---
title: "Four of five leading Vancouver mayoral candidates back SkyTrain to UBC"
description: "Daily Hive Vancouver asked the five main mayoral candidates where they stand on extending the SkyTrain line to the University of British Columbia the day before the election."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/ubc-skytrain-mayoral-candidates-october-16"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T19:03:18.273Z"
---

Four of the five leading Vancouver mayoral candidates support extending the SkyTrain Millennium Line to the University of British Columbia, Daily Hive Vancouver reported on October 16, 2026, the day before the election. The fifth, [Colleen Hardwick](/candidates/colleen-hardwick) of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, is opposed and wants public consultation before any decision is made.

The extension would run about 7 km from Arbutus Street, where the Broadway subway line is expected to terminate within two years, west to the UBC campus on Point Grey, Daily Hive Vancouver says. The proposed route includes stations at Macdonald Street, Alma Street, the Jericho Lands development site, and the UBC academic core.

## What each candidate says

[Ken Sim](/candidates/ken-sim) of ABC Vancouver supports the project. His administration backed a motion in October 2025 calling the extension a Project of National Interest, and Daily Hive Vancouver reports he discussed the project with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this year. Sim told Daily Hive he prefers the UBC extension proceed alongside the Broadway extension as a single larger project.

[Pete Fry](/candidates/pete-fry) of the Green Party of Vancouver says he would set a binding timeline for rapid transit to UBC. His platform refers to it as the UBC subway extension.

[Kareem Allam](/candidates/kareem-allam) of Vancouver Liberals says he would make securing federal and provincial support for the extension his top priority as mayor. He would press the provincial government to commit funding and establish a construction schedule. He also proposes bringing the University Endowment Lands under City jurisdiction, Daily Hive Vancouver reports.

[Rebecca Bligh](/candidates/rebecca-bligh) of Vote Vancouver says the Broadway subway should not stop at Arbutus. Her platform calls for the line to continue to UBC.

Hardwick proposes light rail transit at street level and expanded battery-electric bus service as alternatives. She also calls for reconsidering development plans for the Jericho Lands.

## Where the project stands

The federal and provincial governments have contributed $14 million toward planning and business case work, with the province adding $5 million more in 2026, Daily Hive Vancouver reports. Full construction funding is not in place. Geotechnical drilling finished between May and November 2024. Construction is not expected to start before the early 2030s.

The province took project leadership from TransLink in September 2022. Former mayor Kennedy Stewart has said that Sim's administration lost federal and provincial momentum on the project; Sim's administration disputes that claim.

## Voting tomorrow

Polls open at 8 am and close at 8 pm on Saturday, October 17. If transit is your main concern, you can compare each candidate's full platform at [/candidates](/candidates) and each party's position at [/parties](/parties). Your polling place is listed at [/where-to-vote](/where-to-vote).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.