Canada Line | Completed

[TZTag]

It's not remembering that the travel direction is always to your right or left- it's trying to figure out which way you are facing, especially underground. Take a few flights of stairs down, stand around for a few minutes reading your blackberry and it's very easy to forget which side goes which way.

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Meaning lost in translation?

And I'd figure it is pretty obvious that with split-platforms that the trains direction of travel will always be to your right, and that with a single middle platform the direction of travel is always to the left. Can't believe people would need signs to understand that.

[deasine]

Northboud/Westbount/Eastbound/Southbound doesn't always work well because the line may not necessarily head in one direction. I think stating the terminus of the line is enough, along with Platform #s (TransLink's new format)

[quobobo]

Originally Posted by g35

Also, while I love most aspects of this line, I wonder purpose the LED signs in the stations actually serve? Is somebody going to say, "Oh no! The skytrain is going to take 7 more minutes! I'm taking the bus instead." I don't get it.

Partly it's psychological - it's just nice to know.

Partly it's practical. If I have 7 minutes I might go grab something to drink or read rather than waste all that time on the platform. If I have 15+ minutes (like late at night) and I'm only going a few stops, I might just walk for the exercise.

[CLC]

Originally Posted by g35

Also, while I love most aspects of this line, I wonder purpose the LED signs in the stations actually serve? Is somebody going to say, "Oh no! The skytrain is going to take 7 more minutes! I'm taking the bus instead." I don't get it.

You've got it! Let's say you are only heading for Aberdeen Centre, then you may choose to go down stair and use the bus

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by TZTag

It's not remembering that the travel direction is always to your right or left- it's trying to figure out which way you are facing, especially underground. Take a few flights of stairs down, stand around for a few minutes reading your blackberry and it's very easy to forget which side goes which way.

Yeah, especially if you come out of a mall like Pacific Center. When I toured the line with my parents, at Van City Center, once on the platform after coming out of the mall, they weren't sure which direction was which. And there is added confusion for the few stations that aren't aligned N-S like Yaletown or Bridgeport. Even though the tracks are labeled with Vancouver or Richmond/YVR bound, it wouldn't hurt to also have signs indicating North or South bound in the underground stations. Too much information never hurt anyone.

That's why they have the LED signs. For some people knowing is half the battle, and not knowing when the train will show (especially if you are waiting for a specific YVR or Brighouse train) is agonizing.

When I went out to the airport for a ride, I used the LED sign to set my stopwatch to time how long I could spend at the airport having a donut and watching planes take off. It was late and 12 minutes between trains was long, I didn't want to miss the one I wanted to take. 24 minutes was long enough, and 36 minutes would have put me over the time on my ticket. Worked perfectly.

So I guess the LED signs will also be good for business at the juice stands, people will know they have the time to go back up and get a juice if they want.


As an aside, I'm curious to see how long "sightseeing" travel last to the airport. It's a pretty neat place to just go if you are bored, have a bite and watch planes take off at the observation deck, and a place most people don't visit that often. So I can see why a lot of people are taking the Canada Line out there just to poke around. I wonder if the merchants are seeing any increase in business over the last few weeks. Maybe if traffic keeps up through the winter, the merchants will not want the add fare to be added.

[raskal]

"Sightseeing to YVR" is still happening. Was just out there today and watched people ride the train to the end with their families. Some got off, but a lot just stayed on to take the ride back. Most people were crowding at the front of the train with their children.

[zivan56]

I saw a bunch of people at YVR yesterday just walking around as if it was a mall (domestic area near the stores/cafeteria)

[GoogalieBear]

We are lucky enough to be living very near one of the CanadaLine stations, yesterday one of my neighbors mentioned how he wished one could get an off-peak transit pass. He can't really use public transportation for commuting to work but would have loved to use the line for things like running errands, go downtown, go to Richmond just for the heck of it. I, myself, had jumped on the train just to go down to Wholefood to pick up a BBQ chicken for a quick dinner last weekend on my pass. Today we cycled down and did the full false creek circuit with our child, a toddler and took the train back up the hill, almost make me feel like I am living downtown again.

I know it only cost $2.50 each trip, but it's just human nature that you are that much less likely to actually do it unless you already have a pass in your pocket burning a hole waiting to be used. Besides, that will get more people onto the train without overloading the system at rush hour !!

[deasine]

That's where SmartCards come in =D

[GoogalieBear]

Originally Posted by deasine

That's where SmartCards come in =D

I had always thought that a SmartCard is essentially a transit specific debit card, it saves you the trouble of having to use cash to purchase a ticket. Is there something more to it ? If not, I doubt that it will sway the segment of general population who do not use transit for commuting but might for "recreational" trips, think of all those night skiiers on cypress, many of them probably wouldn't be there if they didn't have a pass and the hill would have remained empty otherwise.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by GoogalieBear

I had always thought that a SmartCard is essentially a transit specific debit card, it saves you the trouble of having to use cash to purchase a ticket. Is there something more to it ? If not, I doubt that it will sway the segment of general population who do not use transit for commuting but might for "recreational" trips, think of all those night skiiers on cypress, many of them probably wouldn't be there if they didn't have a pass and the hill would have remained empty otherwise.

