WEST COAST EXPRESS EVOLUTION & URBAN IMPACT

Socio-Economic Analysis of Passenger Rail Stations along the West Coast Express (WCE) in Metro Vancouver assesses the effects of land use, accessibility, economic, environmental and rider-perception variables on the performance of passenger rail stations. The study focuses on 5 representative stations - Waterfront, Port Coquitlam, Maple Meadows, Pitt Meadows, and Mission City and uses Geographic Information System (GIS) buffer mapping with statistical regression to establish the forces that drive ridership and the pervasive effects of rail service.