Commercial–Broadway station

Commercial–Broadway
SkyTrain station
Platforms 1 and 2
Location	1725 East Broadway, Vancouver (platforms 1 and 2) 2550 Commercial Drive, Vancouver (platforms 3 and 4)
Coordinates	49°15′45″N 123°04′08″W / 49.26250°N 123.06889°W / 49.26250; -123.06889Coordinates: 49°15′45″N 123°04′08″W / 49.26250°N 123.06889°W / 49.26250; -123.06889
Owned by	BC Transit, BC Ministry of Transportation, TransLink
Platforms	2 separate sets of centre platforms
Tracks	4 (2x2)
Connections	99 B-Line
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	BW, CM
Fare zone	1
History
Opened	December 11, 1985 (platforms 3 and 4) Expo Line August 31, 2002 (platforms 1 and 2) Millennium Line
Rebuilt	2002, 2008–09
Previous names	Broadway station (1985–2009) Commercial Drive station (2002–2009)
Traffic
Passengers (2017[1])	24,900
Services
Preceding station   TransLink   Following station Main Street–Science World toward Waterfront Expo Line Nanaimo toward King George or Production Way–University VCC–Clark Terminus Millennium Line Renfrew toward Lafarge Lake–Douglas

SkyTrain tracks near the station from Broadway @ 8th in Winter.

Platforms 1 and 2 of Commercial–Broadway station, with a Mk I train stopped at platform 2

A Mk I train approaching platform 4 of Commercial–Broadway station

Commercial–Broadway (formerly two separate stations, Broadway and Commercial Drive) is a rapid transit station complex in Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain system, serving an elevated portion of the Expo Line and a below-grade portion of the Millennium Line. It is a major transit hub, with the most boardings of any SkyTrain station, and a terminus of the region's busiest bus route, the 99 B-Line.

Location

Commercial–Broadway station is located just east of the intersection of E. Broadway and Commercial Drive in East Vancouver. Part of the station is elevated over East Broadway, while another part is located deep within the Grandview Cut south of Grandview Highway North. The two parts are connected via an elevator and skyway. It is on the outskirts of Vancouver's Little Italy district.

History

Commercial–Broadway station is a merger of two existing stations: Broadway station on the Expo Line and Commercial Drive station on the Millennium Line.

Broadway station was built in 1985 on the original Expo Line. It has been one of the system's busiest stations and in 2002 became a transfer point to the Millennium Line via the connected Commercial Drive Station.

Commercial Drive station was built in 2002 as the temporary terminus of the first segment of the Millennium Line, with connections to Broadway station of the Expo Line. The Millennium Line has since been extended westward by 3/4 kilometre, and out of the Grandview Cut to terminate at the elevated VCC–Clark station.

In November 2008, renovations began on the station, in which a new entrance was added on the south side of the station, the old elevator was replaced and relocated, and the traditional mesh paneling on the ground level was refitted with glass.^[2] These upgrades were completed in October 2009.^[3]

The two stations were formally renamed on September 7, 2009, due to concern over potential confusion with the Broadway–City Hall station of the newly opened Canada Line.^[4] Commercial Drive station became platforms 1 and 2 of the new station, while Broadway station became platforms 3 and 4.

Prior to October 22, 2016, the station was one of only four in the world where the same metro line (in this case, the Millennium Line) ran through a station twice in a pretzel configuration, the others being the Serdika and Serdika II stations on the Sofia Metro in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Monument Metro station on the Tyne and Wear Metro in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and Voorweg RandstadRail station on the Randstadrail in The Hague, Netherlands.

Upgrades

In conjunction with the Evergreen Extension project, major upgrades began in the second quarter of 2015 at Commercial–Broadway to accommodate increased passenger volumes and enhance the passenger environment. These upgrades were originally scheduled to be completed by mid-2017;^[5] currently, their completion is planned for mid-2018.^[6] The upgrades include:^[7]

• A new platform added on the east side of platforms 3 and 4, which will improve passenger traffic on platform 3 by allowing extra platform capacity for Waterfront station–bound Expo trains. When completed, Waterfront-bound trains at this station will open their doors on one side upon arrival to let passengers exit on one platform, then after a short delay open the doors on the other side to let passengers board from the other platform. The use of this Spanish solution, which is a first for Vancouver's SkyTrain system, will result in quicker and more efficient boarding and exiting at this busy transit hub.
• Added weather protection and amenities for bus passenger waiting areas
• Access improvements within the station, including upgraded passageways and entrances
• A new pedestrian plaza for the portion of the station south of Broadway

Services

• Commercial–Broadway station is a major connection point for TransLink bus routes that run along Broadway, including the 9 trolley bus and the 99 B-Line, an articulated express bus with limited stops and direct access to the University of British Columbia.
• There is an A&W, a Shoppers Drug Mart, and a Blenz Coffee at ground level.
• Prior to upgrading of Broadway station between 2008 and 2009, the station contained the "Broadway Smoke Shoppe", "The Exchange", and the "Vancouver Ticket Centre", three small convenience and retail outlets introduced as part of a retail programme established with the opening of SkyTrain in 1986.

Station information

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Commercial–Broadway Station.