Is Commercial-Broadway Station in Zone 1?

Yes — Commercial-Broadway is a TransLink Zone 1 (Vancouver) station for Compass fare purposes. Bus fares are zone-flat in Metro Vancouver, but SkyTrain and SeaBus fares are zoned on weekdays before 6:30 PM (with a single-zone fare applying after that and on weekends). Confirm the current fare structure on TransLink before relying on a specific commute cost.

What's the difference between the Expo Line and the Millennium Line at Commercial-Broadway?

Commercial-Broadway is the principal transfer point between the two lines. The Expo Line passes through here on its Waterfront ↔ Production Way / King George / Expo route — this is the line that runs to downtown Vancouver and out through Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. The Millennium Line currently runs VCC-Clark ↔ Lafarge Lake-Douglas, passing through Commercial-Broadway and continuing east through Burnaby, Brentwood, Lougheed, and into Coquitlam. The station is structured so that Expo trains heading toward downtown and Millennium trains heading east share the same upper-level platform, with a cross-platform transfer that is one of the busiest interchange movements on the network.

When did Commercial-Broadway Station open?

There are two opening dates. The original Expo Line station — then named simply "Broadway" — opened in December 1985 as part of the inaugural Expo SkyTrain line ahead of Expo 86. The Millennium Line side, originally named "Commercial Drive", opened in 2002 with the rest of that line. The two stations were operationally and physically consolidated into a single "Commercial-Broadway" precinct with an upgraded interchange (new platform, expanded concourse, additional vertical circulation) that came into service in 2009. The Canada Line — which opened the same calendar year — does NOT stop at Commercial-Broadway; it runs Waterfront ↔ Richmond / YVR via downtown and Cambie.

Is Commercial-Broadway really the busiest non-downtown SkyTrain station?

Per TransLink's published ridership data, Commercial-Broadway is the busiest non-downtown SkyTrain station in Metro Vancouver — the only stations that out-rank it on system-wide boardings are the downtown Expo / Canada Line stations (Waterfront, Granville, Burrard, Vancouver City Centre). The structural reason is the cross-platform Expo ↔ Millennium transfer: every rider moving between the two lines counts twice, and a meaningful share of the Lower Mainland's east-side commute funnels through this single interchange. The ridership ranking shifts a little year to year and TransLink updates the figures annually — confirm against the current TransLink ridership report before quoting a specific rank.

When does the Broadway Subway open and what does it mean for Commercial-Broadway?

The Broadway Subway Project (Phase 1) is the Millennium Line extension from VCC-Clark west under West Broadway. Phase 1 covers six new underground stations (Mount Pleasant, Great Northern Way-Emily Carr, Broadway-City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville, and the Phase 1 terminus at Arbutus / W Broadway + Vine), spanning approximately 5.7 km. The current TransLink and Province of BC target for in-service is 2027 — verify against the Broadway Subway Project page for any schedule updates before relying on it for a closing-date decision. Phase 1 does NOT reach UBC; the UBC extension is a separately funded later phase. Once Phase 1 opens, Commercial-Broadway becomes the eastern end of the through-running Millennium Line west into Vancouver — the cross-platform Expo ↔ Millennium transfer here remains structural for the entire Vancouver east-side commute.

Does Bill 47 (BC's TOD legislation) apply to Commercial-Broadway?

Yes. Bill 47 — the Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023 — designates a list of station precincts on Metro Vancouver's rapid-transit network as Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs), and Commercial-Broadway is on that list. The legislation prescribes minimum allowable density and minimum allowable height tiers within 200 m, 400 m, and 800 m radii of the designated station, overriding lower-density municipal zoning and removing minimum off-street residential parking requirements within the radius. The exact tier numbers (FSR + storey minimums) depend on the station's TOA classification — verify the live tier assignment on the BC Ministry of Housing TOA page before underwriting a redevelopment-priced parcel.

How long is the commute from Commercial-Broadway to downtown, Surrey, and Richmond?

Approximate scheduled SkyTrain travel times (verify against the live TransLink trip planner — actual run times shift with service patterns and dwell): Commercial-Broadway → Waterfront via Expo Line is roughly 12–14 minutes (a handful of stations); Commercial-Broadway → King George (Surrey) via Expo Line is roughly 35–40 minutes; Commercial-Broadway → Brighouse (Richmond) requires a transfer at Waterfront to the Canada Line and totals approximately 35–45 minutes including transfer time. The structural commute story for east-Vancouver buyers: Commercial-Broadway is one of the small set of Metro Vancouver locations from which downtown, Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, and Surrey are all directly reachable on a single transit ride or one transfer.

