How SkyTrain Stations are going to Make Vancouver Awesome

[@GeoPerspectiveCanada-fr4tj]

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[@alehaim]

I like trains

[@DanMC4270]

Ovjectively good take

[@jix_my]

same

[@lynx3845]

Me too bud

[@SRN42069]

Same

[@Simqer]

For those who don't get why is saying "Todd" every time, he is saying TOD, or Transit Oriented Development

[@todddammit4628]

I just thought it was like a super targeted video.

[@dorianmoore4403]

But, still… why is he saying “Tod”? Does he not know? And if he doesn’t know, …why not? If you’re reporting on this I would assume you’d know what it is.

[@giseleyates3624]

Put washrooms at every other station on the skytrain lines and more people would use transit. Charge a small amount for the use of the washroom with the "tap" system on your Compass card and that money would pay for an attendant, as they do in Europe, and the washrooms would be clean and safe.

[@jaygray7102]

NO NO NO to paying for toilet use....people will crap beside it before they pay! I take it you've never used a washroom in Europe? I have. Most of them are disgusting....IF you can even find one you'll be allowed to use.

[@giseleyates3624]

@@jaygray7102 I have used a washroom in europe on the train system in germany and amsterdam and that's where I got the idea from. It's a shame that there isn't something that can be done to provide this basic need when using transit.

[@jaygray7102]

@@giseleyates3624 My husband's a bus driver in a resort town, and there isn't even a public washroom in the main transit exchange where drivers and passengers wait. It's unacceptable, public transit stations is one place that definitely should have washrooms but no one wants to bother because it means finding cleaners who'll actually clean. Europe's ahead of North America in more than a few ways.

[@Roadtripexcursion]

they did at one time but the homeless and junkies ruined it i was around when the skytrain first opened we thought it was great till the the late 90s when junkies and homeless and criminals started using it

[@jaygray7102]

@@Roadtripexcursion Ever work as a cleaner? The elite are every bit as disgusting as the homeless drug addicts you describe when it comes to cleaning up after themselves, and many are drug addicts and/or alcoholics. Difference is, they're not homeless. Blame governments who refuse to spend money on mental health care and better education, policing is another thing entirely.

[@davepubliday6410]

I wouldn’t say that Marine Drive station area is “walkable”. Marine Drive is a huge stroad that makes it a very unpleasant street level experience. But Commercial Drive shouldn’t have this issue as much should it be developed.

[@CANControlGRAFFITI]

Also the gateway doesn’t have everything. You either have to go a ways over to the area with superstore or way over to Granville street where Safeway is.

[@todddammit4628]

For some reason, I feel like this video is speaking to me directly.

[@GeoPerspectiveCanada-fr4tj]

🤣

[@alshoutcasting9101]

Unfortunately with the local government and the current ABC group Vancouver is going to in fact slide back instead of improving. Yes the re-zoning will help, but Vancouver is growing an insane amount and desperately needs more connectivity. The millennium line should have already been extended to UBC, that is unfortunately almost 10 years from happening at its soonest. Further needed expansions would be a r4 replacement with a line extension from ubc so metrotown along 41st. A North van connection, ideally 2 one along the lionsgate to Park Royal and another to Coquitlam/Lonsdake. An east-west north van line from Horseshoe Bay to Capilano. Unfortunately none of these are likely to happen in a reasonable timeframe, if at all. I've been a part of pushing for more investment and development of transit in BC and its a really uphill battle. You would need to vote out the entirety of the current administration, and bar all lobbying from major parties to get better transit systems in place. Unfortunately that at its soonest will happen in 4-8 years, with a major infrastructure project taking s further 20 after then to complete. Vancouver has so much potential but as of now its mostly unrealized as politicians consistently vote down meaningful expansions and upgrade to the transit network. The current major projects are the george massy tunnel (4.5bn), portillo bridge revamp (1.8bn), likely an overhaul on the lionsgate (proposed at 1.2bn) and the langly extension of the expo line (1.8bn). A tiny fraction of the current budget is even potentially able to be allocated to non-car transit. BC shuttered and sold the Vancouver-Squamish-Whistler-Lillooette-Prince George rail line because it was a net loss of $2m/yr. The leased operator has since left the rail line into disrepair, now estimated at $500mil-$1.5bn to repair even just to low speed capacity. The current local and federal governments don't give a shit about transit, they're in bed with the current monopoly rail companies, airlines and car lobbyists. We could have had a 60min Vancouver to Whistler train every hour for $25 by now, we could have had trans canada passenger rail, Edmonton-Calgary in 75min, Toronto-Montreal in 2hrs, Winnipeg to Edmonton in 6hrs. And you'd make goods and businesses so much more viable across the nation. Electrified modern freight rail is a fraction of the cost of trucking, and next to non-existent on emissions as well. With a non-monopolized modern freight rail system you'd make manufacturing possible again in alberta/sask/manitoba with the ultra low shipping costs. But because CN rail just straight up bribes the government nothing happens. Just straight up corruption and its absolutely crippled the nation as a result.

[@jaygray7102]

Vancouver is definitely NOT a city sliding back. The only time I see stagnation is when conservatives are in charge. Vancouver's former mayor did more to improve the city than anyone I remember...one upgrade I especially like is the Burrard St. Bridge. NO ONE walked or cycled over it when I lived in the city 30 years ago...now look at it! Bikes lanes everywhere are enjoyed by a huge number of people now...they never used to exist.

[@wyldhowl2821]

The Millennium Line should have been extended to UBC back in 1999; they were absolute fools to not keep going westward back then. However, FYI, the Lions Gate Bridge had its refurbishment done in the 1990's, so that one is likely to be off the list for at least a couple of decades. It is too small, and they chose the cheapest option back then, that is true, but all the issues about building a new LGB were hashed out back then and (as someone who was there), believe me it is a lot more complicated than the general public understands. Nobody is happy with just 3 lanes, and they have been unhappy with that choke point as long as I have been alive. Mind you, a lot of the options back in the 1990s (like a cut & cover tunnel under most of the park instead of a surface causeway) got restricted due to the general concern about not wanting to cut down trees inside Stanley Park - the morbid irony being that of course now they just cut down far more trees in there without any regard to the future. If they carved a tunnel through the park now, there would be hardly any trees in its way. 🤕 However, the real crippler for the North Shore will be when they have to do the Ironworkers / 2nd Narrows. Seriously, that will turn the North Shore into an island. There really are just the two locations to cross, and the schemes to tunnel across the middle all seem to forget that this is a deep harbor / fjord, the busiest port in Canada by far. Like I said, the public & politicians love to propose things without ever giving it the deeper look at the geography & engineering realities.

[@wyldhowl2821]

I love the Skytrain, but I'd have preferred if they created proper commuter rail to serve the far off suburbs like Maple Ride, Langley, Mission, Abbotsford, etc. West Coast Express is a token thing and only useful for downtown office commuters from the far northeast; 4 trains westward in the morning and 4 trains eastward in the afternoon. As you pointed out, CP and CN have their duopoly on track and they do not like being forced to put even meager passenger services upon it. Frankly it sucks that the passenger rail capacity was ever lost / degraded after WW2. Skytrain is good, but like many Metro systems, it serves the core areas; they would have done better to bend the Evergreen Line into Port Coquitlam instead of northern Coquitlam, and make their Expo Line extension go south towards south Surrey instead of towards Langley. And then they could have re-asserted long-range commuter rail (like the RER in greater Paris) on the main rail tracks, a new Interurban service, that could connect to the Fraser Valley Region. Oh well, these are politicians - too afraid of miserly rail companies and real estate tycoons to ever do the right thing.

[@juliansmith4295]

The title of this video is "How SkyTrain Stations are going to Make Vancouver _Awesome"_ [sic] but it's all about the areas around the stations, rather than the stations themselves. Compared to stations around the world, the ones in Vancouver are just bus stops with rails instead of actual stations with shops, washrooms and other facilities.

[@ocean6462]

Like housing, we need a lot more housing and to loosen zoning laws by a lot. At least 4 story apt buildings should be allowed in most of the areas in north american cities

[@juliansmith4295]

@@ocean6462 I don't really know nor care about the rest of North America, but yes. We need to change zoning laws in Canada, except in Montréal, where they don't have that problem.

