Vancouver Streetcar
Vancouver, BC
In collaboration with the City and other consultant teams, VIA worked on the planning/design of an urban streetcar for over ten years. Our work sought to integrate the line’s potential for land use development and transportation to service commuters, recreation needs, and business planning to open up new tourism opportunities. VIA’s scope included alignment planning, station locations, economic feasibility and project phasing. Initial phasing of the streetcar connected the tourist centers of Vancouver-Granville Island, Gastown, Chinatown, Canada Place, Stanley Park and False Creek as well as 30,000 new dwelling units that ring False Creek.
The City of Vancouver initiated an $8.5 million demonstration project for the Olympics with borrowed Bombardier European Streetcars. The cars ran the length of a 1.8km track which connected Granville Island to the Canada Line Olympic Village station. VIA’s consulting role on alignment and station design contributed to the success of moving high volumes of people around False Creek during the Olympics – an important step for the City’s green vision.
