Burnaby's Unique Transit Solution - The Burnaby Mountain Gondola

It seemed like not enough people were talking about the Burnaby Mountain Gondola Project, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. The question is… what do I think of it?
Wanna know what’s the holdup? Email the following Burnaby representatives to show support for the project. It can truly go a long way.
Burnaby MLAs:
Katrina Chen (Burnaby-Lougheed)
[e-mail]
Janet Routledge (Burnaby North)
[e-mail]
Hon. Anne Kang (Burnaby-Deer Lake)
[e-mail]
Hon. Raj Chouhan (Burnaby-Edmonds)
[e-mail]
Mayor:
Mayor Mike Hurley
[e-mail]
City Council:
Councillor Pietro Calendino
[e-mail]
Councillor Sav Dhaliwal
[e-mail]
Councillor Alison Gu
[e-mail]
Councillor Joe Keithley
[e-mail]
Councillor Richard T. Lee
[e-mail]
Councillor Maita Santiago
[e-mail]
Councillor Daniel Tatrault
[e-mail]
Councillor James Wang
[e-mail]
Members of Parialment:
Hon. Terry Beech (Burnaby North)
[e-mail]
Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South)
[e-mail]
Premier of British Columbia:
Premier David Eby
[e-mail]
My Socials:
Instagram
/ thegreaterdiscussions
Twitter (X)
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Music Used:
KZbin Audio Library
HoliznaCC0

[@midgetmanifesto]

I remember being over packed into articulated busses heading down burnaby mountain. Bless the driver for letting us on, but I looked at the horde of people ready to smear me across the front window with any sort of overly aggressive breaking. I hope the gondola finally gets it's well deserved air time.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you for sharing! It’s experiences like this that help show city council the benefits of this project! If you get a chance, I suggest sending some quick simple emails to the elected officials I’ve listed in the comments. A couple voices can go a long way! Let’s get this built!

[@boldblazervids]

I like to call the gondola the "Skybus" in my head because it sounds like a cute compliment to the Seabus.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I love that

[@mahjogn]

I think TransLink has actually trademarked SkyBus 👀👀

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

oh my god you're right! I had no idea about that

[@uncouver]

I'm onto you BC Tel! and you can keep your Skycab and your liberal-paternalibertarianism out of Burns Bog too.

[@uncouver]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions Don't do it! its a trap

[@nkrat1093]

As someone with motion sickness, taking the bus up the mountain was always the worst part of my day. That's why I'll always wholeheartedly support the gondola, even though I don't need to head up the mountain anymore

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Vocal positive voices can go a long way!

[@nicholaswise5818]

This has the vibe of a longer and more in depth "About Here" video. Great job! The government should see this!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I learn from the best!

[@uncouver]

Yeah with any luck he will be enslaved by Vancity shortly and fully entrenched in free enterprise brain rot

[@SteveBluescemi]

Haha yes I immediately clocked this as being basically a Uytae Lee impression. Which is fine by me, Uytae doesn't upload often enough!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Hahaha I’ll take the compliment, thanks! There’s no way I can match his cinematography though, he’s too good

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

Great that they chose a 3S gondola instead of a regular gondola, because as someone who has been in both during a wind storm, the 3S gondola feels a million times safer

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Absolutely! There are so many benefits that make the 3S a no-brainer for this projects.

[@jeffliu4203]

When I was in SFU, they had already talked about building a Gondola. I graduated in 2002, the year when my daughter was born. Now my daughter is about to graduate from SFU, they still havn't started the project.

[@eugenetswong]

