Kevin Falcon wants to extend late-night SkyTrain hours Falcon, hours, Kevin, SkyTrain, extend

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Kevin Falcon wants to extend late-night SkyTrain hours
A new campaign promise from one of BC Liberal contenders
News1130 Staff Dec 16, 2010 14:27:25 PM
13 Comment(s)  3 Recommendation(s) VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Another big promise from a Liberal leadership hopeful, this time from former transportation minister Kevin Falcon.

Falcon says he wants to extend SkyTrain operating hours on weekends, an issue that became a hot topic after the introduction of the new drinking and driving laws.

Speaking at the Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain Station this afternoon, Falcon said extending SkyTrain hours on Fridays and Saturdays would give young people downtown, especially women, another safe option to get home when they have been out and drinking.

He says current weekend SkyTrain hours don't coincide with when the night activities start wrapping up. "It seems to me that the bars are open until three o'clock, so we want to make sure that at least we have the public transit option available for our young kids to be open until at least three o'clock."

Falcon says it's one of the issues he raised when he was transportation minister, "I had some resistance on that, but that is understandable, there is often resistance to change, but I was able to get the Faregates program launched. I wasn't able to be successful in getting the issue of extended hours launched."

Falcon argues faregates can create a safer environment to keep aggressive panhandlers and criminals off the platforms. He adds cost is an issue, but he will work with TransLink to make this work.

Translink, which is refusing to comment so far on Falcon's proposal, has regularly said trains can't run past the normal 1:15 a.m. cutoff because crews have to do maintenance overnight. Falcon says he thinks they can work out a new maintenance and payment plan.