Broadway Subway Project

By extending the SkyTrain network from VCC–Clark Station to Arbutus St, the Broadway Subway will add much-needed people-carrying capacity to this critical corridor.

Support Broadway businesses

Let’s show our support for businesses during the Broadway Subway construction by continuing to shop on Broadway.

You can drive, walk, bike or take transit to visit your favourite store or restaurant on Broadway

Interested in biking? Mobi by Rogers offers new customers free rides for a month and has partnered with some local businesses on Broadway to offer discounts to Mobi customers .

Our role in the Broadway Subway Project

We play an important role in the Broadway Subway Project by:

Looking after streets, water pipes, sewers, development, land use, and transportation planning in the corridor
Representing the businesses and residents along the Broadway Subway
Offering advice to the Province on the design of the stations and construction planning

The Broadway Subway has impacts on the surrounding neighbourhoods during construction. Along with the Province and TransLink, we are committed to working together to minimize these impacts.

We are working with the provincial government as it delivers the Broadway Subway Project , a key investment in the region’s prosperity.

The new line will mostly be a tunneled extension of the Millennium Line SkyTrain through the Central Broadway area, BC’s second-largest employment district.

The Broadway Corridor is one of North America’s busiest transit thoroughfares. Today, the corridor is served by buses, including the 99 B-Line, an express bus service that is already at maximum capacity for much of the day.

Project overview
Why we need rapid transit
Why build the Broadway Subway?
Help for residents, visitors, and businesses
Resources

Project overview

Map of stations

The Broadway Subway (marked in orange) will have 6 stations.

Highlights
- 6 new underground stations
- Trains will run every 3 to 4 minutes during peak periods
- The Broadway Subway will have the capacity to move more than 3 times as many people as the current 99 B-Line on opening day
- When in service, the trip from VCC-Clark to Arbutus will take 11 minutes, saving the average transit commuter almost 30 minutes a day
- More efficient and dependable travel times for riders
Timeline
Funding
The Broadway Subway is a key part of the TransLink Mayors’ Council’s 10-Year Vision , a region-wide, integrated transportation plan approved in 2014. The Project is a $2.83 billion investment in the region’s transportation network, with funding contributions from the:
- Government of Canada: $896.9 million
- Government of British Columbia: $1.83 billion
- City of Vancouver: $99.8 million (in-kind land contribution)
Extending the Millennium Line to UBC

In 2014, when the region’s mayors created their 10-year vision for the region’s transportation network, they supported a 2-phased approach to building rapid transit to UBC based on available funding. Today, funding is in place to extend SkyTrain from VCC–Clark to Arbutus St, and the design will allow for future rapid-transit expansion to UBC.

The western terminus station of the Broadway Subway will be at Arbutus St and include a bus loop. The 99 B-Line bus service will continue to run between Arbutus St and UBC.

The Province is currently working on a business case for a possible future extension between Arbutus and UBC.

Learn more about the Millennium Line UBC Extension (UBCx)

Why we need rapid transit

Support growing regional corridor
Broadway is a regionally important and growing corridor:
- Central Broadway from Main to Burrard streets is the second largest employment centre in the province after Downtown Vancouver.
- Half of all people working in the Corridor commute from outside of Vancouver.
- Over 85,000 people and 100,000 jobs are located in the Corridor with 30% more people and jobs expected by 2041.
- 47% of all 99 B-Line bus passengers heading westbound from Commercial-Broadway Station travel to stops in Central Broadway (including VGH), with 44% to UBC.
- Currently, regional destinations like VGH (the largest hospital in the province) and UBC (Western Canada’s largest university) lack sufficient connection to the regional rapid transit network and other important regional destinations.
Meet the needs of today and tomorrow
Metro Vancouver will welcome 1 million new residents and 600,000 new jobs over the next 30 years:
- Growing congestion slows the movement of goods through our region and the Broadway Subway will help reduce this congestion.
- Before the pandemic and construction of the Broadway Subway, there were over 110,000 transit trips on Broadway buses every day (comparable to the Canada Line).
- Travel times on the 99 B-Line are unpredictable (25-45 minutes depending on time of day) and this discourages transit use in the Corridor.
- Transit on Broadway is at capacity for much of the day: even with regular bus service every 2 to 3 minutes, over 2,000 passengers are left behind at Commercial–Broadway Station each morning.
- Transit in the Broadway Corridor should handle the number of passengers today and accommodate long-term growth.
Support economic growth and environmental targets
Improved transit service will encourage economic growth in the Broadway Corridor through better regional links between:
- Innovation centres like UBC
- Biomedical employment like VGH
- The growing technology sector in Mount Pleasant and Great Northern Way
For example, research at UBC has generated 137 spin-off companies (95% in BC), with more than $4 billion in sales and 40,000 person years in employment.

Our Transportation 2040 Plan was approved in 2013 and sets ambitious targets to have 2/3 of all trips by sustainable modes (walk, bike, transit) by 2040. In 2020, the Climate Emergency Action Plan advanced the target to have 2/3 of all trips by sustainable modes to 2030. We anticipated that roughly 1/3 of all future trips will be made on transit and projects, such as the Broadway Subway, provide the transit capacity needed to achieve our sustainable mode share targets.