I'm so glad that I watched this. I thought that the gondola was just a gag when I first heard of it for this area. You made good points, and I appreciate that you appealed to our cool headed logic, rather than making emotional appeals. I support route 1. I appreciate your light humour, too. By the way, it is sad that current students won't be able to use it for regular commuting, but not all hope is lost. Even at my age of 50, I still go from Surrey up to SFU to attend events and volunteer, so I'm sure that those people in the video will still have the chance to legitimately depend on it. I can totally sympathize. In my mid 20s, it made me sad to think that I would be old by time I could experience transit system upgrades. At this point, I'm really grateful for current rapid bus in Surrey & North Vancouver.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Glad to see you again and thank you very much! The thing I love about this project is that it gives people a reason to go to SFU. The campus and city are both beautiful and there’s a decent chunk of things to do up there. But the bus connections aren’t very appealing right now. It’s gonna be fantastic once it’s implemented.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Portland, Oregon has a similar concept as the Portland Aerial Tram connects the main Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) campus, located in the Marquam Hill neighborhood, with the city's South Waterfront district! In La Paz, Bolivia, their cable car network is the backbone of their transit network, tackling the challenging terrain and better serving La Paz and El Alto by alleviating the traffic of winding streets. In Colombia, Bogotá's TransMiCable connects the steep Ciudad Bolívar locality with the TransMilenio BRT system! And something worth mentioning is that even NYC has a type of aerial lift for transit too, the Roosevelt Island Tramway! The aerial tramway opened in 1976 and was built originally as a temporary solution before the island's subway station opened in 1989, but after the station opened, they chose to keep it! It was part of a plan by the NY government to transform the island into a transit-oriented community! While other cities have built gondolas, there are places that chose to build funiculars within their cities to tackle the terrain, like Haifa did with their Carmelit! As the name implies, it's an underground funicular runs through the religiously important Mount Carmel. It has a total of six stations and connects downtown Haifa with Carmel Center, and connects to places like the Haifa Zoo, Haifa Center railway station, and the beautiful Baháʼí World Centre. It's the oldest subway system in the Middle East as it opened in October 1959, but because of its small size, it's also one of the world's smallest subway systems as well, as the tunnel is just 1.8 km/1.1 miles long! Haifa later built a gondola system too, the Rakavlit, which runs from the HaMifratz Central Bus Station and public transit hub at the foot of Mount Carmel to the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) and then onto the University of Haifa

[@WadeLees]

Awesome video. Definitely a cause to get behind. Glad to see you continuing to make transit videos - especially such high production deep dives.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you! I’ve definitely got more transit videos in the works. Hope you stick around!

[@Themapleleaforever]

The opposition almost feels satirical

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Their style of commenting is very similar to opposition found with pretty much any project. I’m not really sure how to describe it but I agree

[@Themapleleaforever]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions At least they’re passionate about their communities

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

If absolutely nothing else, you gotta give em that

[@ceejay8297]

These oppositions are clowns

[@jaywhy2016]

To be honest, I don't blame them. If someone told me they are going to put a gondola above my property, I'd be oppose to it too. Even if the privity and noise concerns were addressed, it's a visual distraction for the residents of the neighborhood. Imagine having a gondola going over your house every 5 mins, 20 hours a day, every day. Keep in mind that it goes both ways, so it theory, it could be every 2 1/2 mins that a gondola passed overhead

[@LaikaCatt]

Thanks for covering this!! As an SFU Alumnus, it’s super excited to see this project gaining traction! Just sad that I won’t be able to benefit, but I’m sure many future students will love not getting stuck on a broken down bus going up the hill! 😂

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Urban cable cars are quite interesting! Geography is a key reason why transit isn't a one size fits all, as in while a mode of transit may work in one place, it may not effectively work in another! As shown here, in the case of mountainous cities or mountainous neighborhoods of cities, using cable cars, funiculars, or maybe a monorail may be the best option! In Wuppertal for example, they ended up building a suspended monorail because Wuppertal is located in a river valley (that's what Wuppertal means; Wupper Valley), and because of steep slopes, the original towns that now makes up Wuppertal expanded lengthwise (resulting in the thin shape of Wuppertal today). It wasn't suitable to build a tram nor a subway, so as a way to both unify the valley and find a place for transit to solve congestion, they built a suspended monorail that followed the Wupper River. It is the oldest electric elevated railway with hanging cars in the world as it opened in 1901! The system you showed at 1:59 is Hong Kong's Ngong Ping 360 which was built solely for tourism to connect Tung Chung with Ngong Ping, basically a tourist village the HK gov created around the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. Before it was built, it'd take an hour by bus up the mountains of Lantau Island to Ngong Ping. In Disney World's case, they don't have a gondola system as an attraction in their parks, but rather to connect resorts with DHS and Epcot. Caribbean Beach, Art of Animation, and Pop Century are near Epcot and DHS, but relied on bus service to both, so to alleviate the buses, they built gondolas, with Caribbean Beach serving as a hub where the Epcot/Riviera, DHS, and Art of Animation/Pop Century lines meet. Besides the huge bus fleet, monorail, and gondolas, WDW also has different watercraft routes like the water taxis that serve the Disney Springs resorts or the Friendship Boats serving the Epcot resorts

[@navb0tactual]

Thank you SupremeLeaderKimJong-un, very cool

[@TheGuerreroEFG]

Why are your comments everywhere lol

[@AloeVeraJuiceJuice]

More people should watch this build the damn gondola

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Keep sharing this around! Like I said at the end, the more people we have talking about this the more pressure the government feels to actually fund the thing. I’m thrilled to have seen this video pop up on Reddit and some discord servers and I’m hoping it’ll appear on other platforms too!

[@StainerTheFirst]

Fantastic video! Some of the reasons for not building it are just silly. Can't wait to follow the construction when it starts!

