Should construction of a private project be allowed to close down an entire SkyTrain station?
That’s what nearly happened last Saturday in Burnaby, according to TransLink.
On Friday, TransLink tweeted that the Gilmore SkyTrain station would be closed for part of Saturday due to “construction.”
Then, suddenly, TransLink tweeted that the closure had been cancelled. The NOW asked why and was told it was related to the construction of Gilmore Place, a multi-building mega-project that will include the tallest high-rise tower ever built in Burnaby at about 65 storeys.
The closure would have meant Gilmore-area residents would have to walk or bus from Brentwood SkyTrain station.
“I don’t think that’s right,” said a Gilmore-area resident who called the NOW. “It’s a public transit station and private developers shouldn’t dictate if it stays open. It’s kind of bogus.”
“BCRTC is in regular communication with the developers of the nearby development and on Friday work being planned for Saturday seemed to need a station closure to safely proceed,” read a TransLink statement. “We started planning for a station closure, and instead found an alternative solution with the developer that allowed the construction to be completed while the station remained open. We do not anticipate any closure to Gilmore Station in the future.”
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
