Luxury bus service eyed to get commuters out of their cars

[SpongeG]

TransLink may launch a premium bus service for commuters heading to downtown Vancouver from outlying areas not already served by West Coast Express (WCE).

Consultants are being hired to explore the idea, get feedback from commuters and report back by spring with options.

The high-end service would be similar to what’s provided by WCE’s passenger rail service — only on buses.

But while WCE serves northeast sector communities out as far as Mission, the new concept would go much farther — potentially serving downtown-bound residents from as far as White Rock, Chilliwack and Whistler.

Prices would be subject to refinement, but TransLink says applying WCE per-kilometre prices means long-haul trips from Chilliwack or Whistler might cost $20, and shorter commutes from Ladner, Tsawwassen or the Tri-Cities might run $6.75.

The request for proposals issued by TransLink lays out four potential routes for study:

• White Rock/South Surrey to downtown Vancouver;

• Ladner and Tsawwassen to downtown;

• Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish to downtown;

• Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Mission to Surrey, Coquitlam or downtown Vancouver.

Much of the groundwork has already been laid by the WCE’s TrainBus service, which is a premium bus service that provides extra runs in addition to the five trains per day.

The experience there suggests there’s a regional market for similar service outside the northeast sector.

TransLink stats show WCE passengers are more likely than other transit users to be affluent, employed full time and commuting for work purposes.

Consultants would explore what service changes would be needed to move West Coast Express from being a “localized premium brand” to an “enhanced regional premium brand.”

The features should “offer drivers comparable comfort and convenience to a single occupant vehicle so that they would switch to the premium regional WCE service for their commute.”

Key attributes would include:

• Ride quality, including smoothness, leg room and seat type.

• Amenities like plug-ins for audio and TV, trays for computers, head phones, washrooms, reclining seats, individual temperature reading light controls; coffee and newspapers for sale.

• Ability to reserve a specific seat.

• Luggage and bike storage.

• Stations should be heated with wireless internet access and real-time arrival/departure information.

• They should have adequate parking and bike storage and may offer other services — from coffee/news stands to dry cleaning or other retail shops and services.

• Reserved parking should also be available — at a premium price of up to $60 per month.

Vehicles could include “premium highway coaches, double decker highway coaches and other premium transportation alternatives.”

The documents emphasize that current quality of WCE must be maintained.

Spokesman Ken Hardie said the potential commuter service to Abbotsford and Chilliwack may be one way to extend offerings east, in line with provincial expectations that Abbotsford and Chilliwack may join TransLink.

“This may be one way of getting those urban connections established,” he said.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/news/12907786.html

[The_Henry_Man]

^That's a great idea. However, I wouldn't include Ladner/Tsawassen and White Rock to this because those WCE trainbus routes would be redundant with the C-Line route in Vancouver. And $20 per trip (hopefullly not, maybe round trip?) from Whistler/Chilliwack is way too expensive.

On the other hand, I hope they're the predecessors to the eventual commuter rail line serving those communities (can potentially have 3 WCE lines: the current one to Mission, second one to Abbotsford/Chilliwack and another to Whistler/Pemberton)

[deasine]

I don't think $20 per trip for Whistler/Chilliwack is expensive... just look at the Greyhound.

Hopefully we will have this new bus network... reminds me of the better GO buses in toronto.

[raggedy13]

downtown-bound residents from as far as White Rock, Chilliwack and Whistler.

It seems weird to me that they group White Rock with Chilliwack and Whistler. It's not that far away.

[worldwide]

and some would say that white rock is already serviced by a luxury bus service

[Nutterbug]

^That's a great idea. However, I wouldn't include Ladner/Tsawassen and White Rock to this because those WCE trainbus routes would be redundant with the C-Line route in Vancouver. And $20 per trip (hopefullly not, maybe round trip?) from Whistler/Chilliwack is way too expensive.
If they're paying a premium, let their lazy asses have their one-seat ride, even if being stuck in traffic doesn't get them faster than the C-Line.

