Translink Reports: Commercial Broadway Station Elevator/Escalator Upgrade

Greater accessibility, better use of platform space and more natural light are features of the newly upgraded Commercial-Broadway Station, which was officially opened today.

“This re-design reflects how important Commercial-Broadway has become in recent years,” says TransLink CEO Tom Prendergast. “With more than 140 thousand people passing through this hub every day, we have needed to make greater use of the space we have and enable people to use the system more efficiently.”

When it was first built, Broadway Station was not envisioned as a major transfer point, but that has changed with the addition of the Millennium SkyTrain line and the growth of the 99 B and #20 bus lines.

The upgraded station features a new entrance off 10th Avenue, with an escalator and elevator as well as stairs. This will make it easier for disabled customers – particularly those using HandyDART – to get to and from the platform. Replacing the north side elevator, which was in the centre of the platform at the south end of the overhead walkway across Broadway (Avenue), provides more space for customers waiting for SkyTrain and eliminates tricky and potentially dangerous “dodging” to get around the elevator shaft.

The upgrade was completed more than 2 months ahead of time, and more than $4 million under budget at $9.2 million. The provincial government provided $4.27 million, with the remainder coming from TransLink and contributions from Transport Canada and the City of Vancouver through the federal Urban Transportation Showcase Program.

“The Government of Canada is committed to improving and advancing public transportation options,” said Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver. “We are pleased to partner in this project that will improve accessibility, reduce congestion, and enhance safety and security for transit users at Commercial-Broadway Station.”

“The improvements to Commercial-Broadway Station will be of immense benefit to SkyTrain users,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond. “Congestion is reduced, access is improved, and safety and security are enhanced.”

The station is built according to CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles to improve safety and security. The glass wall on the concourse level, which has replaced the metal mesh on the west wall, provides more natural light and allows for better neighbourhood surveillance. The new entrance off 10th Avenue removes the “dead-end” on the ground floor. The electric lighting is now at the same standard as that at Millennium Line stations (part of an overall upgrade to the lighting along the Expo Line).

The station has been designed as more of a community “focal point”, especially when seen in conjunction with the nearby community garden project, which opened in the past year on a lot contributed by TransLink and the BC Rapid Transit Company. It is expected that increasing the community element in the area will make the station itself safer and more inviting.

The upgrading of Commercial-Broadway Station is part of a general makeover planned for the original Expo Line stations to meet the capacity needs of the Metro Vancouver region. Plans for future phases, subject to funding, include a doubling of platform capacity at Commercial-Broadway and renovations at Main Street-Science World Station (including a new elevator on the east side).

Commercial-Broadway Station Upgrade

Some Questions and Answers

How much did the upgrade cost?

• The final cost was $9.2 million -- $4 million under budget. The Province of British Columbia contributed $4.27 million, and other funding came from TransLink and the Urban Transportation Showcase Program, jointly funded with up to $1.8 million from Transport Canada and by the City of Vancouver.
• It also finished 2-1/2 months ahead of schedule
  • this is particularly good news for people with disabilities, as their access to the Commercial-Broadway station upper platforms had to be adapted during the time the north end elevator was closed and the south elevator was installed

Why was this upgrade necessary?