[@eugenetswong]

It's great to see you say that and say it here. I'm looking forward to your videos on this.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thanks! Looking forward to the Stainer series 🔥

[@bigtoechambers9431]

Excellent editing and dedication for the video.

[@traildaze1895]

The gondola would also make a nearly free public bike park out of sfu, which I see as an absolute win. Hopefully the sfu land management can get their act together by then, the network desperately needs funding to support their dying trails.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I can’t believe I missed this point! That’s so true. SFU has excellent trails and they could definitely capitalize on the tourism aspect with this!

[@vancouverelevators_transit]

That’s a really good point!

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I like how you addressed local service in a couple of parts of your video, as that's a hugely important point that often gets overlooked when dealing with mass transit corridors where a huge chunk of ridership is going between a limited number of key interchange points, such as a university, transit hub or major stadium. The local residents and businesses along the route often get overlooked and forgotten with express transit passing them by with no stops for them. Bus service will NEED to always be present going up the mountain, as well as at the top of the mountain, as there are local communities and points of interest along the way that will generate ridership. The express options, if not used as a replacement for the local options, but as an enhancement to them, can take a ton of pressure off the local routes to free up ridership space for those local trips to stops along the way, as they're also hugely important to the people that need that service. If you're getting on half way along the 145 route, chances are a better express option like the gondola means lower ridership on that route so you're less likely to get passed up by a full bus and more likely to even have the improved comfort of finding a seat. Plus fewer people getting on and off means shorter times spent at stops and thus faster service for everyone, even those still using the local busses.

[@792247]

Build the SFU Gondola Now!

[@noelgenoway9360]

Start it now!!!!!🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

[@lololFloro]

I like your videos. Informative. Great background shots. Great editing. Pleasant voice to listen to!

[@ian-nator2685]

Great video as always!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you!

[@Themapleleaforever]

I’m currently travelling and saw a great example of this in use yesterday. Reminded me of this

[@beex699]

I'd love to see the Gondola be built and running. Those nimbyists are a group of Karens who doesn't care about transit and have no clue what other people, especially SFU students go through when they take a bus to SFU.

[@limao5869]

im so surprised i didnt find this channel earlier! your videos are so detailed!! keep up the amazing work

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you! Hope to see you here in the future too!

[@agntdrake]

I proposed this in the mid 90's when I was going to SFU and everyone thought I was totally nuts. So glad to see this finally turning into a reality.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Looking at photos of SFU back then, it sure was a mess of parking lots. You can tell what the main mode of transport was to get there. Now we have UniverCity and the Millennium line and thousands of transit riders! Let’s do this thing!

[@agntdrake]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions there weren't actually that many parking lots tbh. We still mostly took the bus, although after missing half a mid-term because the bus didn't show up on Hastings, I ended up starting to drive every day. The ritual was to stop at Hastings and Duthie on the way up Burnaby Mountain Parkway and pick up a carful of students every morning though.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yikes that sounds terrible! I guess by parking lot mess I was referring to the old East lot and North lot which are now the entirety of West UniverCity

[@agntdrake]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions Oh! I never ended up using those lots. There was a parkade which was close to the West Gym.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

@@agntdrake That’s probably West Parkade, which is still around. But it costs $100 more than outdoor parking

[@philpaine3068]

Another good one, full of solid information. I'm looking forward to riding it if I manage to drag my ass to BC. I've always kind of liked the Neo-Aztec architecture of SFU, though I couldn't figure out where the students get sacrificed by having their hearts torn out.

[@matthewmolski7971]

Thank you for this video, I feel fulfilled upon seeing it and learning about the projects that may or may not be happening in SFU. We need more people like you! #TGDforStudentPresident2024

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Glad you enjoyed it! I hope your UBCx SkyTrain keeps progressing!

[@FarideLadak]

Now that I’ve seen your video of the proposed gondola it makes a lot of sense. I used to drive to SFU from the North Shore. Mind you, I don’t recall not being able to make it up the hill in winter snowstorm conditions. I also grew up when the Seabus was built and implemented. It was one of the best transit projects implement. The Gondola is way overdue. I’m quite certain that more people will use it just to visit Burnaby Mountain if it’s part of the Translink Fare System. Arden, it may be worthwhile to create a vlog on how the Seabus concept came into being and how it transformed the Lonsdale Quay and the surrounding areas, let alone how it reduced so much congestion, commuting by buses and cars.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you for sharing! I can say for sure that I’ve got a SeaBus video concept in my list of future videos but I’m not sure how long it will take me to get around to it.

