SkyTrain Transit in Vancouver

Downtown Vancouver and the surrounding Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has a good public transit system. Like the city itself, the transportation system, is not directly comparable to some of the world's major cities like New York, Paris, London or Tokyo; however, for a mid-sized city, it is not too bad for getting around without a personal vehicle. There are of course areas n the city that are more remote or difficult to access conveniently on the transit system, but generally, the SkyTrain and bus network will get you where you need to go.

The SkyTrain  is Vancouver's equivalent of New York's Subway, Paris' Metro or London's Tube... Again the scale or intricacy is not there but the rapid line transit concept is the same. Vancouver's Skytrain started service in 1986 while the city hosted the Expo World's Fair. It is the oldest and longest fully-automated driverless transit systems in the world. It currently serves about 250,000 passengers per weekday and has an on-time service delivery performance of nearly 96%.

Don't let the fact that literally nobody is behind the wheel bother you as the safety record over its service time has been impeccable. Just think that there is no room for human error and the computers that control the system never need a morning coffee to stay awake. The exceptional on-time delivery should indicate the level of precision that the SkyTrain operates with.

There are 3 main lines to the SkyTrain in Vancouver: the Expo, Millennium and Canada Lines. The Expo and Millennium lines connect downtown Vancouver to the surrounding GVRD cities of Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey while the newest Canada line connects downtown to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and the city of Richmond.

Generally the SkyTrain tracks are on elevated guide ways that stand high above the city streets; however, there are a few stations and portions of lines that run underground. The tracks in the sky gave way to the aptly named SkyTrain when the first trips were made on the original Expo line. The elevated vantage point gives us an efficient and comfortable vantage points of many parts of the city spread over a wide geographical space.

As a tourist its worth the day fare to ride the system and hope off when you get to an area you would like to visit. Unfortunately you cannot easily access the North Shore, the University of British Columbia, Steveston, or some of the other beautiful areas of the GVRD easily from the SkyTrain. To access the rest of the grid beyond the SkyTrain you'll need to catch a bus or the always fun Seabus in the case of the North Shore.

The SkyTrain in Vancouver is very good but most convenient and time efficient way to get around the city and surrounding areas is by car. If you are visiting from out of town definitely consider getting into a rental vehicle. The Skytrain does have its limitations of the areas it services and hours of operation that can often times leave you a bit stranded. Getting yourself into a rental vehicle will give you all the freedom and flexibility to view the many beautiful spots in Vancouver and also get you out of the city limits into the spectacular surrounding areas. Pacific Car Rentals is an affordable, independent, family owned Vancouver car rental company. We strive to deliver quality services and provide a large selection of vehicles. We have been actively involved in the car rental business for over ten years and enjoy delivering quality services to our clients.


 By Sean Stagen


Article Source: SkyTrain Transit in Vancouver