Transit station landing — East Vancouver

Commercial-Broadway Station (Expo + Millennium) — Buyer Walkshed + TOD Guide

Last reviewed May 10, 2026 by Bronson Job PREC, REALTOR®Sources: TransLink, Broadway Subway Project (Province of BC), BC Ministry of Housing — Transit-Oriented Areas (Bill 47), City of Vancouver — Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, Vancouver Park BoardCC BY 4.0How we verify

Commercial-Broadway is, per TransLink’s published ridership data, the busiest non-downtown SkyTrain station in Metro Vancouver — and the cross-platform Expo Line ↔ Millennium Line transfer point that funnels a meaningful share of the entire east-side commute through one intersection. Once the Broadway Subway Project (Phase 1) opens (current TransLink target: 2027 in-service), Commercial-Broadway becomes the eastern transfer node for a through-running Millennium alignment that reaches west to a Phase 1 terminus at Arbutus — a structural re-pricing of the east-side walkshed that the local market is still working out. Companion to the Grandview-Woodland pillar and the Mount Pleasant pillar.

The defendable opinion

Commercial-Broadway is the most under-priced transit precinct on the east side relative to what Bill 47 actually does to the parcels around it. Most Grandview-Woodland and Mount Pleasant buyers walk the Drive and price the lifestyle. Few price the cross-platform transfer plus Bill 47 TOA radii plus the 2027 Broadway Subway as a single composite event — an event that re-positions Commercial-Broadway from “busy interchange” to “the structural east-side hinge of the Vancouver Millennium alignment.” The walkshed math the listing agent shows you is incomplete without that composite.

Station at a glance

Location: E Broadway at Commercial Drive, Grandview-Woodland, Vancouver, BC
Lines: Expo Line + Millennium Line (cross-platform transfer)
Fare zone: TransLink Zone 1 (Vancouver)
Opening history: Dec 1985 Expo (as “Broadway”) · 2002 Millennium (as “Commercial Drive”) · 2009 consolidated “Commercial-Broadway” interchange
Ridership rank: Busiest non-downtown SkyTrain station per TransLink data
Bill 47 TOA: Designated — 200 m / 400 m / 800 m radii apply
Future role: Eastern terminus / transfer node for Broadway Subway through-running Millennium service (Phase 1 target: 2027)

Two lines, one station — and the 1985 / 2002 / 2009 history

Commercial-Broadway is the principal interchange between TransLink’s two original SkyTrain lines. The Expo Line runs Waterfront ↔ Production Way / King George / Expo, threading downtown Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey on a single ride. The Millennium Line currently runs VCC-Clark ↔ Lafarge Lake-Douglas, looping east through Burnaby (Brentwood, Lougheed) and into the Tri-Cities. The two lines share an upper-level platform with a cross-platform transfer — structurally one of the highest-volume movements on the network. The Canada Line does not stop here; it runs a separate Waterfront ↔ Richmond / YVR alignment under Cambie Street.

The original Expo Line station, named simply “Broadway”, opened in December 1985 ahead of Expo 86 — a founding station on the Lower Mainland’s rapid-transit network. The Millennium Line side, originally named “Commercial Drive”, opened in 2002. For most of the 2000s the two operated as separate adjacent stations a short walk apart, with the cross-line transfer requiring exiting fare-paid concourse and re-entering. The 2009 consolidation — new platform, expanded concourse, additional vertical circulation, unified fare-paid area — brought them into a single “Commercial-Broadway” precinct with the cross-platform interchange that is structural to the network today.

Broadway Subway (Phase 1) — the structural re-pricing

The Broadway Subway Project (Phase 1) is the Millennium Line extension running west under West Broadway from VCC-Clark to a Phase 1 terminus at Arbutus Station (W Broadway + Vine), spanning approximately 5.7 km of underground extension and adding six new stations: Mount Pleasant, Great Northern Way-Emily Carr, Broadway-City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville, and Arbutus. The current TransLink and Province of BC target for in-service is 2027; verify against the live Broadway Subway Project page for any schedule updates before relying on a date.

