Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Evergreen Line?
   • The Evergreen Line is a new rapid transit line that will connect Coquitlam to Vancouver via Port Moody and Burnaby
   • The Evergreen Line will be a fast, frequent and convenient SkyTrain service, connecting Coquitlam City Centre through Port Moody to Lougheed Town Centre in approximately 13 minutes
   • The Evergreen Line is an essential element of the Provincial Transit Plan and the Federal Building Canada Plan
2. What is the Evergreen Line route?
   • Lougheed/Burquitlam
     The Evergreen Line will run north from Lougheed Town Centre Station on an elevated guideway along the centre of North Road. Burquitlam Station will be on the east side of Clarke Road near Burquitlam Plaza. Leaving Burquitlam Station, the line will cross to the west side of Clarke Road, before entering a tunnel towards Port Moody.
   • Port Moody
     The Evergreen Line will emerge from the tunnel just east of Barnet Highway. It will travel at ground level along the south side of the Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR) tracks to Port Moody Station, located at the Port Moody transit exchange site. Continuing east, the line will cross the CPR tracks just before Ioco Station, located north of Barnet Highway.
   • Coquitlam
     The line will continue along the north side of the CPR tracks towards Coquitlam Central Station, located at the Coquitlam transit exchange site. Turning north, the line will run on an elevated guideway along the west side of Pinetree Way, and will cross to the east side near Northern Avenue, before ending at Douglas College Station, north of Guildford Way.
3. Where will the stations be?
   • Six station locations have been identified to date, including:
     • Lougheed Town Centre Station (Burnaby)
     • Burquitlam Station (Burquitlam)
     • Port Moody Station (Port Moody)
     • Ioco Station (Port Moody)
     • Coquitlam Central Station (Coquitlam)
     • Douglas College Station (Coquitlam)
     1. Up to two additional stations will be considered based on their ability to shape land use, stimulate increased ridership, promote transit-oriented development, and be affordable.

   Evergreen Line Benefits

4. What are the Project Benefits?
   • Building on the strength of the existing rapid transit network, the Evergreen Line, using SkyTrain technology, will bring many benefits to the region.

   Key benefits include:

   Better Service

   • Two and a half times more ridership than an LRT system (70,000 per day by 2021)
   • Direct connection, without transfer, onto the Millennium Line
   • Frequent (every 3 minutes during peak periods, service almost 20 hours a day)

   Shorter Commutes

   • Almost twice as fast as LRT (Coquitlam City Centre to Lougheed Town Centre in 13 minutes versus 24 minutes by LRT)
   • From Coquitlam City Centre to downtown Vancouver in 40 minutes (saving almost 45 minutes per day compared to driving)

   Economic Opportunities

   • 8,000 new jobs during construction
   • Stimulating community growth and new development
5. How does the Evergreen Line fit into the Provincial Transit Plan?
   • The Evergreen Line is an essential element of the Provincial Transit Plan that will increase transportation choice.
   • Announced on January 14, 2008, the Provincial Transit Plan is a new strategy to double transit ridership by increasing travel choice for people around the province, with new bus fleets, green technology, new rapid transit lines and new innovative services like RapidBus BC.
   • The vision is to be a global leader in providing safe, comfortable, reliable services that will highlight green technologies and reshape our communities by encouraging integration of work, home and recreational activities. The Plan will reduce provincial transportation greenhouse emissions by 4.7 million tonnes cumulatively by 2020.
     

   Evergreen Line Project Status and Cost
6. How much will the project cost? Is the funding in place?
   • Capital costs for the Evergreen Line are estimated at $1.4 billion. Through its recent Provincial Transit Plan, the BC Government has committed to investing $410 million for the project, and TransLink has committed $400 million.
   • The Government of Canada has already provided $66.7 million for the Evergreen Line Project under the Public Transit Capital Trust announced in Budget 2008.
   • An additional $350 million under the Building Canada Fund will flow after final project details are defined by the Province, a contribution agreement is executed, construction has begun and costs are incurred.
   • Announced in the 2007 federal budget, the seven-year, $33-billion Building Canada Plan consists of a suite of programs to meet the varying needs of infrastructure projects across Canada. The Building Canada Fund supports infrastructure projects across Canada, both large and small.
7. When will the project be complete?
   • The Province has committed to proceeding with the Evergreen Line and construction is scheduled to start in 2010. The Environmental Review is scheduled for early 2009 and subject to Environmental Assessment Certification, construction will occur between 2010 and 2014.
8. How will the project be built?
   • The delivery mechanism for the Project has not yet been determined. The February 2008 Business Case showed that there may be benefit to delivering the Evergreen Line as a Public Private Partnership. At the present time, the project team is working with Partnerships BC to undertake an assessment of procurement options to determine the delivery model that provides the greatest value for money.

