First time on the Olympic Line – Vancouver’s 2010 Streetcar
A few days ago, I decided to head out of downtown to check out what all the fuss was about surrounding the new Olympic Line streetcar.
In case you’re not familiar with what this streetcar is all about, I’ll give you a bit of information. It is basically some kind of demonstration project that aims to extend the transit system during the Olympics, mainly between the Olympic Village Canada Line Station and Granville Island. I was surprised to hear that the streetcar is on loan from Brussels, Belgium. It is free to use now, and will continue to be free during the Olympics and until March 21, 2010.
To get on the streetcar, I first got on the Canada Line in Yaletown and got off at the Olympic Village Station. It was very easy to find the Olympic Line streetcar stop right behind the Canada Line station exit. People were already beginning to gather around the stop, waiting for the streetcar to arrive from the Granville Island stop. I didn’t have to wait too long.
The sign at the Olympic Village stop
Inside the streetcar. It's quite narrow.
The streetcar runs very quiet, and looks like a train on the inside, except it is quite narrow, with single seats facing toward the middle on either side, and hand straps for people to hold onto. I can imagine people will be packed into this thing like sardines during the Olympics.
It took less than 10 minutes to get to Granville Island. It was actually quite a relaxing ride.
The Granville Island stop
From the Granville Island stop, it then just takes a few minutes to walk into the Granville Island area. You’ll walk under the bridge, the same way as when you go by car or get off the bus and walk in.
Walking from the streetcar stop to Granville Island
Some possible future routes and stops for these streetcars include many key areas of downtown, including Waterfront Station, Stanley Park, and Yaletown.
From the City of Vancouver website
For more information about the streetcar demonstration project and proposed future routes, I recommend checking out the following links on the City of Vancouver website:
