Gondola to SFU? Burnaby Mountain gets support from city council

Burnaby council supports SFU gondola City councillors and students expressed support for a gondola to SFU, but with a multimillion-dollar price tag, will it actually be built?

The idea of a gondola whisking students away from a SkyTrain station to campus has been floated around for the past decade.

TransLink was about to terminate the project, asking the local government for a show of support or it would walk away from the idea of installing a gondola leading to Simon Fraser University.

That's when, for the first time, Burnaby council gave the project the green light to move ahead.

A spokesperson with Simon Fraser University said the school is pleased with the decision.

"An urban transit gondola is a practical and affordable solution to the transportation challenges facing those who commute to and from Burnaby Mountain," SFU president Andrew Petter said.

"It’s a proven technology which will contribute to a better transportation system for people across our region."

Petter said the gondola plan is supported by local businesses and organizations including the city's tourism board.

Many students are also behind the idea.

"We are very elated at the fact that gondola is finally supported in principle by Burnaby City Council. It's been 10 years since we've been fully advocating for this," said Giovanni Hosang, president of the SFU Student Society.

According to TransLink, 25,000 riders travel to and from Burnaby Mountain every weekday and during peak hours, some buses become so full students can't always get on.

"Trying to get home in rush hour and four buses pass you by, it's not a good feeling knowing that you're essentially trapped on a mountain. Obviously these transit upgrades are going to be hugely welcomed for decades to come," said Colin Fowler, co-founder of Build the SFU Gondola.

Burnaby Mountain is infamous for inclement road conditions in the winter.

When it snows, buses can't run and students can become trapped.

Student Stephanie Chiakwelu said she feels hope that future students won't have to deal with those issues if the gondola gets built.

"No matter how hectic the snow becomes you won't be stuck on campus anymore, classes won't be cancelled and midterms won't be moved," she said.

Despite council's support, some councillors have reservations because two of the proposed routes would go directly over or near people's homes.

"We got to think about those residents, having a gondola go over their heads every 30 seconds, it doesn’t make sense. And if that's the preferred route that TransLink wants to push through, I won't stand for it and I know the residents of Forest Grove won't stand for it," said Joe Keithley.

In the first option, the 2.7-kilometre route, would go from Production Way-University Station to campus in about six minutes.

Burnaby resident Eric Jordan lives right along that proposed route.

"I’m not overly keen on it going over my unit, because that’s where it’s planned for," he told CTV News on Tuesday morning. "I would rather the other route be used, so hopefully that’s what they’re going to do."

Jordan also noted concerns about noise, and privacy, given the skylights in his home.

His neighbour, Rachel Fan, shares those concerns.

"We have a skylight," she said. "There’s a bathroom. It really invades our privacy."

She says the plan in her neighbourhood will likely be met with opposition, as it has in previous years when the idea has been floated.

In an effort to avoid passing any homes, a second option proposes a southern terminal located about 200 metres away from Production Way Station. This option would also require a mid-station at the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, where gondola cars would decelerate, make a 90-degree turn and then accelerate again. This second option is 3.4 kilometres long.

In the final option, which is even further away from homes, the 4.3-kilometre line would start from Lake City Way Station and pass over the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course, west of the tank farm.

According to TransLink's 2018 feasibility study, the first option is pegged at $197 million while the second option has a price tag of $255. The third option was not part of the assessment.

A spokesperson from TransLink said the agency was glad to receive support from the city, and that it would continue to work with municipal staff through the planning process.

Currently, TransLink has funding for further project development, including technical work and public engagement, she said.

"The project could move to construction if this further study continues to support the project and funding becomes available through a future investment plan," the spokesperson said.

The project is in its early stages, so the transit provider was not able to provide a timeline for when the consultation period would start.