[@JuliasCesar]

You bring up a very integral point at 10:05. The opposition groups and NIMBY’s have organized and their effort shows. In turn I believe transit advocates need to organize as well to ensure our voices are heard too. Look at the mess Richmond city had made with the proposed and now cancelled R7 Rapidbus or, Burnaby Heights BIA with their opposition to bus lanes for the new Ironworkers-Haistings-Willingdon BRT. It’s important that we hear all the concerns but ensure that transit projects aren’t completely de railed by opposition. We need to find a common cause between both sides at times. I personally believe the Forest Grove residents are over reacting with the privacy issue. I know for one, no one will be riding the Gondola just to look into Forest Grove residents living rooms. They’d utilize the Gondola to get from point A-B but, I know opposition groups would still find faults in the plan.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I wholeheartedly agree, and that's the biggest reason Movement exists, to mobilize those unheard voices. I highly suggest checking out their Burnaby Heights campaign as they're up against the Heights Merchants Association, like you mentioned in the comment. They could always use more signatures on their petition. The privacy issue is definitely being resolved though, since TransLink intends to implement that tinting glass to stop people from looking down at that part of the journey .

[@bethzapadka5957]

Privacy is just one of the issues, but seriously, would you want a gondola over your home all day long every day? I believe that the bigger issues are the huge (and understated) cost and the significant environmental impact in a conservation area. So many trees have already been cut down for the pipeline expansion project in this same area, and now this destruction of habitat would continue affecting birds, bears, fish in the streams through this area and more. These significant costs do not outweigh the benefits . The gondola will not pay for itself, it will devalue the homes below it, and the environmental impact will be permanent. The safety issue cannot be compared to a car accident as even one gondola accident could affect the lives of all those on the gondola, those beneath it, and the cost of repair doesn't even compare to that of a car.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Privacy will not be a concern with the auto-tinting windows in the cabins. It will not be possible for anyone to look down onto the neighbourhood. At 17:48 I talk about the environmental concerns. TransLink will not be bulldozing the entire route to clear trees, instead the gondola will run at a distance high enough for trees to continue to grow in the future. Not to mention the undergrowth remaining practically unchanged. I can't understand the argument against safety. Gondolas are a proven technology that is consistently safer than any kind of motor vehicle. Sure, if a gondola malfunctions, it'll disrupt everyone else's commute. But there was an accident on Gaglardi Way a couple weeks ago that backed up the entire route up and down the mountain, including the buses. Incidents like those happen far more often than any issue a gondola encounters, especially this model of gondola.

[@AbsolutePixelMaster]

Great video! I love seeing more local urbanist content :) You are more generous than I am when it come to responding to the opponents of projects like this. The majority of the arguments tend to be quite disingenuous and the result of trying to build a narrative based on a predetermined conclusion and preference. But I am glad to see you still took the arguments seriously as there are bound to be a few genuine ones. I admit, I have never considered the fear of heights angle, as I am someone who absolutely loves heights. Certainly a problem that should not go unacknowledged in a truly equitable society.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you! I think that, in a video like this, it would be wrong to ignore the opposition. Whether their points hold merit or not, they are still people who have feelings about a project and they should still be recognized when making an 'in-depth retrospective' on the project. At the end of the day, the fear of heights issue is really the only prominent one I was able to think of that doesn't have a proposed solution yet. I look forward to seeing if TransLink has any ideas for how to mitigate the issue. I still think keeping the 145 as a community shuttle would be the best option, at least in the short term.

[@jamesseto1]

I had no idea about Movement, thanks for shedding light on them, as this is something I want to support 100%.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Make sure you check them out of social media and sign their Burnaby Heights petition! They’ve got some great stuff ahead of them

[@freonflex]

Just took gondolas in Medellín, Colombia. They have several gondola routes. It is wonderful public transport! It’s quiet, quick, it doesn’t require a lot of people to run (so cheaper I guess than running buses), and it offers a nice view.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Thank you for sharing! The saved cost of not just maintenance but also not needing to pay for drivers on these routes is a great benefit of this project

[@theodoreadventures]

Love the insights on the SFU gondola! We need to get this project going! So Burnaby Mountain does not have to become TransLink's graveyard for busses.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

For sure! And thanks for the footage of the 68!

[@TheronE-010]

As someone who has a fear of heights, it's a fair point to be afraid. It's sometimes hard to be able to overcome that fear and takes a LOT of time. The point that the stop SFU gondola is making is a genuine point as you mentioned, I just don't see the reason to stop the whole thing because of that. Granted they had more arguments against it but this is the one that struck me the most. Also great profile picture Arden!

[@eugenetswong]

I sympathize with those passengers, but they could just take a regular bus route from somewhere else. It's better to move more normal people. The inconvenience of a few should be seen as a sacrifice to help the majority. The inconvenience of the many should be seen as bad in this context.

