A proposed SkyTrain extension to the University of British Columbia is one step closer to becoming a reality after Vancouver-area mayors voted in favour of moving the plan forward Friday.
The vote means work can begin on initial plans for the SkyTrain line, which would connect campus to what will eventually be a terminus at Broadway and Arbutus Street that was part of an earlier plan to expand service westward.
"I'm of course very happy that the vote on SkyTrain passed," said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart.
The TransLink Mayors' Council has set aside $3 million for what comes next, including design work and a pre-business case.
A consultation process that will look at finances and where stations could be built is expected to start in the next few months.
If the UBC project does eventually become a reality, it is expected to cost well over $3 billion, and so far, not all of the funding has been secured.
Many mayors from smaller municipalities with less access to transit have expressed concern about spending that much money while other communities have their own worries about basic transportation.
"I get the benefits of this project… Is it more of a priority than the insanity on the North Shore?" said Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov. "It certainly is not a higher priority for me than connecting Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam to the rest of the region."
With files from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott
