Metrotown is an elevated SkyTrain station on the Expo Line in the Metrotown area of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is the second-busiest station in the SkyTrain system. The station is located on the south side of Central Boulevard, east of Willingdon Avenue.
History
Metrotown station was built and opened in December 1985 as part of the original Expo Line of SkyTrain. The overhead walkway leading to Metropolis at Metrotown was added to the station in 1989 with the opening of the shopping centres. Originally, the bus loop was open-air and connected to the station via an at-grade street crossing.[2]
The station was originally designed as a suburban station serving residential neighbourhoods and local transit connections. It experienced a major traffic increase since the opening of nearby shopping centres, and the current passenger load and circulation already surpassed the design capacity of the station. TransLink has established formal plans to retrofit and redesign the station to improve passenger flow and increase station capacity. Construction started in May 2015.[3]
Services
Metrotown is a major connection point for the TransLink bus routes in southern Vancouver and Burnaby.
The station is connected via overhead walkway across Central Boulevard to a bus loop and Metropolis at Metrotown[4] and Station Square malls.
Connection to Metropolis, Station Square (closed), and bus loop Ticket vending machines, ATM
S
Street (East)
East entrance
Street (West)
West entrance elevator Ticket vending machine
Entrances
East Entrance is located on the BC Parkway, north of Beresford Street and south of Central Boulevard. It can be found at the far east end of the platform. There is no elevator for this entrance, and no escalator is available between street and concourse level. The entrance is in close proximity to Bay 9 of the Metrotown transit exchange for connections to south Burnaby community shuttle services.
East Entrance Mall Access connects bus loop, Metropolis at Metrotown, and Station Square shopping centres with the concourse level through a narrow pedestrian overpass. The overpass also contains a stair access to the north side of Central Boulevard. Although up and down escalators are provided by bus loop and shopping centres, the overpass is at a slightly higher level than the concourse of the station, which results in 3 steps of stairs the station entrance.
West Entrance is an elevator-only access at the south side of Central Boulevard. The elevator connects street level directly with platform bypassing the concourse level. Ticket vending machines and validators can be found at street level. This entrance provides connection to HandyDart service.
Metrotown provides a partial off-street transit exchange on Beresford Street, and in front of the ground-level entrance to Metropolis shopping centre. Bus bay assignments is as follows:[5]
Pedestrian overpass and bus station
A Metropolis at Metrotown entrance
is an elevator-only access at the south side of Central Boulevard. The elevator connects street level directly with platform bypassing the concourse level. Ticket vending machines and validators can be found at street level. This entrance provides connection to HandyDart service.