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

Yep, that's why there are options. There are people who have a fear of crowded spaces as well, and they have the option of taking a taxi/uber as well. A friend of mine has a fear of flying. They went to Hawaii by taking the long route (cruise ship). They didn't get to benefit from the speed and cost of flying, but they could travel there. They also take more road trips. They wouldn't be able to take a job that required flying. With the SFU gondola, the video points out that the 144 will still be there which isn't WAY out of the way... it's two stops down the line.

[@schenke]

Thank you for your service 🫡

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Always glad to talk about this stuff! We need more people talking about this project, I hope it keeps making the rounds

[@andrewclarke598]

I was recently in Mexico city where they have implemented a whole network of gondolas above the city. I was saying to myself "I need to come back and ride these gondolas the next time I come here."

[@SeanEndo]

I am the president and founder of the stopsfugondola group. I wanted to announce that this video has shed a new light on a topic I had previously called myself passionate about. My views and opinions have been shattered and I am left utterly embarrassed. Without a cause I can confidently fight for anymore, I am left feeling as if a part of me is now missing. As you read this the termination notice is being passed around our group. Once our organization has been officially disbanded, I will take to the mountains in search for a new meaning in my life. Please wish me luck in my journey. Great video by the way! Please make one addressing the sub-satisfactory microphones drive-throughs use. Too often do i ask for one thing and they miss hear it as another thing. #bringbackthezellars

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

It's always those drive-thru mics...

[@CorryGal]

Good luck in your journey. Please send us an annual update on your progress.

[@SkylerLinux]

I want to be very clear, I have a horrible phobia of Heights. Like I have to be very careful on Piers, and doubly so at night. I rode Hell's Gate gondolas, I stayed near the middle and didn't particularly enjoy the views. However I didn't die and I didn't have a panic attack. At that time I was but a child, now as an adult I'm certain I could Gondola up Burnaby Mountain just fine. Saying all of that to make sure not to let NIMBY's use Acrophobia and us Acrophobics as some excuse to not progress and to not let things be and get better.

[@Detstorm]

Great video! Very level headed and informative

[@keita2282]

If and when this gets built, it's definitely on my to-ride list when I get back to Canada soontm

[@ForrbidenFist]

Hot AND smart? Oh boy, you've earned my subscription :)

[@Shutterclosed]

STOP SFU Gondola forgot Standing in snow and rain in negative temperatures for 3-4 hours waiting for a bus to come to mountain and then slip while going downwards is a form of adventure that students get for free.

[@Tinfoiling]

A key question is what happens to the agreements concerning the change to the Burnaby Conservation Area? One simple question is the challenge to our environment with the removal of so many trees. And the every increasing cost vs the per capita usage. These are still unanswered questions.

[@russkelly1684]

Well done. Good cogitent arguments. Well presented.

[@kamimaza]

14:45, an overlooked advantage of an electric bus on a steep incline is regenerative braking on the way down...

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Regen braking is only really beneficial for balancing the incline. The uphill will still do a number on the battery

[@jellazeedf]

Good video man, u kept me well entertained

[@garganchua]

as someone who used to regularly drive to Burnaby mountain because simply its a nice route to drive I like this idea. I am not in any sort of local transit community so I didnt hear about it until this video but I really like your video start to finish. youre to the point but arent afraid to keep it light, youre fair, and willing to address criticism without being antagonistic, which is something you can accuse pretty much all of the big youtube arm chair urban planner, pro-transportation unless its cars, in which case very much anti car orange pillers that talk about transit projects. that is all to say, in your 20 minute video, with only 600 subscribers, you have more quality than people in the transit youtube sphere with hour long videos and millions of views. well done on presenting a new idea in the local community and yet another form of transportation, next to our seabus i think vancouver has the biggest diversity in transit options. you brought up a lot of good points and i am not sure if I had been introduced to the idea of the SFU gondola somewhere else if I would have been against it but after watching your video I am very much for it.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I greatly appreciate the kind words! Glad to hear you're on board in the project!

[@Abrothers12]

I’m looking forward to having a gondola. It’s clunky enough trying to find parking and time it so I don’t miss the bus. The view alone would be enough.

[@buddywhatshisname522]

I love this idea! I’d ride it just for fun.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I’ve been seeing a lot of comments like this! Glad to see the tourism perspective is real!

[@supraccc]

This video is giving Uytae Lee vibes XD

[@liammcculough]

Great video! keep it up!

[@Lumpology]

Great video! Hope it gets built before I graduate lmao.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

No kidding, I feel the same way -_-

[@xDefender11]

As an SFU alumni, I’m waiting for the gondola to take a ride back to campus for a visit

[@BC_Geoff]

Build it and build it soon. Nice video!

