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After years of TransLink flip-flopping, the provincial government announced this year that SkyTrain — not LRT — will be technology for rapid transit from Burnaby to Coquitlam.
Coquitlam has waited too long for a mass-transportation system: The numerous studies by TransLink staff and consultants, and the decision to push Richmond's line ahead of Coquitlam's have only left us with more traffic gridlock in our ever-growing region.
I was pleased when SkyTrain was officially chosen as the technology; after all, if LRT were built (at a cost not much cheaper than SkyTrain) it wouldn't have been compatible with the other rapid-transit lines in the Lower Mainland, like West Coast Express, SkyTrain and the privately run Olympic route to the airport in Richmond, which won't have Bombardier cars, won't have TransLink supervision and will have a totally different track.
Still, SkyTrain will have a major impact on our community and, as a result, residents, businesses and city council must be fully engaged in its alignment and design, especially of the stations. Neighbourhoods and the environment must not be adversely affected.
As well, we need to include other northeast sector cities in the line planning as it may, one day, expand to Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, and possibly a southeast route to Guildford and New Westminster.
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