Why build the Broadway Subway?

Help for residents, visitors, and businesses

Renovating and redeveloping a building
Review how street use is impacted by Broadway Subway construction (367 KB)

Rapid transit stations offer opportunities for integration within the broader city. This includes high levels of integration such as:
- Additional entrances connected to future developments
- Building over top of station infrastructure
- Providing other benefits related to accessing the station including improved public realm and multi-modal transportation connections
If your development is located near a future Broadway Subway station, and you have questions about street use or are interested in integration opportunities, email rapidtransitoffice@vancouver.ca.
Owning a business
Access to businesses

Access to all businesses will be maintained throughout construction. For concerns about access to your business:
- Email the Province’s Broadway Subway team at broadwaysubway@gov.bc.ca
- Phone 778-572-3544 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Phone the 24/7 construction line at 1-844-815-6114 outside of business hours
Street use

Street use at or near station construction sites may be affected depending on the phase of construction. This includes patios as well as sidewalk merchandising and displays. For more information, email rapidtransitoffice@vancouver.ca.

Street visibility

The Broadway Subway Project has been working to maintain visibility for businesses from the street near station construction areas. If you are looking to increase the visibility of your business during construction, review Sign By-law banner regulations (9 MB).

For concerns and other questions about the visibility of your business in construction zones:
- Email the Province at broadwaysubway@gov.bc.ca
- Phone 778-572-3544 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Phone the 24/7 construction line at 1-844-815-6114 outside of business hours
Travelling through the area
We continue to maintain access for all modes of transportation along Broadway throughout construction. Sidewalks are accessible, vehicles and buses continue to travel on Broadway, and on-street parking is available in many areas during off-peak times.

We and the Province are committed to make sure any bike route detours maintain at least the same level of protection and comfort as the normal route.

For sidewalks or bike detours concerns:
- Email the Province’s Broadway Subway team at broadwaysubway@gov.bc.ca
- Phone the 24/7 project information line at 1-844-815-6114 outside of business hours
Using transit

TransLink is responsible for delivering all transit services in the Broadway Subway area. If you have any questions or comments, contact TransLink .

Driving

For the lastest traffic information, refer to the Province's construction updates .

Parking

We are working with the Province and TransLink to make sure on-street parking is available in many areas during off-peak times. There are a number of loading zones available on Broadway an on the nearby cross-streets.

To help people find parking in the area, the Province has provided a series of parking maps , which includes both on- and off-street parking in each area.

Questions about parking or loading zones? Email: rapidtransitoffice@vancouver.ca

For more information about parking on Broadway, itself
- Email the Province at broadwaysubway@gov.bc.ca
- Phone 778-572-3544 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Phone the 24/7 construction line at 1-844-815-6114 outside of business hours
Living within the area

Resources

Project timeline

Time frame	Action
2020-2027: Construction of the Broadway Subway	Construction started in 2020 and is anticipated to open in 2027. Further details on the construction schedule are posted on the Province’s Broadway Subway Project website
2020-2021: Design Advisory Process	The Broadway Subway Project contractor provided opportunities to review the draft station designs through the Design Advisory Process (DAP). This process mirrors our development permit review process except we do not have final approval authority. Through the DAP, members of the public, our staff, and the our Urban Design Panel provided design feedback and advice for the Province's contractor to consider alongside project requirements, budget, and schedule implications.
2019-2020: Procurement and contract award	The Province invited 3 pre-qualified bidding teams to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) stage to design, build, and finance the Broadway Subway Project. On September 3, 2020, the Province awarded the contract to design, build, and finance the Broadway Subway Project to Broadway Subway Project Corporation, an Acciona-Ghella Joint Venture.
2018: Funding secured for final design and construction	TransLink’s Phase 2 Investment Plan is approved, securing regional funding for the final design and construction of the Broadway Subway. The provincial and federal governments announce the approval of the Broadway Subway Business Case with the Province as the delivery agent, securing the remainder of funding for the project.
2017: Business case submitted	The business case is submitted to the federal and provincial governments for review.
2015-2016: Project design advances	Federal and provincial funding is given to carry out Phase 1 of the Mayors’ Council Vision. TransLink’s Phase 1 Investment Plan is approved and gives regional funding for the completion of the design development and business case for the Broadway Subway. We support TransLink in their work to advance project design, do geotechnical investigations, and secure funding from senior levels of government.
2014: Mayors’ Council Vision approved	Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation releases Regional Transportation Investments: A Vision for Metro Vancouver. The vision includes the Broadway Subway, a Millennium Line extension to Arbutus, to be completed within 10 years to support the region’s growth.
2013: Transportation 2040 Plan approved	We create the Transportation 2040 Plan and identify a Broadway SkyTrain Extension as our top transportation priority.
2012: UBC Line Rapid Transit Study completed	TransLink and the Province with us as one of 5 partner agencies, complete the UBC Line Rapid Transit Study. This study updated the results of the Beyond the B-Line Study. The study assessed a number of categories including customer service, cost effectiveness, and environmental and community impact. The study found that an underground SkyTrain from VCC-Clark Station to UBC was the highest performing alternative in every category assessed.
1999: Beyond the B-Line Study completed	Along with TransLink and the Province, we complete the Beyond the B-Line Study. This study considered bus rapid transit, light rail transit, and SkyTrain technology and determined that a SkyTrain extension to Central Broadway with a rapid bus to UBC was the highest performing option.

