Rapid Transit line linking Vancouver to its airport opens with free rides

[marmar]

from the Vancouver Sun:



Canada Line deemed worth the wait
Free ride on opening day has commuters singing praises of $2-billion transit system

By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun
August 18, 2009


Tens of thousands of Metro residents waited more than two hours Monday for a free ride on the new $2-billion Canada Line, backing up several stations and clogging pockets of Vancouver's downtown core.

The lineups started forming hours before the new rapid transit line opened at 1 p.m. and by early afternoon, the crowds snaked around Vancouver's Waterfront Station, filled up Granville Square and spilled over onto Hastings Street in the downtown, and into the departure lounge at the airport.

By 3 p.m., TransLink was urging passengers to get off at Waterfront, YVR and Richmond-Brighouse stations and wait in line for the return trip to let others have a chance to ride the train.

Five extra trains were added during the evening rush hour -- bringing the total to 19 -- to help ease the crush, while 11 extra buses were brought in to help reduce the overflow crowds waiting for the 98 B-Line between Vancouver and Richmond as well as the No. 41 and No. 99 B-Line along Broadway.

"We had just about every bus pushed into service," TransLink spokesman Drew Snider said. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.vancouversun.com/Canada+Line+deemed+worth+wait/1903810/story.html