[@smilingstickman]

In La Paz, Bolivia, the transit system is nearly all run via gondolas. They are fast, quiet, cheap and super fun to use.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Great example. The gondolas there also run much lower to the ground and buildings than this one will.

[@aidencgreen]

Great video :D

[@aidangalbraith1904]

Should note that the 2009 gondola accident in Whistler wasn't vandalism, but rather pressure from ice that caused the tower to collapse. Great video!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yeah, I tried to make that distinction in the images I put up after I noticed it wasn’t in my script. StopSFUGondola tends to loop those two events together so I just decided to respond to both at the same time.

[@aidangalbraith1904]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions Haha I just went back and noticed now, still an awesome video!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

@@aidangalbraith1904 thanks!

[@julianbodner9437]

Great Vid, hope the project moves forward and more content to come :D

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

The biggest thing the project needs right now is more people talking about it and showing their support!

[@DenisAgar]

NAILED IT

[@forivall]

I was a student at sfu in 2009.... Oh the days gone by

[@rakeshmalik5385]

It's as if the opposition has never heard of a ski resort, even though one of the most famous ski resorts in the world is right here in BC and operates gondolas like clockwork.

[@alexhuang8883]

Awesome video! Happy seeing so much attention to Vancouver urbanist issues online.

[@mooshkeys]

Amazing video, reminds me of About Here!

[@azureii_]

Not having a proper alternate option of the existing bus routes seems like a bad idea in case the gondola ever needs to stop for safety or maintenance reasons? Otherwise I’m very excited about the project.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I assume that, in the event of an issue, TransLink would run a bus bridge like they do with SkyTrain. Which would just be the 145 bus

[@BernardZirkl]

Gondolas are working very well. Just take a look a Medellín, Colombia.

[@Tpcool]

Great video. Having moved to the Vancouver area a couple of years ago, I feel lucky to have come into a place with projects like this on the horizon. Looking forward to this! I hope you keep up the great content, subscribing.

[@CrystalBulger]

Unironically would apply to SFU for this

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yess, unironically I do really love the university and campus

[@richertrealestate]

Whenever I visit Walt Disney World, I sometimes just chill out on the gondola to take a break. It’s relaxing… and I hate heights. I think this is a unique project that is being used by many cities across the world. I think more cities in the Lower Mainland that could benefit from a gondola.

[@domtorres779]

Hoping this video gets more traction, I feel bad for SFU students during snowdays man

[@uncouver]

Hey if it's not the snow its the campus erupting in class warfare am I right?

[@skiingrooster9808]

Not sure if this is applicable in this location, but IMO, the biggest hindrance to a gondola is wind. 3S does serve well for this purpose, though.

[@timtwoface]

I look forward to the day the SFU Gondola is built and in full operation.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Great times lie ahead

[@timtwoface]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions It's literally onward and upward!

[@Maroku]

Thank you for this video, I hope you cover the new line from Surrey to Langley at some point. You got a new subscriber in me.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

It’s in the list. A video on the full SkyTrain Expansion Program might be the way to go. I’ll have to wait for construction to be well underway though

[@williamhuang8309]

10:30 So that's Dennis the Planner. The same guy who introduced us to the RapidBus Speaking of E-buses: The old Budapest Castle buses- they tried making them battery buses but the batteries died really quickly because of the steep hills and the ebuses broke down all the time. If the gondola (which is literally designed for going up hills) doesn't get built then Translink should at least put some trolley wires up since trolleybuses are more capable of climbing hills than diesel or battery.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yup that's him! I highly suggest checking out the work he's doing with Movement, it's great stuff! I didn't know about these Budapest Castle buses. Sounds like a perfect case study for why more buses won't work here

[@benjaminbritton4783]

Great video and great editing/shots!

[@peter-and-sandy]

Great Video. Looking forward to the next one

[@eyreland]

