Metrotown station

Metrotown
SkyTrain station
Location	4401 Beresford Street, Burnaby
Coordinates	49°13′32″N 123°00′11″W / 49.225463°N 123.003182°WCoordinates: 49°13′32″N 123°00′11″W / 49.225463°N 123.003182°W
Owned by	BC Transit, TransLink
Platforms	Centre platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	MT
Fare zone	2
History
Opened	December 11, 1985
Traffic
Passengers (2011[1])	51,281
Services
Preceding station   TransLink   Following station Patterson toward Waterfront Expo Line Royal Oak toward King George Millennium Line Royal Oak toward VCC–Clark

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 is scheduled to begin 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.

• 

  Pedestrian overpass and bus station

• 

  A Metropolis at Metrotown entrance

• The Crystal Mall and many other retail developments are nearby on Kingsway, one block north of the station.
• The Burnaby Public Library Bob Pritte Metrotown Branch is also two blocks away from the station in Burnaby Civic Square.
• Burnaby Civic Square, Kinnee, Maywood Park & Bonsor Park are located two blocks away from the station.
• Bonsor Recreation Complex is a community centre located in Bonsor Park.
• An ATM is available on the concourse level of the station.
• The three Metrotowers office buildings are often accessed through the station
• There is an A&W, Starbucks Coffee, and Chipotle Mexican Grill on the opposite end of the pedestrian overpass, near the mall entrance.

Station information

Station layout

T	Platform 1	← ■ Expo Line towards Waterfront, ■ Millennium Line towards Waterfront (Patterson)
	Island platform, Doors will open on the left
	Platform 2	■ Expo Line towards King George, ■ Millennium Line towards VCC–Clark (Royal Oak) →
C	Concourse (East)	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.

Transit connections

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]

Bay	Routes	Destinations	Additional Information
1		Unloading Only
2	19	Stanley Park
3	49	Dunbar Loop UBC Peak Hours only	Articulated Buses are operated on weekdays
4	130	Hastings Phibbs Exchange Capilano U Kootenay Loop	Service to Capilano U is operated during peak hours only from September to June
5	110 116	Lougheed Station Edmonds station
6	144	SFU
7	106 112	New Westminster Station	112 service from Metrotown is in operation when SkyTrain is not operating
8	430	Richmond–Brighouse station
9	C6 C7	Suncrest Edmonds station	Bay 9 is located on Beresford Street next to Telford Avenue

References

1. "2011 SkyTrain Station Counts". TransLink. Retrieved January 2013.
2. "SkyTrain historic photos: Princess Diana visits SkyTrain and more". Buzzer Blog. Retrieved November 2011.
3. ""Moving Forward" 2012 Supplemental Plan and Outlook". TransLink. Retrieved November 2011.
4. Metropolis at Metrotown: public transit
5. Map of Metrotown Station