Past studies, events, and outreach

Before September 2018, most of the outreach and engagement was led by TransLink. Since October 2018, the Province has been leading the project.

Key documents

Date	Event	Documents
May 2021	The Broadway Subway Project hosted a second Design Advisory Process virtual open house from April 29 to May 12, 2021, to share information and receive public feedback on the above-ground portions of the station designs, including entrances, adjacent plazas, emergency exits, and ventilation locations.	Design Advisory Process - Open House #2 - Public Engagement Report - June 2021
December 2020	As part of the project's Design Advisory Process, the Broadway Subway Project hosted a virtual open house from November 26 to December 9, 2020, to share information and receive public feedback about the above-ground portions of the station designs, including the entrances, adjacent plazas, emergency exits, and ventilation locations.	Design Advisory Process - Open House #1 - Public Engagement Report - Dec 2020
June 28, 2018	The Mayors’ Council and TransLink Board approved the Phase 2 Investment Plan, which funded additional analysis on the Millennium Line SkyTrain to UBC.	Phase 2 of the 10-year Vision (3 MB)
June 5, 2018	Council enacted the Principles and Strategies, which guide City staff throughout the Broadway Subway Project and related activities.	Final approved Principles and Strategies (411 KB)
May 16, 2018	Council unanimously approved the recommended MLBE Principles and Strategies and the regulatory processes to make sure the needs of city's businesses and residents are met while supporting the delivery of the Broadway Subway project.	Council report, including the final draft MLBE Principles and Strategies (175 KB)
May 10, 2018	Summary of what we heard from the public during our March open house events and online questionnaire.	MLBE Principles and Strategies engagement summary: March 2018 (236 KB)
March 10 and 14, 2018	Open house on the City’s draft principles and strategies	View the open house information displays (5 MB)
2017	Open houses and online surveys in collaboration with TransLink	Engagement summary reports
July 2014	Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation released Regional Transportation Investments: A Vision for Metro Vancouver, which includes the Broadway Subway Project to be completed within 10 years. Rapid transit connecting the terminus of the Broadway Subway Project and UBC was to be determined through further study.	Mayor’s Council Vision
2013	We, along with UBC, contracted KPMG to explore the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor. The report found that a rail rapid transit line is critical to realizing the economic potential of this regional job centre and emerging high-tech hub.	The UBC-Broadway Corridor: Unlocking the Economic Potential (3 MB) The UBC-Broadway Corridor: Unlocking the Economic Potential (Executive summary) (648 KB)
2013	TransLink’s UBC Line Rapid Transit Study evaluated over 200 potential rapid transit options for Broadway. The study found that a Millennium Line SkyTrain extension in a tunnel was the highest ranked option in every category.	Evaluation Report (16 MB) Broadway Subway Document library
2012	UBC Line Rapid Transit Study completed. This study evaluated over 200 potential rapid transit options for Broadway. The study found that a Millennium Line SkyTrain extension in a tunnel was the highest ranked option in every category.	UBC Line Rapid Transit Study, Phase 2, Evaluation Report (2012) UBC Line Rapid Transit Study, Phase 1, Evaluation Report (2010)
January 2010	Vancouver's Rapid Transit Principles for the Broadway Corridor	Policy Report (679 KB)
1999	The “Beyond the B-Line” study was jointly funded and directed by us TransLink, and the Province of BC to explore rapid transit options in the Broadway Corridor. Alternatives were compared using a variety of factors, including customer service, cost effectiveness, and environmental and community impacts. Based on the study results, we and TransLink recommended that the Millennium Line be extended in an underground tunnel west to Granville with a rapid bus connection to UBC. Since then, ridership in the corridor has grown even faster than expected, because of job and population growth on the corridor, innovative programs such as U-Pass, and overall regional transit growth.	Beyond the B-Line: Executive summary (1999) (811 KB) Beyond the B-Line: Full report (1999) (5.2 MB)

Related plans and policies
Rapid transit in the Broadway Corridor has long been considered a key component of the region's transportation future. It is referenced in both existing and ongoing City and regional strategic planning documents.

Broadway Plan

Opportunities for new housing, jobs, and amenities around the new Broadway Subway in Mount Pleasant, Fairview, and Kitsilano over 30 years.

Contact us

Email: rapidtransitoffice@vancouver.ca

Learn more about the project, including construction details

Broadway Subway Project

Support Broadway businesses

Our role in the Broadway Subway Project

Project overview

Map of stations

Highlights

Timeline

Funding

Extending the Millennium Line to UBC

Why we need rapid transit

Support growing regional corridor

Meet the needs of today and tomorrow

Support economic growth and environmental targets

Why build the Broadway Subway?

Help for residents, visitors, and businesses

Renovating and redeveloping a building

Owning a business

Travelling through the area

Living within the area