Population demographics and transit use patterns in urban areas adjacent to SkyTrain lines

The SkyTrain system has been in operation in Metro Vancouver since 1986 when the Expo Line was opened. The Millennium Line was opened in 2002. The two transit lines have been used by the municipalities to encourage high density developments near the stations. The study examined whether there were significant differences in terms of neighbourhood design, density, diversity and demographics within 400 and 1,500m capture zones from stations. Data was compared on a regional and local level. The 1996, 2001 and 2006 Census data was analysed to find out how the neighbourhoods changed over a decade. The data indicates that the Expo Line neighbourhoods have a well established transit ridership base and much higher densities than the Millennium Line neighbourhoods or the wider Metro Vancouver area. Most importantly, the data showed that Millennium Line neighbourhoods have undergone a change since the line opened and attracted new transit riders