It seems weird to me that they group White Rock with Chilliwack and Whistler. It's not that far away.
I would like them to extend it to Bellingham, with queue jumping privileges at the border.

[Overground]

I actually had emailed Translink last year or the year before if they were considering using double-deckers in the Vancouver area. I got back a courteous reply stating that they were looking into using them for suburban and long-haul routes.

He said that they might not be a good idea in the city as it's too busy for people to get on and off buses. I didn't reply back, but I wanted to say, what about central London or Hong Kong? They seem to manage quite fine in far busier conditions like Oxford Street, Trafalgar. Anyway, it's cool they are looking into using them.

[Nutterbug]

Artics are more practical for stop-and-go on-and-off hustle-and-bustle traffic, no? I think DD's are better suited for longer runs with relatively few stops.

Doesn't even London have artics now?

One route I would like to see converted to DD is the 257 route in West Van. Some of the best scenery is found on the Upper Levels Highway heading down towards Horseshoe Bay.

[officedweller]

He said that they might not be a good idea in the city as it's too busy for people to get on and off buses. I didn't reply back, but I wanted to say, what about central London or Hong Kong? They seem to manage quite fine in far busier conditions like Oxford Street, Trafalgar. Anyway, it's cool they are looking into using them.

I think the overhead trolley wires would be the biggest problem for a double decker downtown.

[Mike K.]

Artics are more practical for stop-and-go on-and-off hustle-and-bustle traffic, no? I think DD's are better suited for longer runs with relatively few stops.

Why does this myth keep coming up? Double deckers are designed for urban areas with stop and go traffic and frequent bus stops but do equally well on the highways, as any urban bus ought to do.

I believe London's recent shift to artics on some routes has a lot to do with safety of passengers on the upper floors while maintaining the same capacity (both a Environ 500 DD and a typical artic hold 100 standing+sitting passengers).

[Nutterbug]

Why does this myth keep coming up? Double deckers are designed for urban areas with stop and go traffic and frequent bus stops but do equally well on the highways, as any urban bus ought to do.

The facts that:

1. The stairwell on a DD is only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time.

2. The rear compartment of an artic has its own extra exit. The top compartment of a DD doesn't.

I suppose following the common sense rule of going up to the top level only if you're on for the long haul helps, but having three exits instead of two must be advantageous for stop-and-go routes with heavy traffic.

[paradigm4]

Artics are more practical for stop-and-go on-and-off hustle-and-bustle traffic, no? I think DD's are better suited for longer runs with relatively few stops.

Doesn't even London have artics now?

One route I would like to see converted to DD is the 257 route in West Van. Some of the best scenery is found on the Upper Levels Highway heading down towards Horseshoe Bay.

That's nice but this isn't a "stop-and-go, on-and-off, hustle-and-bustle" service. Assuming you're talking about the WCE and not London here.

If they're paying a premium, let their lazy asses have their one-seat ride, even if being stuck in traffic doesn't get them faster than the C-Line.

Yes, exactly. This is the perfect way to fill the Canada Line agreement to divert most buses to Bridgeport, while still leaving South Delta and White Rock customers with the option to choose a one seat ride. Besides, with a 3 zone adult ticket already costing $5, an extra $1.75 wouldn't be all that much, especially considering this is going to be developed as a premium service (even nicer than the current regular yellow highway coaches).

[The_Henry_Man]

^But do you think that might cannibalize C-Line ridership somewhat?

[paradigm4]

^But do you think that might cannibalize C-Line ridership somewhat?

Did the contract say that TransLink could not run any transit service that may cannibalize ridership projections? Any subsidiaries?

Obviously it would cannabilize it to some degree. I personally think a lot of residents headed downtown, from White Rock/South Surrey and Ladner or Tsawwassen would pay the premium for this service. So they would lose those numbers...

