The Skytrain to UBC seems to be a lower priority on the TransLink Mayor’s Council 10-year action plan, but the AMS and UBC remain optimistic about progress on the project.
Last year, Vancouver City Council approved the extension of the Millennium Line from the upcoming Arbutus street station — set to be completed in 2026 — to the UBC campus. The plan has not been fully funded yet — a business case, which would set out a full budget, is currently being produced. No official timeline has been produced, but the AMS previously said it expected shovels in the ground by 2025.
Contrary to expectations, the project is now set to be implemented in the later stages of the 10-year plan, following some other regional initiatives.
The AMS and UBC, however, believe this is not something to be discouraged about and will continue working with the provincial government on the project’s business case phase, which would outline the social and environmental benefits of the project.
AMS VP External Erin Co said the perceived delay could push UBC community members to advocate for the project.
“I really think that not anything is set in stone,” she said. “The community has been more incentivised to keep pushing for this project.”
Michael White, UBC associate VP of Campus and Community Planning, does not see the project as “moving down in priority” but rather as one of TransLink’s many priorities for the Metro Vancouver area.
“[The Skytrain to UBC Project] complements a lot of those other initiatives that are listed in the 10-year plan,” White said.
The business case, which is scheduled to be completed in the upcoming year, will analyze the project’s overall cost and benefits, station locations etc. Co believes it could be used to make a case for moving the project to the earlier stages of the 10-year plan.
“I am so confident that the business case will showcase that there are numerous benefits that have already been talked about with building the Skytrain to UBC,” Co said.
She added that the project would improve student lives and also help UBC be more connected to the region.
White said the Skytrain is an important part of UBC’s future growth. “The Campus Vision 2050 process … is an update to the long-term plans for the Vancouver campus. And the SkyTrain extension is a key part of those future plans.”
Co encouraged the UBC community to stay vocal about the project.
"[It's important that] these stakeholders that are making the decisions can hear just how important this is to students and staff."
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