Transit-oriented development plan for new SFU Burnaby gondola | Daily Hive

Transit-oriented development strategy for new SFU Burnaby gondola

Artistic rendering of the SFU Burnaby gondola lower terminal building next to SkyTrain Production Way-University Station. (TransLink)

As a condition of the significant investment into building the new Burnaby Mountain Gondola, TransLink is requiring the City of Burnaby and Simon Fraser University (SFU) to sign a Supportive Policies Agreement for the project.

This is essentially an agreement that catalyzes and encourages transit-oriented development and active transportation near the gondola public transit line’s Lower Terminal next to SkyTrain’s Production Way-University Station, and the Upper Terminal atop the mountain near the main bus exchange at the SFU Burnaby campus.

Similar agreements were previously created with the City of Vancouver in relation to the Millennium Line’s Broadway extension to Arbutus, which triggered the Broadway Plan, and the City of Surrey in relation to the Expo Line’s Surrey-Langley extension, which triggered the Fleetwood Plan and Clayton Corridor Plan.

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According to the City of Burnaby, such an agreement is necessary for the gondola to be included in TransLink’s application to receive funding for the project from the federal and provincial governments, enabling the public transit authority to advance the project to its next stages.

In November 2024, TransLink’s Mayors’ Council included the gondola in the scope of TransLink’s 2025 Investment Plan.

The agreement outlines a number of principles to optimize this public transit investment and catalyze further housing and economic benefits, including encouraging new housing — with rental housing and affordable housing being a component — for the Lower Terminal area next to the SkyTrain station, which is currently primarily an area with industrial and commercial uses. Additional retail, office, and industrial development would also be encouraged.

translink sfu burnaby mountain gondola tower rendering 2

Conceptual artistic rendering of the towers for the SFU Burnaby Mountain gondola. (TransLink)

For the Upper Terminal, there would be additional opportunities for retail, service, office, residential, research, educational, and other compatible uses. This is already contemplated by SFU Burnaby’s 2065 Campus Master Plan, finalized in 2020.

For the areas of both gondola terminals, there would also be considerations for new and improved community services and facilities, the continued creation of a pedestrian and cycling-friendly road network, and the design of an improved public realm.

Before the gondola’s opening, the Lower Terminal area would be designated as a “Frequent Transit Development Area,” and a similar designation would also be considered for the area of the Upper Terminal.

A map establishes 800-metre radius circles around both terminal locations, aligning with the provincial government’s legislated Transit-Oriented Areas.

Route of the Burnaby Mountain Gondola between Production Way-University Station and the SFU Burnaby campus, with the transit-oriented development areas around both terminal locations. (TransLink/City of Burnaby)

translink sfu burnaby gondola bus network changes

Map of the proposed bus route changes after the opening of the Burnaby Mountain Gondola to Simon Fraser University. (TransLink)

TransLink also recently outlined the potential bus route changes that would occur following the opening of the gondola — in addition to the already-known discontinuation of the No. 145 Production Way/SFU bus route.

So far, no funding has been committed to this project. As of 2022, TransLink estimated the selected route will carry a construction cost of about $210 million. The public transit authority is aiming to build the project later this decade.

In January 2022, Burnaby City Council endorsed TransLink’s recommended direct, straight-line route between Production Way-University Station and the peak of Burnaby Mountain. The estimated travel time along the 2.7 km-long route is six minutes.

The gondola will offer a peak hour capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour per direction, with 30-passenger capacity cabins departing as frequently as every minute.

It will use a tri-cable system, known as 3S, similar to Whistler Blackcomb’s Peak to Peak Gondola, for enhanced speed, safety, and redundancy. Using 3S, the gondola will still be able to operate safely in wind conditions of up to 100 km per hour.

Preliminary artistic renderings by TransLink also show the plans to build a large indoor hall for the Lower Terminal and a smaller enclosure for the Upper Terminal.

TransLink SFU Burnaby Mountain Gondola Lower Terminal Rendering f

Artistic rendering of the SFU Burnaby gondola lower terminal building next to SkyTrain Production Way-University Station. (TransLink)

TransLink SFU Burnaby Mountain Gondola Upper Terminal Rendering 2

Artistic rendering of the SFU Burnaby gondola upper terminal located atop Burnaby Mountain. (TransLink)

translink sfu burnaby mountain gondola cabin 1

Conceptual artistic rendering of the design of the SFU Burnaby Mountain gondola cabin. (TransLink)

sfu burnaby gondola translink fly through

Fly-through view simulation inside a cabin on the SFU Burnaby Mountain gondola. (TransLink)

sfu burnaby gondola translink fly through 1

Fly-through view simulation inside a cabin on the SFU Burnaby Mountain gondola. (TransLink)

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