[SpongeG]

i would pissed if i lived in white rock and was forced to get on the skytrain in richmond

[SpongeG]

also - isn't a lot closer and quicker to get from South surrey/white rock to king george station?

that tunnel is a pain during rush hour - i can't imagine its any easier or closer to go to Richmond

[Stingray2004]

i would pissed if i lived in white rock and was forced to get on the skytrain in richmond

Yeah, the convenience of getting on a bus in White Rock/Tsawwassen with a direct link to downtown Vancouver would be eliminated. Such a transfer would also be much more hassle prone, disuading would-be users.

One could also view the proposed Evergreen Line/ Skytrain transfer in the same light (which is why the Evergreen Line should be the same system to avoid such hassles).

[deasine]

And that's why the Evergreen Line should be SkyTrain, and we have extended bus service straight to downtown... I think buses to/from white rock should not use Highway 99, but via Alex Fraser Bridge and Highway 91, then to Highway 99. I think it would be faster than going through the tunnel. You would also have express bus service from the Queesborough area directly to Richmond - Bridgeport station. Then, the bus heads to downtown without stopping.

The buses from Tsawwassen use Highway 99 to Bridgeport station, then go to downtown directly.

Cannibilizing the Canada Line ridership isn't a bad idea... The system will be overloaded with passengers and will forse InTransitBC/TransLink/Provincal Government to expand the platforms and lengthen trains in a few years after opening.

[twoNeurons]

^But do you think that might cannibalize C-Line ridership somewhat?

It wouldn't be considered as cannabalizing the line. White rock's not on the line, and I don't believe TRanslink is forced to shuttle passengers. I believe cannabalizing it refers to running a parallel service. Chances are it would take more highway routes anyhow... so it likely won't go that near No. 3 road where the Canada Line is... and rather opt to take the highways instead.

[Nutterbug]

And that's why the Evergreen Line should be SkyTrain, and we have extended bus service straight to downtown... I think buses to/from white rock should not use Highway 99, but via Alex Fraser Bridge and Highway 91, then to Highway 99. I think it would be faster than going through the tunnel.

If true, why haven't they thought of it already?

It would also give the passengers a convenient transfer point to go towards New West as well.

[Mike K.]

The facts that:

1. The stairwell on a DD is only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time.

2. The rear compartment of an artic has its own extra exit. The top compartment of a DD doesn't.

I suppose following the common sense rule of going up to the top level only if you're on for the long haul helps, but having three exits instead of two must be advantageous for stop-and-go routes with heavy traffic.

If that is indeed the case, there ought to be data to back that up, but thus far I haven't come across any. Yes, some riders can slow down a bus because they only climb down when the bus stops, but once riders learn how to properly ride a double decker the loading/offloading problems are non-issues. Given the thousands of buses that descend onto London on any given day, if passenger pick ups an drop offs were problematic it would be a major transportation concern in that city but it isn't.

[Nutterbug]

If that is indeed the case, there ought to be data to back that up, but thus far I haven't come across any. Yes, some riders can slow down a bus because they only climb down when the bus stops, but once riders learn how to properly ride a double decker the loading/offloading problems are non-issues. Given the thousands of buses that descend onto London on any given day, if passenger pick ups an drop offs were problematic it would be a major transportation concern in that city but it isn't.

As mentioned, London has added some articulated buses to its fleet. They must find them more suitable to some of their routes than their traditional, historical and characteristic double deckers.

Somehow, I cannot see them switching the B-Line buses to DD. I really can't.

[worldwide]

not the B line but mabey routes like the 701 or the bus between langley/aldergrove and surrey central. the type of route that needs more capacity but most people stay on for a long time

[Mike K.]

As mentioned, London has added some articulated buses to its fleet. They must find them more suitable to some of their routes than their traditional, historical and characteristic double deckers.

Somehow, I cannot see them switching the B-Line buses to DD. I really can't.

