Metro” branding, flashes its style.
The Canada Line’s lack of charm results from the fact that “everything was cost-driven,” according to Mayor Gregor Robertson, who came to office confronting a big unanticipated tab for Olympic Village construction.
Once the Games conclude, Robertson should assign a task force to develop a civic-identity branding for the Canada Line, which is fast becoming a terrific source of pride for this city.
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