VANCOUVER — What do you do if no update has been provided on a major infrastructure project nearly two decades after it was promised? Hold a birthday party, of course!That's exactly what a group of transit advocates did on Wednesday to mark 18 years since the government of British Columbia vowed to bring SkyTrain service to UBC — and yes, they even brought a cake.."On January 14, 2008, then-premier Gordon Campbell released the 2008 Provincial Transit Plan, officially promising the construction of a SkyTrain to UBC and the rest of Metro Vancouver," UBC AMS VP External Solomon Yi-Kieran said. "After 18 years, five provincial elections, and four premiers, we are so proud to announce that there has been no visible progress west of Arbutus!".The news drew boos from others who'd gathered alongside them outside Broadway-City Hall Station."The UBC SkyTrain would be old enough to vote," Yi-Kieran continued. "For the politicians who have delayed this project for 18 years, that is important to remember. By the time of the next federal, provincial, and municipal elections, there will be voters who are younger than this unfinished SkyTrain, and young voters will have a lifetime of government delays on their minds when they go to the ballot box.".Yi-Kieran argued that a SkyTrain to UBC would benefit everyone, not just transit riders, by taking cars off the road, and thus "tackling congestion and gridlock.".As of now, the SkyTrain will only go as far as Arbutus..Yi-Kieran pointed out that this is still "30 blocks and a golf course away from campus.""It’s not fixing the problem of congestion," they added. "It's just moving the issue further away.".Students and transit advocates came up with three main demands of the provincial government.1. Release a timeline for planning, construction, and completion 2. Fund the business case in the 2026 budget 3. Publish the business case by January 14, 2027"I think one year is enough time to complete a project for any competent government," Yi-Kieran said. "Premier Eby, Minister Farnworth, don't keep students waiting. Don't keep Vancouver waiting.".The Western Standard asked Yi-Kieran why they believe the government has been dragging its feet on what appears to be an important project."I think its a lack of political will," they said. "In the 2010s they had the chance to prioritize this, but this was a safe riding federally and provincially. The Tri-Cities were growing, they had the battleground ridings, so they had the Evergreen Extension — now Surrey is the focus of both the provincial NDP and Conservatives, that's where we're seeing the investment."Yi-Kieran went on to argue that governments at all levels have been taking young voters for granted, and that they should no longer count on their support."Political parties need to start caring about young people in their strategies and their platforms, and we really need to start seeing the proper investment in transit and education — and especially the UBC SkyTrain.".In October 2025, TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn revealed that extending the SkyTrain all the way to UBC is not a priority, and that funding would instead go toward expanding Bus Rapid Transit..WATCH: TransLink CEO says Bus Rapid Transit priority over SkyTrain to UBC."When that SkyTrain extension to Arbutus opens, that'll be a really fantastic addition," Quinn said. "We are supportive of UBCX ... but at the same we've gotta have some really honest conversations about projects in the region and the capital priorities that we have set, that the Mayors Council have set around making Bus Rapid Transit happen."Quinn stressed the importance of having both capital and operating conversations "in parallel," so that everyone is on the same page."I want to see a SkyTrain to UBC — we're very supportive of that — but we also have to have a conversation about how we're gonna run the trains," he said. "This isn't crazy thinking here; this is a rational thought."