Yes, but that's a fairly recent change. Again, as mentioned, a big component of the switch was passenger safety on some of London's harsher routes, I believe. I do not know this for sure but I read that the presence of a camera on the top of a bus wasn't enough to deter property crime or petty crime on some routes.

[SpongeG]

If true, why haven't they thought of it already?

It would also give the passengers a convenient transfer point to go towards New West as well.

i think there are some busses that do that they start at 22nd street

[deasine]

If true, why haven't they thought of it already?

It would also give the passengers a convenient transfer point to go towards New West as well.

I'm not sure =P But I would think it's a good idea.

[nname]

If true, why haven't they thought of it already?

It would also give the passengers a convenient transfer point to go towards New West as well.
Route 353 used to run all the way to 22nd Street station, but the express portion got cancelled, leaving only local service before being converted to community shuttle. (And this is why now there's the express 351, 352, 354 but no 353...)

[nname]

btw, this is the document of the study if anyone's interested:

http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/procurements/Q7-0089-RFP.pdf

[eduardo88]

As mentioned, London has added some articulated buses to its fleet. They must find them more suitable to some of their routes than their traditional, historical and characteristic double deckers.

Somehow, I cannot see them switching the B-Line buses to DD. I really can't.

I find it funny that people keep mentioning the fact that london has added articulated buses. It was a purely political thing and they have been criticized from day one for being unsuitable to london, mostly due to their limited turning ability, which is one of the main reason european cities buy DD buses.

The fact that the stairwell is only wide enough for one passenger really has never been a problem. I've lived in Berlin and now in London, both cities having a large fleet of double deckers, and have never encountered a problem with the stairs. I really can't recall a single time when the bus has been delayed because passengers couldnt get down quick enough.

[SpongeG]

if you know your stop its easy to pick the right seating area

if its a short trip don't go upstairs if its a long haul than you can

[eduardo88]

if you know your stop its easy to pick the right seating area

if its a short trip don't go upstairs if its a long haul than you can

exactly. its not like anyone goes up the stairs when they're getting off 2 blocks later.

also if you know it's hard to get up the stairs for you ie: elderly people, then just stay down.

[Nutterbug]

Three sets of exits must be a bit of an advantage over two, especially on routes like the 99 B-Line, on which there are rear entrance boardings at select stops to handle large passenger volumes.

Also, couldn't the stairwell on DD's pose a bit of a bottleneck in situations in which large crowds get on or off at once?

[mr.x]

I think double decker buses would do quite well in Vancouver's express routes, i.e. from Tsawassen/Delta to Richmond's Bridgeport Station. These routes don't have too many passengers needing to get off at stations, only at the terminus stations. The buses have a high capacity similar to the articulated buses, plus better speeds and rapid accelerations. They work quite well in Hong Kong's roads and particularly its highways...not to mention they save quite a bit of road space.

These routes in Hong Kong, like most of its newer double decker buses, all have real time electronic display and audio information announcements.

[ssiguy]

i would pissed if i lived in white rock and was forced to get on the skytrain in richmond

I live in White Rock and beleive me EVERYONE is pissed off.
I don't think the upgraded bus would do well in WR/SS because the service already takes the freeway so is fast and due to using the highway buses, is also quite comfortable.

It would do well in areas like Lang/Alder/Abb/Chill but would be ineffective and slow as cars up to the PortMann unless they added HOV lanes along HWY to Abbotsford.

[Nutterbug]

I live in White Rock

You're not SSIguy anymore?

[deasine]

I live in White Rock and beleive me EVERYONE is pissed off.
I don't think the upgraded bus would do well in WR/SS because the service already takes the freeway so is fast and due to using the highway buses, is also quite comfortable.

It would do well in areas like Lang/Alder/Abb/Chill but would be ineffective and slow as cars up to the PortMann unless they added HOV lanes along HWY to Abbotsford.

Yeah they should try to have a consistant HOV lane at Hwy 99. It's just a mess of HOV lanes there. I think the counterflow lane used in the morning should also be HOV.

