TransLink to replace 40-year-old elevators in 15 stations

TransLink has launched the Expo Line elevator replacement program, which will improve station accessibility and reliability by replacing 21 original elevators across 15 stations.

Most of the elevators were installed when SkyTrain opened in 1985. The new elevators will be more spacious, making it easier for people with mobility devices, strollers, bikes and luggage to use them, TransLink officials said in a press release. Additionally, they will be more resilient to heat and require less maintenance.

Two elevator replacements are already underway at Nanaimo and 22nd Street stations. Each replacement will take about four months to complete, TransLink officials estimate. Elevators will be replaced a few at a time to minimize disruptions.

The cost of the replacement project is approximately C$32 million. The funding was approved as part of phase two of the Vancouver Mayor's 10-year vision. Part of the funding also comes from the federal government's Canada Community Building Fund and from the government of British Columbia.