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Originally built for Vancouver's Expo 86 Skytrain has been extended to Surrey, and a new loop recently opened along North Vancouver. Future extensions (almost certain to be built due to Vancouver's winning of the 2010 Winter Olympics) will run to the airport, Port Coquitlam and other places in the city.
The system is 100% grade separated. Most of the right of way is in the air on guideways-hence the name "Skytrain". In downtown it is underground and in a couple places it is at ground level. The system is also 100% automated, although trains can be manually controlled. These two things mean that the trains are highly reliable and run constantly-up to a train every 90 seconds during rush hours. In the times I have ridden it I have rarely ever had to wait for a train...and that was mainly when there was maintenance work being performed. It takes about 39 minutes to ride the main Expo Line end to end.
The cars used in the system are made by Bombardier. Currently, new cars are made at a factory located next to the yard in Burnaby. The system is being upgraded to new MKII cars which are air conditioned and allow riders to walk from car to car. Trains are driven by a linear induction motor.
For Seattle this is the one to watch. The distance between the terminus in Surrey to the terminus at the Waterfront is about 40 miles-the same distance between downtown Tacoma and downtown Seattle. Almost every station connects with major bus lines, and most of the suburban stations have large park and ride lots. Also, many stations are built in conjunction with large malls and shopping centers. A few stations even are in or next to apartment and condominium buildings.
During Expo 86 there was a special station so that fair guests could take the Skytrain to Canada Place on the waterfront. I did this with my grandfather. I did not ride SkyTrain again until a few years ago. However, a couple years after Expo ended I was in town with my parents. We came back up the King George Highway (through Surrey). At that time the extension from the Frasier to Surrey was under construction. My mom pointed out the end of the line looked about 20-25 minutes from the border. Needless to say ever since then when we visit Vancouver, we drive into Surrey, park and take the train into town
Vancouver like most major cities suffers from horrendous traffic and has limited parking downtown. Also, Vancouver has NO freeways. Canada 1 goes around the outside of the city. Nothing really goes into town. Therefore it is difficult to drive into town. However, getting to Surrey (at least from the border) is very easy. The first 2 stations have large parking lots...and the second one is also a major bus transfer point. I could definitely see the wisdom of living in Surrey or in the area (on a bus line), and transferring to SkyTrain to go to a downtown job. The ride takes about 40 minutes end to end and as stated above, trains run as often as every 90 seconds.
To come: more trip reports and photos.
Puget Sound Transportation Projects
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