Vancouver Vancouver will be a delightful place to live following the pole shift, with a far warmer climate, spared ice and snow in the winter, and close to the coastline as it is at present. Rising water following the polar melt will spare much of the mountains surrounding Vancouver, making the step out of the rising water fairly easy for survivors to deal with. For Vancouver, the issue is not being positioned after the shift, but surviving the shift itself. The Canadian West Coast in general will suffer from rapid subduction that will melt the rock in low lying places, due to heat from friction, and many local Indian tribes have tales and myths of such times. Tidal waves will assault the area, and volcanoes up and down the coast, dormant and active alike, will explode. Those who would survive might consider moving inland for the shift itself, and then returning. Be advised that bridges and roads will not be passable, so the return trip should be anticipated to be essentially on foot. Vancouver Island has added drama as the Juan de Fuca plate will separate under the pressure of subduction and act as a separate entity from both the North America and the Pacific plates. This is the reason for the island having been created in the first place, during prior shifts. Because activity is compression, with the Juan de Fuca plate and the North American plates riding over plates sliding under, legends relay hot earth and boiling rivers. This will be less of a problem during this shift than in the past, as protecting layers of rock have already been pushed under the island. Nevertheless, two activities the coast will not have to deal with will be presented on the island: The Vancouver Island is likely to drift further toward Alaska, during compression, and find itself faced with a new coastline as a neighbor. This would be in the range of 100 miles or less. Thus, survival sites or supplies harbored on the coast may not be close at hand after the shift, to be retrieved by boat. Buckling and heaving upward during compression of the Pacific, during the hour of the shift, is likely to result in jolts sending survivors upward, a lateral quake, so survival in covered trenches needs to include a secure roof close to those lying in the trenches so they will not be dashed up. After the shift and the polar melt, the island will find itself with more area above the 675 foot area, having gained 100 or more feet of sea level during the compression. Note San Andreas Slide commentary.

[@dennis2376]

Considering snow makes transits a nightmare this a cool idea. When it gets built will get real results as to safety and how it handles snow and wind. A very cool project.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Only time will tell!

[@cheesesandwich1236]

Imagine the abysmal fuel economy of a bus chugging up the hill and the amount of pollution that creates.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yup, no matter the solution you can propose for buses, the simple fact of a bus travelling up a steep grade will be inherently inefficient. The gondola won't have any of those issues since it's what they exist for

[@LeftCoastStephen]

10:15 I think you got misinformed on the reason for the West Vancouver portion of the rapid bus being cut short. The main reason was that there the proposal to route the turnaround in front of an elementary school and Translink refusing to extend the route to where there was enough room for a safe turnaround. Other than that a very good discussion of the SFU gondola, even though I think that it won’t be built for far too long.

[@StudyVibes4]

very cool concept! i approve

[@thespiritsafe]

Translink just published the engagement summary. Very interesting read.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Indeed! Looking good for the business case later this year

[@robadr13]

I haven't read the Forest Grove opposition material, but I would have thought the major issue would be the general visibility of a gondola running every few minutes all day above people's houses. It would have been good to see a graphic showing the height above those houses to scale, and perhaps footage of other gondolas running at similar heights in other locations, to get a sense of the impact. There's no avoiding the inevitable trade-off of public good vs private property, but If I lived in Forest Grove I'd certainly be nervous about it. It's fair to say that it's something that would never have been foreseen by most people living there.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Urban gondolas are decently common around the world. But a striking difference between those systems and ours are the height in relation to surrounding housing. Our system will be built much much higher than others around the world specifically to mitigate the visual impact to forest grove and ensure that it is still 100% silent even at night

[@robadr13]

​@@TheGreaterDiscussions Good to know! It would have been helpful to illustrate it think, because I think that thought is lurking in the back of most people's minds. I enjoy your videos👍

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

I agree, I’ll keep that idea in mind for anything similar in the future

[@hippotripo6145]

Even if most people never even rode the gondola, I think it’s still a benefit to Metro Vancouver as a whole. Vancouver prides itself and is known internationally for both its connection to the mountains and its public transit system. Having an urban centre on top of a freaking mountain easily accessed by a scenic gondola would be huge plus to our local identity.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yep! The knowledge of this being an easy way to access SFU and UniverCity should hopefully drive ridership regardless! I know of many people who wouldn't visit Lonsdale Quay and the Shipyards if it wasn't for the SeaBus, myself included.

[@Ray25hua]

Great video! very detailed. As an SFU alumni, I always thought this was a fantasy pipe dream since it'd be too much of an up front cost to justify. I hope this eventually becomes a reality by 2050.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Glad you enjoyed it! The gondola will likely be built much sooner than 2050 as it’s featured in TransLink’s 10 year plan. The anticipated construction is 2026, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that was pushed back a year

[@xDefender11]

They recently decreased the speed limit from 80 to 60 km/h coming down the mountain. This forces bus drivers to ride their brakes, as they try to keep below that. I’ve literally seen the brakes smoking after a ride down the mountain, brake failure waiting to happen

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

The strain the buses are under is crazy! I hadn’t even thought about the brakes!

[@dtongo]

Great analysis and very well presented.

[@jsl1952]

well done!

[@brianlau7827]

Literally don't understand why the NIMBYs just want to derail every single transit project that pops up in their neighbourhood. If Translink were to build a brand new SkyTrain line through my neighbourhood today and bore tunnels under my house with TBMs, I wouldn't be opposed to it. Sure it would suck to have construction noise and disruptions happening for the couple years it takes to complete the project, but that's a short term problem in what would be a long term solution that would benefit the region.

