RAV gets at-grade leg on Sea Island

A portion of the future rapid transit line on Sea Island will be built at-grade, according to a final Richmond-Airport-Vancouver line contract announced Tuesday.

While previous plans called for the airport line to be elevated to the terminal station, the Vancouver International Airport Authority and TransLink have agreed that a 1.7-kilometre section, between the first and second Sea Island stations, will be at ground level.

According to RAVCo, the TransLink subsidiary overseeing the project, the change is meant to accommodate future development plans of the airport authority, which is contributing $245 million to the project.

“The at-grade issue I believe is linked to the flexibility they need for their master plan,” RAVCo spokesperson Alan Dever said.

Airport authority president Larry Berg was unavailable for comment and a call to airport communications staff was not returned by press time.

The change won’t affect the overall cost of the airport line, as the savings from moving to at-grade are offset by increases in costs to deal with ground traffic.

The 19-kilometre line will run underground in Vancouver from downtown to Marine Drive, where it will rise to elevated and cross over the North Arm of the Fraser River into Richmond. The airport line begins at Bridgeport station and branches off to cross over the Middle Arm of the Fraser River. Another elevated arm will run down No. 3 Road to Richmond Centre.

According to the agreement announced Tuesday, the total cost of the line has jumped from the last estimate by $180 million to $1.9 billion—blamed on rising construction costs.

The extra cost will be absorbed by InTransitBC, the company that will design, build, partially finance, operate and maintain the RAV line in a 35-year contract. TransLink will own the line.

The public sector contribution has stayed much the same. The federal government is contributing $419 million, the B.C. government $235 million, TransLink, $321 million and the City of Vancouver $27 million—for construction of an additional station in False Creek.

According to the fixed priced contract, InTransitBC is investing at least $657 million and will deliver the line by November 2009.

Richmond’s civic politicians long fought for an at-grade system on No. 3 Road but were unsuccessful.

Coun. Bill McNulty said he had heard a rumour “quite some time ago” of the airport authority’s request of a partial at-grade system on Sea Island.

“It’s unfortunate. I won’t say deals are being made, but certain portions are being looked at and certain portions are being ignored.”

McNulty said he is concerned if more changes will be announced while the city attempts to develop a new plan for its city centre ahead of the line.

“We were told we were going to lose a station, we couldn’t have it at grade, it’s now elevated...Then I hear there’s a cost overrun but it’s not going to affect the taxpayers. Well give me a break. There’s only one taxpayer in this province, and that’s you and me.

“Indirectly it’s going to affect taxpayers.”

Part of the reasons against an at-grade system on No. 3 Road was the need for a train operator for safety reasons. But since the at-grade section on Sea Island doesn’t have any crossings, there isn’t a need for a driver, according to RAVCo.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie said since the airport authority is paying for the line, it’s able to move within the scope of the project. He also said it’s easier for the airport to put in a ground-level system in an undeveloped area.

The comparison of the open space on Sea Island and a developed No. 3 Road is “apples and oranges,” said Brodie.

He said the at-grade proposal for No. 3 Road would have seen costs rise about $90 million mainly due to safety implications with vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

“Those kinds of issues dictated that it wasn’t a viable result, though I can tell you I pushed hard and our council pushed hard for an at grade solution.”

Other changes approved for Sea Island are a single-track guideway for the final 650 metres of the line to the terminal and the deferral of constructing one of four stations. According to the airport authority, there isn’t an immediate need for a fourth station.

Early construction work on the line in Richmond will begin in mid to late September, when some streets will be dug up to relocate electric, water and sewer lines along the route. Work on bridges spanning the north and middle arms of the Fraser River should also begin in September.