[worldwide]

Yeah they should try to have a consistant HOV lane at Hwy 99. It's just a mess of HOV lanes there. I think the counterflow lane used in the morning should also be HOV.


would that be 2 out of 3 lanes HOV through the tunnel? or just 1? either way i agree that hov and commercial vehicles should have priority

[deasine]

1 Lane of HOV through the tunnel.

Peek Hour Mornings: northbound has a total of three lanes going through the tunnel. One of them, the counterflow, should be HOV.

Peek Hour Evenings: southbound has a total of three lanes going through the tunnel. One of them, the counterflow, should be HOV.

Regular Hours: northbound & southbound have 2 lanes in each direction. One of them, should be HOV. Sounds like Barnet Hwy. =P

[j4893k]

The counterflow lane can't be the HOV lane since it cuts through the median after the HOV lane merges into traffic. As it is, buses flow quite smoothly leading up to and through the tunnel because of this. I don't think dedicating an entire lane to busses is really warranted. Maybe there's enough commercial traffic for a commercial/HOV lane...

[lightrail]

I think the overhead trolley wires would be the biggest problem for a double decker downtown.

They won't be - you'll find they're high enough to allow clearance for any vehicle up to the maximum 14 ft height limit - I 've seen double-deckers under the wires.

[Kwik-E-Mart]

It's better to do it now than never, and I don't need to say all the positives by GO Transit here in Toronto to echo my point out.

This is needed especially since ValleyMAX is going to be integrated into TransLink in the near future.

[worldwide]

any word on that... one of the planners at abbotsford told me they were trying to work with translink back in January but i havent heard anything since.

[lightrail]

Artics are more practical for stop-and-go on-and-off hustle-and-bustle traffic, no? I think DD's are better suited for longer runs with relatively few stops.

Doesn't even London have artics now?

One route I would like to see converted to DD is the 257 route in West Van. Some of the best scenery is found on the Upper Levels Highway heading down towards Horseshoe Bay.

The overpass on Marine Drive (the Lions Gate Bridge ramp goes over Marine drive) is too low for double-deckers - the road would need lowering. They had to do this with a railway bridge in Victoria to allow double-deckers to operate on the No. 14.

[deasine]

I wished they have made a continuous passage to Highway 1 from Lions Gate Bridge.

[ssiguy]

I talked to a really nice guy today at Translink planning and here are some of the things coming onboard.....
1}There will be increased service on the #351 starting either summer or more probably Sept. They recently got new highway buses so he said this is a definate go.
2}The Rapid Bus from WR/SS will be inplace by the time the RAV opens up. It will increase in significantly better service as even with the increased service this year all the buses will get off at Bridgeport and return. They will save the route down Granville but there will be no reduction in WR/SS #351. In otherwords. The trip will only take two thirs the time but will ahve even higher frequency. He said that regular service during the day will be about every 8-9 minutes as opposed to the every thirty minutes now. That does not include rush hour buses like the #352/#354
3}As far as the Rapid Bus, they will be putting in some form of bus-only lanes well before the Oak Street bridge so they can go by the carss and won't get caught in the backups leading to the bridge. He said that is definatly part of the Rapid Bus makeup.
4}Also said that the current express route from Newton Centre to Hwy 99 which takes the Alex Frazer to Granville COULD become a regular service to RAV with HOV lanes on each side of the bridge to avoid getting stuck on/on approach to the Alex Frazer.
5} Even though the stations are small, and he agreed they were way to small but he just said they had a certain amount of money to work with, all three stations downtown are 50 metres to begin with and ALL the stations can be converted to 50 metres. I said that still is not enough for another train but hesaid no. Right now they will be running the 2 car train but the 50metres can accomodate 3 car trains he said due to overhang at each station. I guess its gone from being a micro-micro subway to just a micro. It seemed odd to me and I asked if these would just be small connector cars but he said no. He said they can all accomodate 3 full Rodem cars.
6}He said that there can possibly be more cars arriving before 2020 so that trains could run every 2 minutes. He said that if the Richmond part is significantly busier than the airport section then then could increase frequency to every 2 minutes as I just mentioned but having 3 trains every 6 minutes may result in two heading to Richmond and the other going to YVR.
7} He said that they are expecting an announcement fairly soon from the province as to how exactly the Rapid Bus and new commuter buses would work and tie into the current exopansions for stations etc.