[@uncouver]

Because they understand it to be a tool the regional district is using to tax them out of their home and force unaffordable density

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

interestingly enough, this project really shouldn't have many construction disruptions for Forest Grove. None of the towers are in the neighbourhood

[@gregsparrow1499]

@@TheGreaterDiscussions Most other projects don't involve going through people's air space. The UBC Skytrain extension was going to be entirely a subway. Translink is already having issues funding their existing systems. If you live on a ski hill you actually get use out of the gondola, but in this case all the neighborhood will get it noise. How late do you think it can run when it will run directly over some people's townhouses?

[@nosslived]

You included some footage ( 1:58 ) of the Grouse Mountain Skyride. Technically, I believe that is called a tram (not a gondola) because the two cabins go back and forth instead of going around in a continuous loop. The Sea to Sky in Squamish and Peak 2 Peak in Whistler are both gondolas, however.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Yeah I realized that after I filmed that clip lol. I put a disclaimer in the top left of every clip of the Skyride mentioning it’s technically not a gondola

[@ajmykietyn5288]

One thing I hadn't considered is how much going up the hill full of people destroys the buses on the route. Seems very likely that the reduced operating costs for a gondola would save money in the long run

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Absolutely! Reduced operating costs will be just one good cost recovery method of the gondola, the tourism factor being another.

[@purpleghost106]

What I want to know, is could the cabs have a kind of roll through station(s) part-way up the mountain with walk down stairs. I like the idea of the gondola, but I'd love more if it had more than just a point A and B (Also Hi! I live near to this project and although I would 0% benefit, unless my kids someday became SFU students, maybe even anti-benefit since our bus service would be reduced, I still think it's a good thing. The local oil refinery, however, can take a hike. I do not want it or the horrid pipeline here. Gondola yes, pipeline No.)

[@Jazzwithlaz]

hey I'm in construction and I am working on a BC Transit project right now, I'm interested more in what you do on this channel. It would be cool to connect!

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Hi there! I’ve got my Instagram and Twitter links in the description, feel free to reach out through there!

[@bojanb4764]

Nice video! The only legitimate gripe about the gondola is if it goes right over someone's backyard. The rest of the issues don't really matter that much.

[@nosslived]

At 7:20 you call the 144 "way out of the way", but it isn't really. As a car-free resident of the UniverCity neighbourhood, I routinely rely on transit, and taking the 144 to Sperling-Burnaby Lake is faster than the 145 to Production Way at least 10-20% of the time, even if you need to continue on the expo line. And if you're headed to Metrotown or beyond, the 144 is usually within 10 minutes of the time the 145/Expo line would take. One argument in favour of maintaining some 145 service is that it could help with overflow if the gondola ever has a lengthy wait. Instead of running the 145 parallel to the gondola, maintaining the 143 with a limited schedule with provide slightly better coverage (ie, Burquitlam and tri-cities users wouldnt have to go the extra distance to Production Way).

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

True, the 144 isn't *that* far away from 145 riders, but for 143 riders who won't want to take the gondola... well now you have to travel 4 stops from Burquitlam to get to a bus. It's definitely an unusual issue and I'm interested to see if TransLink plans to do anything about it

[@tandemcompound2]

if cost benefit is the deciding factor then, arguably, building a new Second Narrow should take priority as it would improve the lives of more people on a daily basis. If you build a sterile post-secondary institute on top of a 1000 foot mountain you are going to have transport issues.

[@ruisen2000]

the biggest argument against the gondola is having to wait for it to be built. Given the current track record, that means there is a chance the gondola might be ready when the current sfu students' children are ready to attend SFU.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Official documents are estimating the earliest construction could start would be 2026!! If the project can get funded within the next year or so, we could be looking at an opening around the same time as Surrey Langley SkyTrain

[@panama-canada]

Cable car is the cheapest solution, especially in the mountains.

[@alwong604]

NIMBY - Not In My BackYard... Selfish to the Nth degree.

[@SB-iz8sz]

Great Video. I am looking forward to having a Gondola service ..❤

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Exciting times ahead! We need more people speaking out about this!

[@1st1anarkissed]

To get up grouse mountain by gondola (vs hiking paths?) The cost of the ride is $70. Like Wha? A transit fare option definitely will draw joy riders aplenty.

[@nicholaswise5818]

Another point is the fact that busses are significantly louder than gondolas. Also was surprised you didn't mention the grouse mountain gondola.

[@TheGreaterDiscussions]

Very true, although the road noise of Gaglardi Way will pretty much overpower the intermittent buses anyways. I only found out they were building a gondola on grouse when I went there to film that one shot in front of the Skyride, looks like a promising project though!