bus exchange

Just over two months after TransLink’s board of directors and Mayors’ Council approved the 10-year priorities of Transport 2050, the public transit authority has signalled it is starting the design process for the Burnaby Mountain gondola line reaching the Simon Fraser University (SFU) campus.

Last week, through a request for proposal (RFP), TransLink launched the bidding process for a contractor to develop design concepts for a key component of the gondola — the multi-modal public transit hub at SkyTrain Production Way-University Station.

This “mobility hub” for an integrated station will allow passengers to transfer between SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines, the lower gondola terminal, and the existing bus exchange.

“TransLink has issued an RFP to find a consulting service to design the concept for the lower terminus of the Burnaby Mountain Gondola. Our goal is to ensure the design connects passengers seamlessly with the bus loop and SkyTrain Station,” a TransLink spokesperson told Daily Hive Urbanized.

This design work will help complete the full business case for the gondola project, which is a necessary step to secure funding.

office building” width=”1075″ height=”677″ srcset=”https://images.dailyhive.com/20220919143325/3292-production-way-university-bus-exchange-office-building.jpg 1075w, https://images.dailyhive.com/20220919143325/3292-production-way-university-bus-exchange-office-building-500×315.jpg 500w, https://images.dailyhive.com/20220919143325/3292-production-way-university-bus-exchange-office-building-1024×645.jpg 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 1075px) 100vw, 1075px”/

Driveway into the bus exchange underneath the office building at 3292 Production Way, next to the SkyTrain station. (Google Maps)

The existing bus exchange sits on top of a 2007-built office building and it is expected to see significantly less use after the frequent No. 145 SFU/Production Way bus route is replaced by the gondola.

In 2019, Production Way-University Station was the 30th busiest SkyTrain station based on the 1.86 million boardings recorded that year. This includes an average of 6,440 boardings on weekdays, 2,670 boardings on Saturdays, and 1,870 boardings on Sundays and holidays.

Some accessibility and capacity upgrades could be warranted for Production Way-University Station,