More than 65,000 sports fans are expected in downtown Vancouver tonight
It’s going to be very busy in downtown Vancouver on Tuesday night, as thousands of fans are expected to be in the core for two major events.
One of them is a Vancouver Canucks game at Rogers Arena as the team faces off against the New Jersey Devils. That game starts at 7 pm, and according to Ticketmaster, it’s looking pretty packed with just a few hundred tickets left in its 19,700-seat capacity.
However, just a few blocks away and at the same start time, 45,000 people are expected to watch soccer legend Christine Sinclair play her final match. BC Place has been renamed Christine Sinclair Place for the night to celebrate, and it’s expected that the celebration will mark the largest sports crowd in the venue in years.
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That could end around the same time as the Canucks game, which means a lot of drivers trying to get onto the Georgia Viaduct, Cambie Street Bridge, or any of the other major downtown routes.
Plus, the crowds at the nearby Cirque du Soleil event are also expected to be making their way home around 10 pm tonight, with heavy traffic expected along Pacific Boulevard.
For those who want to avoid the bumper-to-bumper exodus tonight, transit is another option.
But be prepared for long lineups at Main Street-Science World Station, Stadium-Chinatown Station, and Vancouver City Centre Station before and after the games.
Translink says it’ll have maximum SkyTrain service to and from downtown tonight with extra staff on hand, including more Transit Police officers and transit security guards. For those who are travelling back to Richmond, Capstan Station upgrades will be pushed back to 11 pm from 9:30 pm. Single-tracking on the Expo Line has also been moved back.
For those hoping to avoid the crammed train cars, ride-hailing services are available.
However, as one user discovered, the price for a 10-minute Uber or Lyft leaving the downtown core on Thursday following the last Canucks home game was $50, about five times the price for the same route a few hours earlier.
“Fares are a lot higher due to increased demand,” the message on the Uber app read.
The good news? Vancouver’s current rain storm is behind us, so at least the wait won’t be in the pouring rain tonight.
Are you one of the fans who’ll be heading downtown tonight? Let us know in the comments.