Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion II

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

And they wonder why young kids are obese nowadays.

I walked to elementary and high school every day of my life, and rode my bicycle to BCIT from near 1st Avenue and Nanaimo. That seems to be a forgotten way of life now...

If I've got the right school, it's surrounded by impassable cul-de-sac lagoon suburbistan and freeways with no sidewalks. Best of luck trying to get there on foot. #JustAnotherDayInHouston

[whatnext]

The Greens have released as part of their platform a proposal for free transit for everyone and tripling the bus fleet in eight years. Not one to worry that Translink has said even the current route network is unsustainable at current funding, she's muttered something vague about money coming from "government cost savings".

B.C. Greens make election pledge for free transit, doubling of bus numbers
VICTORIA — B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau has announced an election policy to make all public transit in the province free.
Canadian Press
about 3 hours ago

VICTORIA — B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau has announced an election policy to make all public transit in the province free.

She says the policy, released ahead of the fall provincial vote, would relieve financial strain on families, create more livable communities and reduce carbon emissions.

The proposal also calls for hourly services on key regional routes, a doubling of city buses within four years and a tripling within eight years....

....The party, which currently has two MLAs in the 87-seat legislature, says $720 million in funding for Translink and BC Transit would come from "reprioritizing existing funding," with $420 million from the provincial budget and savings from improved efficiency....

https://www.biv.com/news/transportat...umbers-9479330

[Migrant_Coconut]

The party, which currently has two MLAs in the 87-seat legislature, says $720 million in funding for Translink and BC Transit would come from "reprioritizing existing funding," with $420 million from the provincial budget and savings from improved efficiency.

The ABC platform but for hippies. Any bets on it paying off?

[ilikeredheads]

it's like when homer became the sanitation commissioner hehehe

[Vantage]

In this election the left needs to not be tempted by the Greens so they don't split the vote

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by BaddieB

Weirdly enough, at least in Burnaby, there are no school buses at all (I think they might only exist for special needs students?). In High School it seemed like most kids took regular transit.

There is of course this video on the topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqvQ-5784po

That's most high schools in metro Vancouver. The thing is many people in Vancouver are literally walking distance from several schools. There are three high schools within reasonable walking distance from my place and two or three more within an easy bike ride.

Ironically enough Japan built many neighborhoods with an elementary school at the centre with the idea being that elementary schools are hubs of walking with kids not being able to drive and all... it's a common pattern to see 5 story apartments surrounding an elementary school.

It's ironic because they borrowed the idea from an American who came up with the concept. Difference being Japan actually implemented it.

[cganuelas1995]

How is it riding the 4/7/14/16/20 through the DTES in terms of reliability and safety?

[Helvetia]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

How is it riding the 4/7/14/16/20 through the DTES in terms of reliability and safety?

Reliability is a solid "meh". Really depends on how Hastings St feels on that day, but expect the bus to be a few mins late, which isn't unique to Hastings I guess.

In terms of safety, you're unlikely to be injured. Though you will have to put up with various odours and people carrying around random items that may brush against you by accident. Not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination, but also not as bad as the media makes it out to be?

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Helvetia

...you will have to put up with various odours and people carrying around random items that may brush against you by accident.

In all my decades of riding public transit I've never given even a second of thought to this. Is this really something that people worry about to the extent that they refuse to take transit? This isn't just a "first world problem", it's a problem experienced only by the most privileged people of the first world.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

In all my decades of riding public transit I've never given even a second of thought to this. Is this really something that people worry about to the extent that they refuse to take transit? This isn't just a "first world problem", it's a problem experienced only by the most privileged people of the first world.

The only real example is the urine soaked streetperson who stinks up an entire car.
I remember in Toronto during university in the 1990s, there would be streetpeople on the subway and one person could stink up an entire subway car - to the extent that passengers would exit that car and flee to the next car at the next stop.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

In all my decades of riding public transit I've never given even a second of thought to this. Is this really something that people worry about to the extent that they refuse to take transit? This isn't just a "first world problem", it's a problem experienced only by the most privileged people of the first world.

I believe that's their point: it's disconcerting, but won't and shouldn't deter anybody from riding the bus at all.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The only real example is the urine soaked streetperson who stinks up an entire car.
I remember in Toronto during university in the 1990s, there would be streetpeople on the subway and one person could stink up an entire subway car - to the extent that passengers would exit that car and flee to the next car at the next stop.

I did sit next to a guy who smelled like he was made of tobacco on the 20 the other day

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

In all my decades of riding public transit I've never given even a second of thought to this. Is this really something that people worry about to the extent that they refuse to take transit? This isn't just a "first world problem", it's a problem experienced only by the most privileged people of the first world.

I don’t take transit that often but the last two times there were incidents. First one a scary looking guy had his cans and randomly started cursing a young woman. Second a shady looking guy got on at Drake going downtown and started doing something sketchy. At Georgia the driver gets out and starts cursing that the guy is smoking heroin on the bus ( I don’t even know one smoked heroin) and saying why didn’t passengers tell him. Imagine if people were smoking drugs in your workplace everyday!

[BaddieB]

I feel like people who never take transit always have bad experiences in the rare instances they do use it. I take transit almost every day and my biggest peeve is people not following transit etiquette, rather than someone threatening my life or smoking crack (which I have never experienced, despite going downtown a lot)

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

This isn't just a "first world problem", it's a problem experienced only by the most privileged people of the first world.

there is a terrible attitude.

"because someone, somewhere has it worse. you should be happy with whatever you get."

thats how we get a race to the bottom. also, perceptions matter. and the perception is transit is full of vagrants that are unclean, smelly, carrying garbage, and doing drugs.

and we know these things are happening. theres enough proof of it. if you want people to feel comfortable on transit, you need to stop saying "youre just too privileged because of someone, somewhere else having it worse"

compassion fatigue is a thing, and its becoming the common attitude.

[Migrant_Coconut]

By many accounts, "drugs and poor hygiene" also describes the New York Subway... the busiest metro in the Western hemisphere. If it's useful, people will use it, stink be damned.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

By many accounts, "drugs and poor hygiene" also describes the New York Subway... the busiest metro in the Western hemisphere. If it's useful, people will use it, stink be damned.

and its only recovered to about 75% pre-pandemic, is facing a huge debt issue, and has many other issues.

difference is, the MTA has always been grimy, its a city of 7m+ people. driving in NYC is also not a "real" option, where as here it is.

not a good comparison. should we really be saying we have just as bad of an issue as a city 3x our size? (thats including the whole GVRD). we can and should be doing better.

we need to stop tolerating the vagrants having a free for all in society. it is not going to lead to anywhere good. NYC is have a major issue with this to. and a backlash is growing there.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Did I say "tolerate?" Solving homelessness and drugs is City Council's jurisdiction, and right now they're just pretending to solve it; I'd rather have TransLink worrying about fixing the deficit, maintaining the current level of service and getting SkyTrains on time and on budget than policing the one hunchbacked "giant bag of cans" guy (who in my experience, makes a lot of noise and smells and sometimes has his crack exposed but doesn't actually start anything).

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

…If it's useful, people will use it, stink be damned.

Copyright that, maybe you can sell it to them as a marketing tagline.

[Helvetia]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

... Is this really something that people worry about to the extent that they refuse to take transit? This isn't just a "first world problem", it's a problem experienced only by the most privileged people of the first world.

I don't have a car, and I'd still choose to take transit even if I did. But I'm not going to pretend like I enjoy someone's bag of heavy metals banging against my leg, or to have someone slowly collapse centimeters in front of my face (both of which happened).