Phase 1 does NOT reach UBC — the UBC extension is a separately funded later phase, not yet in construction. The structural effect of Phase 1 opening is that Commercial-Broadway shifts from “eastern outer terminus on a stub Millennium alignment” to “eastern transfer node on a through-running Vancouver Millennium alignment”. The cross-platform Expo ↔ Millennium transfer remains in place; the entire Vancouver east-side then connects to Mount Pleasant, City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville, and Arbutus on a single transit ride. Buyers underwriting a 2026 purchase against a 2027+ commute should price the additional walkshed access.

Walkshed math — Bill 47 tier mapping

Bill 47 (Housing Statutes Transit-Oriented Areas Amendment Act, 2023) designates Commercial-Broadway as a Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) and prescribes minimum allowable density + height tiers within 200 m, 400 m, and 800 m of the station, overriding lower-density municipal zoning and removing minimum off-street residential parking requirements within the radius. Confirm the current tier assignment and FSR / storey minimums against the BC Ministry of Housing TOA page before underwriting a redevelopment-priced parcel.

200 m — Inner core
Roughly the Safeway redevelopment block, the Renfrew/Commercial corridor immediately north of Broadway, and the south-side parcels fronting E 10th. The most directly TOD-priced parcels in the precinct.
400 m — Walkshed core
Reaches into Grandview-Woodland north toward Charles Street, west across Clark Drive into the eastern edge of Mount Pleasant, and south into the upper Cedar Cottage / Kensington blocks. This is the walkshed most buyers actually use day-to-day.
800 m — Outer walkshed
Captures most of Grandview-Woodland up to Hastings, the Trout Lake / John Hendry Park amenity to the southeast, the eastern Mount Pleasant industrial-to-residential frontier, and a meaningful share of Kensington-Cedar Cottage. Bill 47 minimum-density obligations attach to a defined sub-share of this radius.

Surrounding neighbourhoods

Grandview-Woodland is the principal neighbourhood served — the station sits inside its boundary, and Commercial Drive (“The Drive”) north of Broadway is the long-running Italian-Canadian commercial heritage strip that defines the precinct’s identity. Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics Casa Italia hospitality house was hosted in this corridor. Read the Grandview-Woodland pillar for block-level pricing context. Mount Pleasant — the eastern frontier (east across Clark Drive) sits inside the 400 m / 800 m walkshed; see the Mount Pleasant pillar. Kensington-Cedar Cottage sits to the south — the upper blocks fall within the 800 m walkshed. Trout Lake / John Hendry Park (Vancouver Park Board), roughly 1 km southeast, is the principal green-space amenity: lake, off-leash zones, community centre, and seasonal farmers’ market.

Commute math

Approximate scheduled SkyTrain travel times from Commercial-Broadway (verify against the live TransLink trip planner — actual run times shift with service patterns and dwell):

· → Waterfront (downtown Vancouver): ~12–14 min via Expo Line.
· → Brentwood / Lougheed / Lafarge Lake-Douglas (Burnaby + Coquitlam): ~10–35 min via Millennium Line through-service.
· → King George (Surrey Central area): ~35–40 min via Expo Line, single ride.
· → Brighouse (Richmond Centre) / YVR Airport: ~35–45 min via Expo Line + transfer at Waterfront to Canada Line.
· → Arbutus (Phase 1 terminus, post-2027): ~10–14 min via Millennium Line through-service to the new Broadway Subway tunnel (estimated; verify post-opening).

The structural commute story for east-Vancouver buyers: Commercial-Broadway is one of the small set of Metro Vancouver locations from which downtown, Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Surrey, Richmond, and YVR are all directly reachable on a single transit ride or one transfer. After Broadway Subway Phase 1, City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville, and Arbutus join the single-ride list.