[@red_skies80]

@@juliansmith4295 The problem is, one would have to deal with the people whose whole family wealth and livelihood is tied to the ownership of their land. Vancouver is already experiencing a large problem with gentrification, and more importantly, a lack of affordable and livable spaces for these people to reestablish. Maybe if our government cut the bs red tape and allowed previous land owners a portion of the equity (instead of selling the city's soul to foreign developer companies), more flexibility with how owners can use/develop the land, and a guaranteed living arrangement so families aren't completely forced out of the city. We have options, other cities have examples.

[@red_skies80]

Just to be clear, I agree with your point and I realize that this is a nation-wide issue.

[@juliansmith4295]

@@red_skies80 Although I completely agree with your second paragraph, I don't understand the first one. "The problem is, one would have to deal with the people whose whole family wealth and livelihood is tied to the ownership of their land." I was talking about how the stations themselves.

[@kk4764]

Keep up the great content, as a urban planning enthusiast it was a great watch.

[@SaneChanneled]

None of them will have public washrooms. City Hall and Arbutus Stations will have space set aside, but Translink says there’s no funding for washrooms.

[@welcome_Moscow_walks]

It was interesting 😊

[@Obiterarbiter]

If there's no law's surrounding minim square footage for these dense condo / towers then we could end up in a situation where all these buildings cater to the "investment" segment of the market.

[@wyldhowl2821]

Yup - municipal councils & mayors will never stand up for better planning, because if you check the political donations, most of them whether the so-called right or so-called left have had their careers sponsored by the very same developers & investors they are supposed to be policing.

[@donwest5387]

resident: I love the skytrain

[@Somethingaweful]

Top most expensive cities list always kind of don't get Vancouver. I don't know if they're only focusing on the city alone. But in reality. You, under any circumstances. Don't have to live in the city of Vancouver. The city of Vancouver is small, and the Skytrain extends well past the city. Chances are, if you're moving to the metro. You're going to live in other areas of the city. I wish a lot of these graphs, include what they mean by Vancouver. Because people really love flip flopping on whether it just means the metro, or the city alone. And I don't really think it gives an accurate representation of the cost of living here. Yeah, Burnaby, New West and even Surrey's expensive. But it isn't 3 or 4k for a one bedroom to generate clicks expensive.

[@Norfirio]

It listed Burnaby as #3. The cost issue is not limited to Vancouver city proper

[@wyldhowl2821]

Metro Vancouver is brutally expensive precisely because of its international profile. It is the best looking city and popular to move to, but also it is VERY popular for storing up those vast flows of global capital as "investments" - or as the Cullen Commission called it, global money laundering. It is a housing market that is decoupled from both the local population and local incomes. This is why building homes at a breakneck pace for 30+ years has made the city less affordable instead of more, and many dwellings sit empty, while prices are far above what our population could ever possibly pay. It is not for us, it is all for "them" - the global network of shady investors, including embezzlers, criminal cartels, and speculators. We are the victims of artificially generated scarcity, and that means no matter how much supply we build, the situation will never actually get better.

[@creaturexxii]

It's definitely an interesting sight to see when riding the SkyTrain through stations like 22nd St and 29th Ave as the tracks goes through some American-style suburbs. And sometimes the tracks quite literally goes through someone's backyard. It's rare to see a fully grade separated, third rail powered metro train going through a low density suburb. But I guess that's just one of the unique aspects of taking the SkyTrain as the scenery can change drastically from just one station stop. 🚉🚈

[@pad9x]

the todd thing was funny maybe the first couple times. after that it was pretty much unnecessary.

[@GregoryMacaltao]

Are the building stories minimums rather than "up to". I think it is minimum 20 stories for those within 200 m from a sky train station

[@GeoPerspectiveCanada-fr4tj]

Yes, its minimums if I remember correctly.

[@vincentng2392]

​@@GeoPerspectiveCanada-fr4tjBut it's not possible in Richmond due to its proximity to the airport.

[@gentlydown41]

It's a minimum maximum for municipalities lol. So by default you can build up to 20, but municipalities can increase this maximum past 20 if they choose. So yes, it's still a maximum hight limit

[@jhalfaro]

@@gentlydown41no, it’s a minimum as in buildings won’t be able to be any shorter, the opposite of a maximum

[@jameshansenbc]

It's lowest density that cities are allowed to restrict it to with zoning. You could still build a house there, but municipalities can't make it so you can ONLY build a house there with zoning. The city has been forced by the province to permit "at least" "up to" 20 stories. Kind of makes you realize how crazy zoning artificially suppressing density actually is.

