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Post by markkarj on Jun 5, 2009 8:28:52 GMT -8
Over time (and I'm thinking decades from now), could light rail be expanded to perhaps the two big lower mainland terminals and to Swartz Bay? Would it be possible, and in the cases of the lower mainland terminals, what alignments might it take?
If fuel prices keep going up, it would seem reasonable to assume people would use their cars less... perhaps putting more pressure on passenger needs for ferries. I know the terminal improvements put in place through the 90s at Swartz Bay and Tsawassen were leaps and bounds ahead of what they had before, and acknowledged the number of people walking on to ferries.
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rt1commuter
Chief Steward
JP - Overworked grad student
Posts: 167
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Post by rt1commuter on Jun 5, 2009 9:03:05 GMT -8
Are you kidding? PCL would never let it happen. We don't even have decent transit service to the ferry terminals. The worst thing about BC Ferries is that, more so than most other ferries on the coast, they are car ferries first. As a foot passenger, you're nothing more than an inconvenience.
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 5, 2009 17:18:48 GMT -8
Why would you want such a scheme anyways? I think that it would be much more cost effective to just revisit high speed harbour to harbour ferries that would make the trip 1-way in about 2.5 hours (Vic-Van). To match that time via LRT & the existing car ferry routes might cost how much?
Vancouver to Nanaimo could be done in 90 minutes via high speed passenger ferries. LRT to HSB plus conventional ferry time would be much longer. Not to mention that an LRT route to HSB might be just a tad bit expensive!
If my memory serves me correctly I believe that almost 20 years ago Royal Sealink was making the 1-way trip to Victoria in 2.5 hours. They were not subsidized and the ticket prices were just a little high compared to BCF.
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Post by Scott on Jun 6, 2009 22:43:29 GMT -8
Can't really disagree with anything mentioned here already. I suppose you could do LRT from Surrey to Tsawwassen to avoid building a bridge and to service the River Road industrial area of Delta... but I think the money for that area has been poured into the South Perimeter Road with a priority for goods movement. Translink can't even afford the projects it's got planned already. I think the bus service to Tsawwassen may improve with connections to the RAV Line. Too bad they don't run direct between Scott Road Skytrain Station and Tsawwassen anymore - I found that convenient when they did it. Now you have to transfer at Ladner Exchange.
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Post by DENelson83 on Jun 8, 2009 11:15:54 GMT -8
Heck, why not make an extra branch of the Expo Line from King George Station to go to Delta and Tsawwassen if you don't want another bridge over the Fraser to extend the Canada Line? The only questions would be what the path would be and what intervening stations would be built between King George and the ferry terminal.
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FNS
Voyager 
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Jun 8, 2009 13:30:21 GMT -8
I had thought of this rail service to TSA myself when SkyTrain began service. On the other hand, sea spray (with salt water) would have considerably reduce the life of the rail cars specifically designed for your system.
Express TSA buses from the Vancouver-Richmond/CYVR SkyTrain line should be considered, though.
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Post by DENelson83 on Jun 8, 2009 23:25:07 GMT -8
Heck, institute B-Line buses to Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen terminals.
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