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SFU Moves Closer To Getting Gondola Service Up Burnaby Mountain (Renderings)

Gondola

Photo: Perkins + Will / Simon Fraser University

As buses prove unreliable for students and faculty during winter months, Burnaby Mountain seems to be even closer to getting a gondola service.

Recently released renderings illustrate how this feature might appear on campus once the plan is put forth. Entitled the East Gateway project, the pictures convey an entirely new structure for the mountain campus. UniverCity Town Centre and the East Campus Road bus loop will form the school’s core hub and include a place for the gondola’s landing.

Burnaby Mountain Gondola Renderings

Gondola
Photo: Perkins + Will / Simon Fraser University

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While it may seem time-consuming, developers note that a gondola service could quickly transport service to and from the campus. Indeed, this gondola wouldn’t function like a ski-lift – there would be space for roughly a dozen people, and it would move quickly. In fact, a Translink study shows it would take less than half of the time that buses currently do. Furthermore, it would be able to tackle the steep incline on Burnaby Mountain that causes the Translink buses so much grief.

Not only would the electric-powered cable service offer a more reliable solution during bad weather, but it would also be a much greener solution; buses are diesel powered, and therefore don’t run on clean energy.

Gondola
Photo: Perkins + Will / Simon Fraser University
Gondola
Photo: Perkins + Will / Simon Fraser University
Gondola
Photo: Perkins + Will / Simon Fraser University

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