Burnaby Mountain Gondola

For most of the year, 25,000 trips are made up and down Burnaby Mountain daily — for school, work, business, and recreation. In addition, the residential community of UniverCity has a population of roughly 7,000 residents and that number is expected to reach approximately 9,000 residents in the coming years.

Currently, passengers travelling to Burnaby Mountain often experience unpredictable travel times, with customers frequently being passed by full buses, and with the population on the mountain continuing to grow, so will the challenges.

More buses will not solve our current and future capacity problem. Our studies over the past decade have shown that a gondola service is still considered the best option for high-capacity transit to Burnaby Mountain. It would be a one-time investment to provide capacity for the next 30+ years, it would move people up the hill faster than buses, would have improved frequency and reliability, and it would extend our rapid transit network making it a more attractive option to drivers.

Benefits of a gondola system include providing fast, frequent and reliable service. They are safe, provide ample capacity, can operate in all types of weather and use renewable energy. In addition, a Burnaby Mountain gondola would reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). A gondola would reduce GHG emissions per passenger trip compared to diesel hybrid by 99%. A trip made on the gondola would have 5 g carbon dioxide emissions compared to diesel bus that would have about 400g carbon dioxide per passenger trip. It would produce 60% fewer emissions per passenger than battery electric bus. A trip made on gondola would have about 3g carbon dioxide emissions compared to about 7g for battery electric bus.

Past studies considered a number of ground-based and aerial transit options and led to the 3S gondola technology as the preferred solution to connect Burnaby Mountain to Skytrain.

The benefits of a 3S gondola system include: the ability to operate in high wind conditions, sufficient ridership capacity, and energy efficiency, which results in lower operating costs.

We consulted with two aerial ropeway suppliers on technology options who confirmed that 3S gondola technology remains the best option.

The travel time for the gondola would be 7 minutes, compared to 15-45 minute trip by bus depending on wait times.

The maximum capacity for a gondola cabin is 30 passengers.

During peak periods, the gondola system would operate continuously with cabins departing about every minute. In periods of low demand (i.e. early morning, midday or late evening), the frequency could be reduced to better meet demand.

Gondola systems are a proven safe technology with more than 20,000 ropeway systems worldwide. The proposed Burnaby Mountain Gondola would be a 3S system, which operates using three high-strength, multi-strand steel cables. This is the same system as the Peak 2 Peak gondola at Whistler Blackcomb. Gondola cabins would be stored in the terminals overnight as opposed to leaving them on the line. The system would come with strong security measures in place to monitor the integrity of the gondola, like what is in place for SkyTrain, and the towers would be designed to prevent unauthorized access.

Yes, all gondola cabins would be accessible. The cabin floor would align with the terminal floor elevation and the gap between the cabin and platform would meet all requirements for safe boarding and exiting. If a passenger needs extra time to get on or off the cabin, an attendant would be present to offer assistance. If needed, the attendant could also slow or stop the system.

Yes, bikes would be allowed on the gondola. The current design assumes one bike per cabin. Helping customers make sustainable travel choices, which includes the use of bikes throughout our system, is part of TransLink’s long-term strategy. Details related to bike usage on the gondola would be determined at a later stage through passenger modelling if the project proceeds.

• Option 1: A straight-line route from Production Way-University Station to SFU’s Burnaby campus with the terminal located near the bus exchange.

• Option 2: Eastern route (with a non-boarding angle station) from Production Way-University Station to SFU Burnaby campus with the terminal near the bus exchange.

• Option 3: Western route (with a non-boarding angle station) from Lake City Way Station to SFU’s Burnaby campus with the terminal located south of South Campus Road.

After extensive consultation, engagement, and study, option 1 was determined to be the most optimal route.

In 2011, three other routes were assessed for viability, including: Lake City Way Station to South Campus Road (across from South Sciences Building), Production Way-University Station to intersection of Highland Court and tower Road, and Burquitlam Station to SFU Bus Exchanges, These routes were not further considered as they had impacts on conservation areas and conflicts with utilities (e.g. Burnaby Mountain storage terminal).

Yes, property acquisition in the form of aerial passage over four multi-family property complexes is necessary to build the gondola. This means the land and homes themselves would remain untouched, but TransLink would acquire the rights for the gondola to pass over the properties in excess of the City of Burnaby’s privacy separation standard.

To acquire the necessary aerial rights, TransLink would engage the services of an independent appraiser to determine the current market value of the property/aerial rights and work to reach an agreement with each property owner.

For the project to proceed, it must be approved by the TransLink Board and Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation and included in an investment plan. While waiting for the next investment plan, TransLink will be advancing the business plan including feedback from the 2023 Business Case Public engagement.