TransLink's 10-year priorities include Burnaby Mountain gondola, zero-emission buses

TransLink and the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation unveiled the first set of priorities for their Transport 2050 strategy Wednesday.

The proposed investments include doubling regional bus service levels and up to 170 kilometres of new rapid transit on up to 11 corridors.

The rapid transit would include up to nine zero-emission buses on traffic-separated lanes, The Burnaby Mountain Gondola to SFU, and a rapid transit connection to the North Shore.

"That means more routes in your communities, higher frequencies and better service, and service to new areas that previously did not have any transit service at all," said TransLink CEO, Kevin Quinn.

Other proposals include an extension of the not-yet-built Broadway Subway line from Arbutus to UBC, as well as potential SkyTrain extensions in Newton and Port Coquitlam.

The main focus however will be on bus rapid transit, which, according to TransLink, is roughly 25 times less expensive per kilometre than SkyTrain.

Transit consultant and founder of Leader Mobility, David Cooper, told CTV News this will be a key addition.

"It's a lot more spread out in this region than other places in Canada, so to connect them it's the most cost-effective way to reach out to as many communities as possible," Cooper said.

"I think people in Metro Vancouver should be excited, TransLink has a pretty good track record on delivering, especially compared to other jurisdictions across North America," he added.

An estimated price tag for all the plans was not provided, but the Chair of the Mayors' Council was clear it will require contributions from all three levels of government.

"We do want to be upfront that this is a bold vision that is going to require significant investments in our transportation to transform how we move," said Jonathan Cote.

Members of the public can provide their input on the plan on the TransLink website until May 4.