Metro Vancouver mayors vote yes on SkyTrain extension to UBC

The Metro Vancouver Mayors' Council has voted in favour of extending SkyTrain service to the University of British Columbia.

Council voted Friday to support the new line which will build upon the planned Broadway Subway Line that will connect VCC-Clark station to Arbutus Street and is expected to open in 2025.

The UBC extension is estimated to cost $3.8 billion in 2018 dollars, with completion expected by 2030.

The campus is currently served by the 99 B-Line, which is the busiest bus route in Canada and the United States, according to the report, moving 60,000 transit customers a day. The new line will replace the buses that run along the region's most overcrowded bus route.

According to a staff report, SkyTrain is the only transportation option that can provide sufficient capacity to meet demand on the route beyond 2045.

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he was very happy that the vote passed almost unanimously and that UBC will also be kicking in money for the project.

Kennedy said the next step is to conduct a $3-million dollar study on the route, consult with the public, and then present a plan to TransLink in about 18 months. 

Council chair and New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote supported the extension, but acknowledged there are transit concerns in other regions as well. 

Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov and White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker voted against the extension.