   Technology
9. Why was the technology for the Evergreen Line changed from Light Rail Transit (LRT) to Advanced Light Rapid Transit (ALRT)?
   • The Business Case, released February 1, 2008, recommends Advanced Light Rapid Transit (ALRT) because it:
     • will carry two and a half times the ridership of LRT (based on 2021 ridership modelling), ensuring it will meet current and future demand and support The Provincial Transit Plan goal of doubling ridership by 2020
     • will enable faster travel times and can operate with greater frequency
     • will seamlessly connect to the current SkyTrain network, including the Expo and Millennium Lines, and can integrate with the Canada Line and regional bus and West Coast Express network and move people almost twice as fast as LRT technology
10. What is the difference between Advanced Light Rapid Transit (ALRT) and Light Rapid Transit (LRT)?
    • ALRT (SkyTrain) is automated and driverless and runs primarily along an elevated guideway, thus avoiding the potential for conflict with vehicular traffic inherent with at-grade LRT operations particularly at intersections. ALRT has greater capacity than LRT and also provides the opportunity for full integration with the existing SkyTrain system which would eliminate the need for passengers to transfer at Lougheed Station.
    • LRT (Light Rail Transit) is a driver-operated system. Vehicles operate within a largely at-grade and segregated right-of-way with grade-level crossings at intersections requiring signal priority.

    Consultation
11. How can I find out more about the Evergreen Project?
    • The Evergreen Line Project office opened in February 2009. The purpose of the office is to advance the Project through design and construction and to provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the project, meet with Project Staff, and give feedback and input as development and construction proceed.
    • The Project Office is located at the corner of Barnet Highway and Mariner Way and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 – 5:00 pm.
    • More information can also be found by calling 604-927-4452.
12. When will the communities along the Evergreen route be consulted?
    • Preliminary Design Consultation is scheduled from October 5 – November 13, 2009
    • The purpose of this consultation is to update the public on the Evergreen Line Project and gather community and stakeholder feedback on preliminary design options.
    • The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure invites residents, community organizations businesses and other stakeholders to provide feedback on preliminary design options for the Evergreen Line Project during Preliminary Design Consultation.
    • There will be multiple opportunities for public input during the October 5 – November 13, 2009 consultation period, including: attending public open houses or stakeholder meetings; providing feedback on-line or providing comments by phone, email or mail.
13. Does the Evergreen Project need to acquire any property?
    • Yes. If the property you own or occupy is under consideration to be acquired by the Evergreen Line Project, a member of our property team will contact you to discuss the process in more detail. If you wish to speak to a representative about your property, please call the Evergreen Line Project Office at: 604-927-4452.
14. Will construction of the project impact businesses?
    • The Evergreen Line is committed to open two-way communication with potentially impacted businesses in the commercial areas of Burnaby, Port Moody and Coquitlam. A Business Liaison Program will be established by the Evergreen Line Project Team to liaise with corridor businesses throughout the Project.
15. How is the Evergreen Line Project addressing environmental impacts?
    • The Evergreen Line Project is subject to environmental assessment review under the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act (BCEAA). The Environmental Assessment (EA) includes a full review of potential project-related impacts and proposed mitigation measures and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure must obtain an environmental assessment certificate before the Project can proceed.
    • The project entered the pre-application phase in May 2009 when the Project Description Report was submitted to the EAO and posted to their website.
    • A working group comprised of federal and provincial regulatory agencies, local governments and First Nations has been formed to assist the Environmental Assessment Office in reviewing the scope of the assessments and the application.
    • The EA process provides members of the public, First Nations and other stakeholders with opportunities to participate in the review of the project during a public comment period, the requirements of which will be established by the EAO.
16. When will the public comment period be for the Environmental Assessment review?
    • The first step in the EA process is for the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) to approve the Application Information Requirements, a document that specifies the studies to be conducted and the information the Ministry must provide in its application for an environmental assessment certificate.
    • A 30-day public comment period on the draft Application Information Requirements begins September 16, 2009 and ends at midnight on October 16, 2009.
    • To provide information about the draft Application Information Requirements and to gather comments from the public, the EAO will host three public open houses in communities along the alignment during this period.  
    • For more information please see Environmental Assessment Review
      
      
17. How will you manage traffic during construction?
    • Ensuring effective traffic management during construction is a priority for the Evergreen Line Project.
    • A traffic management plan will be developed with input from stakeholders, and will outline construction schedules and strategies to minimize disruption and maximize traffic flow predictability for travelers.