BTW, I am still the ssiguy which referred to SaltSpring Island guy and although I have lived down here for two years I am to damn lazy to change my name.
Another BTW........is there a way to transfer this message onto skyscrapercity with out having to write it all over again. Let me know or if you can do it please do.

[ssiguy]

BTW...............The Translink guy also said that by Sept nearly all routes, especially the one's radiating from downtown or on major routes like King George, 99 & 98 BLines will DEFINATLY be running later than they are now. That includes SkyTrain and some bus routes that will run all night.

Am I a wealth of information or what?

[Nutterbug]

BTW, I am still the ssiguy which referred to SaltSpring Island guy and although I have lived down here for two years I am to damn lazy to change my name.
Another BTW........is there a way to transfer this message onto skyscrapercity with out having to write it all over again. Let me know or if you can do it please do.

Cut-and-paste?

[SFUVancouver]

Thanks for the updates!

Three-car Rotem trains feel like an okay compromise but we shouldn't hold our breath for them to arrive any time soon. It is also gratifying that someone from Translink is candid about the short stations.

I'm happy to hear that the frequency for highway buses will be significantly improved. Translink has put up an update of their spring schedule. LINK (http://www.translink.bc.ca/TransitService_Improvements/default.asp)

[The_Henry_Man]

5} Even though the stations are small, and he agreed they were way to small but he just said they had a certain amount of money to work with, all three stations downtown are 50 metres to begin with and ALL the stations can be converted to 50 metres. I said that still is not enough for another train but hesaid no. Right now they will be running the 2 car train but the 50metres can accomodate 3 car trains he said due to overhang at each station. I guess its gone from being a micro-micro subway to just a micro. It seemed odd to me and I asked if these would just be small connector cars but he said no. He said they can all accomodate 3 full Rodem cars.


What does he mean "overhang at each station"?

[SFUVancouver]

^ Let me try...

_________STATION_________|
[][doors][][][doors][][][doors][][])

Basically the last set of doors at each end of the train would open to the platform like normal but the physical end of the body of the train would be outside the train platform. This is fine because you can only board the train through the doors. So who cares, really, if the end of the train is outside the limits of the platform. Its like an elevator cabin being bigger than its doors.

(Just look at all the area between the doors and the physical front of the train)
http://www.seataf.com/blogs/canadaline/2007-12-14/images/KICX4225.jpg
LINK (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=142888)

[mr.x]

lol, didn't I already tell you that the suburban routes, particular to White Rock, would improve drastically as a result of terminating at Bridgeport instead of downtown? On top of additional buses, the shorter trip to terminate at Bridgeport instead means buses can run at a higher frequency and would be much more reliable. The downtown section is a huge bottleneck for buses, and is often why routes like the 98 are never on schedule.

But noooo....you refused to hear any of it.:ohno:


Great news on the three-car trains and the future additional cars! But considering that platforms are 50-metres long and three-car trains are 61/62-metres long, wouldn't that mean some of the doors would be outside of the platform?

Also, good to hear about all three downtown stations being 50-metre platforms. Before, it was only City Centre and Waterfront. Do you know the length of Broadway-City Hall, Oakridge, and especially Bridgeport?


With regards to those short platforms, didn't I tell all of you it wouldn't be sufficient? I was basically the guy on the Titanic that was firing rockets into the air.