Frequently asked questions

Is Commercial-Broadway Station in Zone 1?
Yes — Commercial-Broadway is a TransLink Zone 1 (Vancouver) station for Compass fare purposes. Bus fares are zone-flat in Metro Vancouver, but SkyTrain and SeaBus fares are zoned on weekdays before 6:30 PM (with a single-zone fare applying after that and on weekends). Confirm the current fare structure on TransLink before relying on a specific commute cost.
What's the difference between the Expo Line and the Millennium Line at Commercial-Broadway?
Commercial-Broadway is the principal transfer point between the two lines. The Expo Line passes through here on its Waterfront ↔ Production Way / King George / Expo route — this is the line that runs to downtown Vancouver and out through Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. The Millennium Line currently runs VCC-Clark ↔ Lafarge Lake-Douglas, passing through Commercial-Broadway and continuing east through Burnaby, Brentwood, Lougheed, and into Coquitlam. The station is structured so that Expo trains heading toward downtown and Millennium trains heading east share the same upper-level platform, with a cross-platform transfer that is one of the busiest interchange movements on the network.
When did Commercial-Broadway Station open?
There are two opening dates. The original Expo Line station — then named simply "Broadway" — opened in December 1985 as part of the inaugural Expo SkyTrain line ahead of Expo 86. The Millennium Line side, originally named "Commercial Drive", opened in 2002 with the rest of that line. The two stations were operationally and physically consolidated into a single "Commercial-Broadway" precinct with an upgraded interchange (new platform, expanded concourse, additional vertical circulation) that came into service in 2009. The Canada Line — which opened the same calendar year — does NOT stop at Commercial-Broadway; it runs Waterfront ↔ Richmond / YVR via downtown and Cambie.
Is Commercial-Broadway really the busiest non-downtown SkyTrain station?
Per TransLink's published ridership data, Commercial-Broadway is the busiest non-downtown SkyTrain station in Metro Vancouver — the only stations that out-rank it on system-wide boardings are the downtown Expo / Canada Line stations (Waterfront, Granville, Burrard, Vancouver City Centre). The structural reason is the cross-platform Expo ↔ Millennium transfer: every rider moving between the two lines counts twice, and a meaningful share of the Lower Mainland's east-side commute funnels through this single interchange. The ridership ranking shifts a little year to year and TransLink updates the figures annually — confirm against the current TransLink ridership report before quoting a specific rank.
When does the Broadway Subway open and what does it mean for Commercial-Broadway?
The Broadway Subway Project (Phase 1) is the Millennium Line extension from VCC-Clark west under West Broadway. Phase 1 covers six new underground stations (Mount Pleasant, Great Northern Way-Emily Carr, Broadway-City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville, and the Phase 1 terminus at Arbutus / W Broadway + Vine), spanning approximately 5.7 km. The current TransLink and Province of BC target for in-service is 2027 — verify against the Broadway Subway Project page for any schedule updates before relying on it for a closing-date decision. Phase 1 does NOT reach UBC; the UBC extension is a separately funded later phase. Once Phase 1 opens, Commercial-Broadway becomes the eastern end of the through-running Millennium Line west into Vancouver — the cross-platform Expo ↔ Millennium transfer here remains structural for the entire Vancouver east-side commute.
Does Bill 47 (BC's TOD legislation) apply to Commercial-Broadway?
Yes. Bill 47 — the Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023 — designates a list of station precincts on Metro Vancouver's rapid-transit network as Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs), and Commercial-Broadway is on that list. The legislation prescribes minimum allowable density and minimum allowable height tiers within 200 m, 400 m, and 800 m radii of the designated station, overriding lower-density municipal zoning and removing minimum off-street residential parking requirements within the radius. The exact tier numbers (FSR + storey minimums) depend on the station's TOA classification — verify the live tier assignment on the BC Ministry of Housing TOA page before underwriting a redevelopment-priced parcel.
How long is the commute from Commercial-Broadway to downtown, Surrey, and Richmond?
Approximate scheduled SkyTrain travel times (verify against the live TransLink trip planner — actual run times shift with service patterns and dwell): Commercial-Broadway → Waterfront via Expo Line is roughly 12–14 minutes (a handful of stations); Commercial-Broadway → King George (Surrey) via Expo Line is roughly 35–40 minutes; Commercial-Broadway → Brighouse (Richmond) requires a transfer at Waterfront to the Canada Line and totals approximately 35–45 minutes including transfer time. The structural commute story for east-Vancouver buyers: Commercial-Broadway is one of the small set of Metro Vancouver locations from which downtown, Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, and Surrey are all directly reachable on a single transit ride or one transfer.
Where exactly is Commercial-Broadway Station and what surrounds it?
Commercial-Broadway Station sits at the intersection of E Broadway and Commercial Drive in the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood of east Vancouver, with the Mount Pleasant boundary running west across Clark Drive and Kensington-Cedar Cottage to the south. Commercial Drive ("The Drive") immediately north of the station is the long-running Italian-Canadian commercial heritage strip — Vancouver's 2010 Olympics Casa Italia hospitality house was hosted in this precinct. Trout Lake / John Hendry Park (Vancouver Park Board) sits roughly one kilometre southeast of the station. Several mid-rise + ground-oriented redevelopments (including the Onni-led Safeway block redevelopment) are reshaping the immediate station precinct.