[@thothfund]

North America needs more investment in public transportation and public safety.

[@jaygray7102]

Like a cross country sky train...coast to coast to coast....the northern trade route will open, we should be prepared

[@beautanner8409]

If they held the population growth still, these developments would be helpful. As long as we're letting in enormous numbers (and probably selling the new homes as offshore presales, as is our practice) - this isn't going to be an improvement.

[@M_D93]

I have mixed feeling about this as a person that is both interested in SkyTrain and learning how to drive

[@CANControlGRAFFITI]

You’re saying the marine gateway is great and what other places should be like but that area is one of the worst planned out and congested areas in all of Vancouver and is only getting worse. It was already hard enough getting around because almost everyone drives and there aren’t enough roadways or places for them to be built. The skytrain is already overfilled everyday and is SLOW. They already need to add more carriages but with Vancouver it’s always to little to late.

[@gdemorest7942]

I ride my bike to the Skytrain, train :good, Bus: bad.

[@claudelemire2451]

Densification without more parks and green spaces close by will fail. I am for densification but....

[@ethanheckman]

But that is the benefit to being on a transit line, ride a few stops and get to the best parks in the city

[@carpediemsrce]

After living in Europe, Vancouver transit is lame

[@michaeldowson6988]

But we're far from their propensity for warfare.

[@dorianmoore4403]

Why is he saying “Tod”? Does he not know? And if he doesn’t know, …why not? If you’re reporting on this I would assume you’d know what it is.

[@paulhoffman6626]

Transit Oriented Development

[@Norfirio]

​@@paulhoffman6626but no one calls it "Todd", it's always pronounced "T.O.D.". It takes him sound like he doesn't actually understand the topic.

[@lifelong5425]

Irony ..making Vancouver Awesome...but it remains, and will become even more un affordable and unlivable.....somehow awesome seems a word that fails the process of the creation

[@jaygray7102]

Sky train's been there for decades, areas around stops have been developing for decades along with it. It's not going to 'make' the city awesome when it already is

[@durandal1909]

YVR likes more trans. Trains too.

[@lokesh303101]

SkyTrains are Better!

[@usernameryan5982]

This is great to see but it’s sad to see the damage Vancouver has already done when looking at housing costs. They need to make the supply of housing as elastic as possible by allowing almost any density everywhere and expanding the urban growth boundary. It’s very difficult to achieve affordability with high rises as construction costs are much higher than mid and low rise development due to the increase need to more concrete and steel as well as more skilled labor. Being able to simply add small lot townhomes everywhere would greatly help as well.

[@Mrtoz-ct3yn]

Ah yes, the housing crisis is caused by the density, totally not because anything other than single family homes is forbidden in most / almost all neighborhoods

[@usernameryan5982]

@@Mrtoz-ct3yn where did I say that the housing crisis was caused by density you absolute fool?

[@usernameryan5982]

@@Mrtoz-ct3yn fool, where did I say the housing crisis was caused by density?

[@WE-WUZZING-KANGS-N-SHEEOYT]

Hopefully

[@Act1veSp1n]

yeah but the pricing on transit are astronomical.

[@jorgematias4943]

Yeah wall to wall towers from Vancouver to Chilliwack in the near future kind of like Tokyo in Japan.

[@michaeldowson6988]

The ALR means no building on farmland.

[@jimness5902]

Not going to happen, look at a map you'll come to the same conclusion

[@slam5]

and I think Skytrain should go out to Abbotsford and beyond for the folks who want/need to have a house.

[@Jay-jq6bl]

A regional express train would probably be more useful.

[@jimness5902]

at almost a billion per mile I doubt it only high density can pay for it

[@rolandsutter2451]

Todd mean’s death I German

[@johnnyboyvan]

Disaster!! My property will skyrocket by Arbutus.

[@Tats2020]

the vast majority of families want a house to raise their kids in not a box in the sky. This is a horrible way to live if you have kids.