[worldwide]

can you elaborate about the busses running later? this sounds great

[ssiguy]

It does seem kind of odd to me. I mean the stations will only be 50 metres but three Rodems are 61 metres. Its going to have to one hell of a hangover.........5 metres on each end. I don't see how that is possible. There doesn't look like there is enough space between the doors and the fronto f the trains but I was pretty specific and he said they can definatly accomodate 3 Rodems so I will take him on his word.
He completly agreed the stations were to small but they were given just so much money and it had to be able to carry 15,000 passengers per hour per hour.
As far as the extended bus & SkyTrain hours he wasn't sure but he said that it is going to happen probably by Sept. He strongly said that that was a definate go.

As far as my long note....what the hell is cut and paste? Was that a joke or am I a even bigger computer moron than I thought.

[mr.x]

^ i believe other forumers mentioned about a possible hangover, however, it would probably mean the last doors on each end of the train would be inaccessible. They do it in other metros as well, when desperate for capacity.

If there will be a future 3-car train, the third car should be entirely a side seating arrangement rather than a row seating arrangement. Afterall, we are desperate for capacity and more standing capacity means more overall capacity.

It all comes down to a provincial government being cheap. Historically, the province has completely funded the construction of transit lines until the Gordon Campbell Liberals came around. The $400-million provincial contribution is miniscule compared to past contributions, and the treasury was capable of dishing out a lot more for the line....but the Liberals had other priorities and different policies towards this.

They've been so caught up with keeping things under budget and with making it a P3 they forgot about the potential consequences.

btw, i copy & pasted your post to SSC.

And it's Rotem, not Rodem. The contract with SNC-Lavalin/InTransitBC was to build a line with a max. design capacity of 15,000 passengers per hour per direction.

[jlousa]

The 3rd car would obviously will be a C-car as it'll need to be open on both sides, no reason that C car needs to be the same length as the a-b cars. The talk has been of a 10M car but I'm sure a 14M car could still work, looking at the A-B cars there is quite a bit of room for overhang. We can order the C cars to whatever length they want, so I figure a 14-16M car would work nicely.

[deasine]

I will be strongly against having a full third car if it removes the first/last doors of the train. That's just stupid.

Changing seating configurations of the Canada Line, adding a maximum length C car that does not remove the first/last doors, and having a much higher frequency would be smarter.

Anyway, funny how Global's report said the trains cannot be longer in the future.

[jlousa]

I've noticed a lot of problems with Global in the last few months, it's pretty sad. I've been a Global news watcher for a good 15-20yrs and I'm finding myself unable to watch it anymore. Think I'll have to give CTV a try.

[eduardo88]

As far as my long note....what the hell is cut and paste? Was that a joke or am I a even bigger computer moron than I thought.
uhhhhhhh....:uhh:

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7121/copypaste1xr0.jpg

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8413/copypaste2os4.jpg

[deasine]

I've noticed a lot of problems with Global in the last few months, it's pretty sad. I've been a Global news watcher for a good 15-20yrs and I'm finding myself unable to watch it anymore. Think I'll have to give CTV a try.

I know I'm starting to look at other news especially at 6 'oclock. Global will still be my number one "source for tv news" but I'm giving others a try too.
Morning: Global/Canada AM
Noon: Me don't watch but if I do, I can only watch Global
Night: Global/CBC/CTV
Late Night: Global

[mr.x]

I don't even watch the news anymore, both CTV and Global. Global is more and more sensationalist with all of its spin, and CTV [and even CBC] is starting to follow their lead. I mean, CTV's recent report of how the Canada Line fare gates will be "late" was just poor reporting.

The only watching I will be doing is through the internet, through selected clips I'm interested in watching.

[deasine]

I can't believe it - I just realized this but Snohomish County's Community Transit which operates in Downtown Seattle, University of Washington, and Northern/Eastern Suburbs have DOUBLE DECKERS.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/61/Community_Transit_Enviro_500.png/704px-Community_Transit_Enviro_500.png
CT ~ Source: Wikipedia

[LeftCoaster]

If you look at the front of the bus they also ripped off the west van municipal logo... or west van ripped theirs off.