VANCOUVER – The City of Vancouver, University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Development Corporation (MST-DC) are jointly advocating for a Skytrain extension to UBC’s main campus as soon as possible.
The partnership began last year with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) where all three entities pledged to advocate for federal, provincial and regional support for extending the Broadway Millennium Line past the currently planned terminus station at Arbutus St. in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood.
“This agreement sets a new example for how city-building in the 21st Century should work. Building SkyTrain all the way to UBC is a regional priority that will not only help connect academic and health sciences along Broadway with the rest of Metro, it will put Reconciliation into practice as we work in partnership with the MST Development Corporation,” Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart said.
All three entities are closely located and “are united in the pursuit of SkyTrain to UBC for its potential to achieve their shared aspirations of improved transit in the region, more affordable housing, better post-secondary accessibility, increased economic growth, and reduced GHG emissions,” a City of Vancouver release stated.
The release also noted the MOU is the first to bring together a First Nations development corporation, a municipality and an academic institution.
“This MOU demonstrates a great opportunity to show how interested parties working together can find mutually beneficial solutions and opportunities that ensure everyone is able to thrive. Access to efficient, safe, and affordable transit is crucial. MSTDC is excited to work with CLC, our Land partners in the Jericho Lands, as well as with the City and community to prepare the plan for Jericho. We look forward to developing our lands into inspiring, progressive, and sustainable new neighbourhoods that benefit the community, region, and members of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh,” MST-DC leadership said.
Extending SkyTrain to UBC will make the campus more accessible to current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and regional partners and it will enable us to enhance our teaching and research programs and deepen our community and industry engagement,” UBC president and vice-chancellor Santa Ono said.
The extension would build upon the Broadway to Arbutus Skytrain extension of the current Millennium Line due for completion in 2025. That project is intended to address serious congestion issues along the Broadway Corridor, one of the busiest bus routes in North America.
Daytime population of UBC exceeds 80,000 people and it is the third largest employment centre in the province. Over half of the school’s 55,000 students, faculty and staff who live off-campus pass through Vancouver on their way to and from work and study on UBC’s campus.
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