Transit Vote and East Van Real Estate

WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE YES!

The deadline for the mail-in transit vote is coming up on May 29th, so make sure you have your voter cards back in the mail before then. Location is one of the pillars of what people are looking for when they buy a home, and wanting to be close to amenities, or at the very least easily accessible to amenities is usually why. Whether that’s wanting to be close to UBC if you’re going to school, close to your work so you don’t have a long commute, or close to transit to get you to a multitude of places easily, location plays a key role. As people start moving further away from the downtown core, we need to ensure that accessibility moves with them. This Transit Referendum will help East Vancouver neighbourhoods grow into desired, easily accessible areas. Whether you’re a potential Buyer considering a variety of different neighbourhoods and how their location plays a part in your day to day East Van life, or whether you’re a Seller wondering how increased transit and accessibility will improve their value of your home, this referendum is important for the future of the city.

Some keys points about the referendum:

A YES Vote offers an excellent chance for transportation, among all forms, to improve across the city: buses, trains, bike lines, boats, etc.

• The Millenium Skytrain Extension: From VCC-Clark Station (at Clark and East 6th) to Arbutus and Broadway.
• This part of the transit referendum is huge of East Vancouver. This proposed Skytrain extension line run from VCC-Clark to Broadway/Main to Broadway/Cambie to Broadway/Arbutus, making it easier for residents in Kitsilano and East Van to get between neighbourhoods, but will also make it easier for those heading to UBC (through direct buses running from Arbutus) or to the hospital.

More Bus Service! Five new B-line routes will connect people and jobs, travelling from:

• Downtown to SFU Burnaby via Hastings Street
• Downtown to SE Marine Drive via Victoria Drive and Commercial Drive
• Downtown to Lynn Valley Centre in North Vancouver via W Georgia Street
• Joyce-Collingwood Station to UBC via 41st Avenue
• Southeast Vancouver to Richmond and Burnaby via Knight Street

Improvements to existing lines and services, everything from the actual line to the cars and trains (for anyone who can hear Skytrains going past their window, new trains will be much quieter).

80% more Night Bus Service, if you need to get home after dark

50% more SeaBus Service to anyone travelling to North Vancouver

2700kms of biking roadways

This transit referendum is important for anyone living in East Vancouver, whether that’s Mount Pleasant, Hastings, Commercial Drive, Victoria, Fraser, etc. Real Estate is still more affordable the further you get from downtown, and adding half a percentage to our tax will make living a little further from downtown that much easier thanks to accessible transit, which opens doors for anyone looking to buy a home in a new neighbourhood. Consider voting YES to ensure that our transit systems grows with our neighbourhoods.