TransLink's new fly-through simulates gondola ride to SFU Burnaby campus

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

As part of its latest public consultation on the proposal to build a gondola reaching Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Burnaby Mountain campus, TransLink has released new conceptual artistic renderings of the potential design of the aerial public transit line.

One artistic rendering shows the interior of the gondola lower terminal building design immediately adjacent to SkyTrain Production Way-University Station.

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This building will provide a large covered indoor area for passengers to queue, board, and disembark from the gondola, with the entire space flooded with natural light from an expansive skylight. The visual shows an integrated hub enabling passengers to seamlessly transfer between SkyTrain, the gondola, and buses.

A new entrance with fare gates will be created to serve as both the entrance to the SkyTrain station and the gondola terminal.

Another artistic rendering depicts the interior of the gondola upper terminal building, which appears to be comparatively smaller than the gondola upper terminal building. The gondola upper terminal building will be located at the core of the SFU Burnaby campus, immediately south of the existing main SFU bus exchange — situated on the border of the academic campus and the UniverCity residential neighbourhood.

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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)

Additionally, TransLink has released a new five-minute fly-through video that shows the 360-degree panoramic views passengers will see as they ascend up Burnaby Mountain to reach SFU. The simulation appears to have been created using a drone.

This fly-through is shown from the perspective of the large gondola cabins, which can fit up to about 30 passengers — similar to the Whistler Blackcomb Peak2Peak Gondola, which uses the 3S tri-cable gondola technology to enable high travel speeds, large gondola cabins, operations in high winds, and extra redundancy for added safety. The maximum travel speed between the terminals will be about 28 km/hr.

Each cabin will have seats and a flexible-use area, with assumed space for one dedicated spot for passengers using mobility devices and one assumed bike.

Other features include windows for ventilation, two-way communication equipment with security staff, security cameras, and Transit Police information.

At the terminal platforms, just like other gondolas, attendants will assist with boarding and alighting. There will also be a priority boarding lane for passengers who require more time to board.

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

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

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

According to the public transit authority, the end-to-end travel time on the gondola is now estimated to be seven minutes — up just slightly from the previous estimate of six minutes.

TransLink is now in the midst of completing the business case for the project, with the new public consultation aiming to better understand the types of trips to/from Burnaby Mountain, identifying and minimizing potential environmental impacts, and designing components including cabins, towers, and terminals. An online survey is now open until November 19, 2023.

TransLink, the City of Burnaby, and the Mayors’ Council previously selected the direct, straight-line, shortest route option between Production Way-University Station and SFU, which not only has the shortest time but requires the smallest land footprint, fewest tree removals, and fewest towers. Only four towers are required to support the aerial lines between the terminals.

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

translink sfu burnaby mountain gondola route map

SFU Burnaby Mountain gondola route map. (TransLink)

The gondola’s lower terminal situated at Production Way-University Station — instead of another option at Lake City Way Station — also reduces the need for SkyTrain passengers from the Expo Line to transfer onto the Millennium Line to board the gondola.

It will have a capacity for about 3,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd), which is more than the peak hour capacity of the 99 B-Line or just under half of the Canada Line. The gondola will be designed to be enable a potential future capacity expansion to 4,000 pphpd to ensure long-term demand is met.

It is anticipated the business case supporting the gondola, which includes more detailed design work and technical planning, will be completed in late 2024.

If the project is fully approved by the Mayors’ Council and funded without delay under TransLink’s 10-year priorities between 2025 and 2035, construction could potentially begin in 2026.

As of 2022, TransLink estimated the selected route will carry a construction cost of about $210 million.

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