Who says it has to be transit specific?


Source: tskelly blog

Octopus Card (HK smart card) reader at McDonalds

[GoogalieBear]

I did phrase my response as a question and happy to be corrected. However, the substance of my rationale for suggesting a off-peak pass still stands, smart card is still just a debit card as a whole, it provides convinience for not having to carry cash, but it is not going to add more riders who will use it only for recreational purpose at a time when the train is likely to be half empty anyway. Would that not be a win-win situation ?

[CLC]

I tend to agree with off-peak (monthly?) pass, and assume it uses the same peak hour definition from Translink fare structure "Weekdays after 6:30 p.m. and all day Saturday, Sunday and Holidays", it would be easy for fare inspector to check

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by g35

Has anyone else noticed that some (all?) stations do not say which platform is for which direction, for the split-platform stations? At Lansdowne, on the fence separating the two train directions, there was no sign saying "Northbound" or "Southbound" like how the Skytrain has "Eastbound" and "Westbound". Do they expect the LED signs to serve this purpose?

Only noticed this for Lansdowne but seems weird considering they have all the yellow electrocution/prosecution signs up.

Also, while I love most aspects of this line, I wonder purpose the LED signs in the stations actually serve? Is somebody going to say, "Oh no! The skytrain is going to take 7 more minutes! I'm taking the bus instead." I don't get it.

The direction of travel is kind of a moot point in my opinion. If I'm in another city using there subway system. I look to see what station I want to get to. Then I look to see what station I'm at. Ok now what lines and stations do I need to travel by to get to my destination. And What are the terminus stations of each line. Great go down to the platform and find the train I need for the next station or the terminus station of that line that I'm looking for.


As for the led screens with the next arrival time. I do actually like that feature and can't wait until the rest of skytrain and the busses have the same feature. Its not nice getting to platform and not knowing if you just missed the train or is the next one coming soon.

[cjohnny4]

So I've been in Japan for the past couple of months, and I will be returning to Vancouver in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to use the Canada line and I am considering using it when I fly back. I have a just-barely-manageable amount of luggage so I am thinking that I could use CL to get downtown where I live. However, my place is about a 15-minute walk from Waterfront station. Do you think I'd be able to easily get a cab from there? I've tried hailing cabs downtown before, and it ain't easy, especially if it's raining. Does anyone know if the taxis have or will set up specific cueing areas outside of CL stations? I hate to think that after a pleasant trip downtown on the CL I would arrive at Waterfront and not be able to get a cab home. Walking for 15 minutes with this luggage would not be fun...especially in the rain.

[agrant]

Should be an interesting experiment. Give it a shot.

[natelox]

If you're getting off at Waterfront, walk west for three minutes until you reach all those taxis which queue for the cruise ship passengers. If it's raining, go through the Expo/Millennium line platform.

[mersar]

Just went for a ride from VCC to Richmond-Brighouse and back to Waterfront then off at VCC, and I must say I am impressed on many levels. First off the system looks amazing, and secondly, the ridership. 6pm on a Sunday evening and its standing room only, and packed pretty tight at some points. Saw a couple fare inspectors on some of the platforms, at Waterfront they were actually lining everyone up and checking fares as you got on the platform. Still a lot of people riding just to check it out, a couple families and one couple that the guy was trying to point out and explain things to his girlfriend (which was amusing to watch)

[nova9]

Originally Posted by GoogalieBear

I did phrase my response as a question and happy to be corrected. However, the substance of my rationale for suggesting a off-peak pass still stands, smart card is still just a debit card as a whole, it provides convinience for not having to carry cash, but it is not going to add more riders who will use it only for recreational purpose at a time when the train is likely to be half empty anyway. Would that not be a win-win situation ?

Most smartcard systems actually give a discount on single fares so that in itself is an incentive on getting one and perhaps the discount is big enough to convince people to use transit. As well, it isn't jsut a debit card - in Paris and London (examples I have personal use with) load up the smartcard with yoru monthly or weekly pass and in londond, your railcard as well.

[GoogalieBear]

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against SmartCard, will probably use it myself when it becomes available. I am agruing for a different price structure to encourage ridership in the evening and weekend. I know that $2.50 or whatever the discount fare ends up being with the smartCard, is not a lot of money, but human psychology being what it is, people will think twice before hopping on because at the back of their mind, they are thinking it is only good for a 90 min even though it is probably perfectly sufficient for whatever small trip that they want to do.