[@jasonlahey1550]

Building things without resonable amounts of parking is a recipe for disaster. Many who are going to pay upwards of 600k for a one bedroom drive cars. Having lived in Asia I see what happens when projects are built with not enough parking

[@kgdies]

I'm sure the people living on the street on the down town east side think the new trains are a great thing. /sarc

[@SS-ub5qz]

The cartoons were so incredibly annoying

[@jeanbolduc5818]

Vancouver has few trees in the city and no sense of community The No fun city. It is Hong Kong in Canada

[@zigzag00]

Stfu bro get a grip u hate on every city that isn't Montréal 💀

[@team_gashotmailcom]

Vancouver has few trees? Compared to where? The Amazon rainforest? Vancouver has to be one of the greenest cities I've ever been to. Besides the downtown eastside area, it's totally lush with huge trees everywhere.

[@michaeldowson6988]

Your prejudice has tripped you up, and made you look ignorant.

[@AdamtheGrey02]

@@michaeldowson6988 Being against mass cultural replacement isn't "prejudice". No sane country who loved itself would embrace that in their right mind. Unless they're brainwashed and it happens without a vote.

[@hybbfr727]

vancouver has a lot of trees actually

[@oilwings]

I love public transit but I prefer to drive my own cars. I also want more detached homes being built than towers. I refuse to live in a condo or town house.

[@garrychalk]

Sky train is the most useless and expensive mode of transport . That’s why there are only I think five in the world . One in Bangkok which I rode on . One in seattle which is still not done and super expensive . Streetcars are the way to go .

[@koala1109]

Vancouver already has plans in place to build a streetcar system, and also land set aside. Unfortunately though, it hasn’t been built yet due to costing $1 billion dollars. Also it’s taken the back burner, with high priorities, such as a Skytrain line to UBC, taking priority. I would watch a video on the topic to learn more, but the ultimate goal in Vancouver is to have a mix of buses, streetcars and skytrain lines in public transportation. The purpose of skytrains is to primarily link together nearby city centres, the purpose of streetcars is to link together city centres, and the purpose of buses is to link together smaller communities within a city centre.

[@CANControlGRAFFITI]

Transit that travels on street level is not ideal in this city at all.

[@Norfirio]

What are you talking about? Elevated trains are very common. And those of us in Seattle wish our system was more like SkyTrain. Automated trains every 2-4 minutes? Yes, please!

[@kevinfestner6126]

I noted the use of 15 minute city. That is the wef code word for imprisonment, and the means to seize private property. If I do not control the fruits of my labor read be able to spend my wages as I see fit, I am no more than a serf, under the control of a master, a lord. Keep that in mind when watching this utopian sales pitch.

[@canadian7530]

Then stay in Chilliwack

[@Redzwan]

Anything else other than predictable fear mongering word salad?

[@Jay-jq6bl]

You do realize how ridiculous you sound, right? I lived years in a place just like the one you fear for years and loved it. Came to visit recently and randomly ran into an old friend on the train, which would have never happened had we been driving.

[@gentlydown41]

This is just a conspiracy theory, if anything you are more isolated in suburbs

[@threesixnine369six]

There is a lot of dark stuff happening in this world, but not everything is a conspiracy. If you’re European you probably know very well what it’s like to walk to the shops, enjoy a coffee around the corner or have your kids be so close to their school that you don’t have to transport them in a 3 tons suburban tank, and maybe even work close to home or only a few stops away by train or bus. The idea of a 15 minute city in Europe is just a reinforcement of something that is already there but can be improved, which makes it funny but also sad to see people who already live in 15 minute cities going out and protesting against the idea because they’re polluted by American conspiracies and ideas that equate cars to freedom. No one is trapped, all those people are free to move around, the idea is to have solid options to do it less, in order to save resources. If you’re American or Canadian, those dense efficient places are quite rare, so it’s understandable that you don’t comprehend it and you fear it. If you’re an average Canadian or American living in a suburb, you’re already forced to spend your money on a car that you have to drive literally everywhere and in most cases that’s literally your only option, so you are probably more of a serf than someone who has a shorter commute, less car related expenses, and still can own a car but also has the options to get from a to b by foot, bike, car or public transit.

[@rodkeays8171]

I agree with this! except for a major flaw of large cities: Common reasons to be with people we care about. What I mean is: everyone is doing their own thing, which is good in a way-that people are motivated, but what are they doing in common or together? Not much really, Good transit and services make living with so many people more bearable but is that enough? Non Profit societies are good for bringing people with similar interests together, so are sports clubs and art societies. I suppose i'm just saying that we should not forget to connect with people who share common interests.

[@Roadtripexcursion]

more criminals will be able to more more freely