An installation project that first began nearly exactly four years ago to improve a major east-west public space and active transportation route through Burnaby — directly underneath the elevated guideway of SkyTrain’s Expo Line — has now reached full completion.
Earlier this fall, the City of Burnaby finished its BC Parkway Illumination Project — the installation of programmable LED lights on the pillars that support the SkyTrain guideway.
A total of 178 pillars between Patterson Station and Edmonds Station — spanning a distance of five km — now boast a continuous lighting installation, which illuminates both the pillars and the underside of the guideway.
As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized, the first phase of the project was installed in late 2021 between Willingdon Avenue and Metrotown Station. Since then, the City’s contracted crews have progressively installed more segments of the lighting system.
New permanent programmable lighting installed on the SkyTrain Expo Line guideway near Metrotown Station. (City of Burnaby)
We now have a rainbow railway! 🌈@CityofBurnaby has installed the first segment of programmable LED lighting on #SkyTrain in Metrotown.
By early 2023, 5 km of the Expo Line from Patterson to Edmonds stations will be fully illuminated. #vanpolihttps://t.co/yipZY9CjMh pic.twitter.com/CC0iTtlyq1
— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) December 17, 2021
The lighting contributes to Burnaby’s civic pride and activates a major public space, as it can be dynamically programmed to change colours to celebrate seasonal themes and special occasions — similar to the special lighting of major landmarks and structures elsewhere in the region. The public and organizations can submit a lighting request.
Additionally, the lighting serves the dual purpose of improving the nighttime visibility and public safety of the BC Parkway’s walking and cycling route.
BC Parkway illumination of SkyTrain’s Expo Line guideway. (City of Burnaby)
BC Parkway illumination of SkyTrain’s Expo Line guideway. (City of Burnaby)
“The BC Parkway Illumination Project is about building connections in Burnaby by providing a safe and enjoyable way to travel between neighbourhoods,” said Burnaby mayor Mike Hurley in a statement.
“This gives people one more reason to get out and explore our incredible city.”
The project carried a cost of about $13 million, including the reallocation of $3.2 million from a budget previously set aside for the new Highway 1 pedestrian and cycling overpass to link the trails of Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake parks.
BC Parkway illumination of SkyTrain’s Expo Line guideway. (City of Burnaby)
BC Parkway illumination of SkyTrain’s Expo Line guideway. (City of Burnaby)
Burnaby also has plans to make major improvements to the design and function of the BC Parkway between Central Park’s Kingsway edge and Royal Oak Station.
There could also be public transit-specific changes to the BC Parkway around Metrotown Station. TransLink is planning a potential upgrade of Metrotown Station’s bus exchange, with previous concepts showing the possibility of creating a new on-street bus exchange on the south side of the station — next to BC Parkway and Beresford Street.
Years ago, the City of Richmond also installed special lighting to illuminate the Canada Line guideway along No. 3 Road, and the City of Coquitlam also made a similar installation for the Millennium Line’s Evergreen extension along North Road and Pinetree Way.