Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[NetMapel]

Skytrains are massively delayed today during rush hours. I rode them fully packed to work and from work during my commute today. Never been so... squished... in my life.

[hollywoodnorth]

sounds like next years new car's will be put to use quickly

when are we expecting them to start arriving?

anyone got any updated photos of the Skytrain Service yard expansion project?

[deasine]

Originally Posted by paradigm4

Hey I was at the Best Buy near the Queensborough today, and I saw the most peculiar thing. Looking up at the SkyTrain, I swear I saw an MKII train with a new swoosh design in blue and red. Now, my eyes may have been deceiving me, but, as we all know, they are only running 6 car MKIs and 4 car MKIIs right now.

Attached behind it was a blue and yellow MKII. AFAIK, TL doesn't mix and match MKIs with MKIIs. Also, the design of the swoosh on the new one was quite different from the design on the MKIIs.

Just keep your eyes out. This may be stock livery from one of the new trains, or maybe it's a new livery design...

I hope not... >___>" I like the existing SkyTrain livery. The only thing I want changed is gray trains instead of white... but that's about it.

[SpongeG]

Many commuters taking transit; buses running but slower than usual


VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - If you're thinking of leaving your car buried in snow this morning, you're not the only one. Many commuters are taking transit, which is running slower than usual because of the weather.

TransLink says buses are running behind because of more commuters and because of the elements. They advise you dress up for the cold, as you will be waiting longer and possibly walking a block or two if there's a detour at your stop.

Oak and 70th, and Broadway and Hemlock are two trouble spots TransLink is worried about. West Vancouver buses are all on snow routes, and that particularly affects British Properties and parts of Caulfield.

SkyTrain is back to normal. Power had been shutdown at Waterfront station because of water from a few burst pipes getting onto the tracks, but we're told that situation has been resolved.

HandyDART service has been reduced to essential services levels in Maple Ridge, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, South Surrey, Langley and White Rock.

The Albion ferry is still out of commission because of icy conditions on the Fraser.

All campuses of Kwantlen, Vancouver Community College, and BCIT are closed because of the snow. Meals-on-Wheels won't be running today in Vancouver and Richmond. They're hoping to be back on tomorrow.


http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20081222_093917_19924

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by paradigm4

Hey I was at the Best Buy near the Queensborough today, and I saw the most peculiar thing. Looking up at the SkyTrain, I swear I saw an MKII train with a new swoosh design in blue and red. Now, my eyes may have been deceiving me, but, as we all know, they are only running 6 car MKIs and 4 car MKIIs right now.

Attached behind it was a blue and yellow MKII. AFAIK, TL doesn't mix and match MKIs with MKIIs. Also, the design of the swoosh on the new one was quite different from the design on the MKIIs.

Just keep your eyes out. This may be stock livery from one of the new trains, or maybe it's a new livery design...

Red? Blue???



I guess we'll have to repaint our transit vehicle livery every single time we have a new party running government. Anyone remember the orange SeaBus livery?

Personally, I love the blue-yellow swoosh...i really hope it stays, it's cool to the eyes. Red and blue just bring back memories of the old Mark I livery, retro.

[ravman]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

How did Ravman move his post????? Now i have to move mine again!

Not yet, i want to get my evergreen line built without any more political garbage (which i am sure the NDP would bring if they came back in power now) along with gateway (and hopefully a UBC skytrain line well under planning)

well i am sure an NDP govt will build the Evergreen line and the UBC line without stalling for over 8 years... they have already built the foundation and then they will finish the project off.

Gateway... its already under construction... and didnt Gordo cancel the WB HOV lane on the Port Mann

[Metro-One]

I would hate to see how dangerously thin the lanes would be on the Port Mann if an extra lane was squeezed in, not to mention the structure would probably not be safe with the added extra traffic. I have a feeling that if the NDP got in they would try and play to the sympathy of the "LRT over ALRT" crowd (in order to get votes) and we would see a reversal yet again on the evergreen line, pushing it back a few more studies. The same goes for the UBC extension (which on this forum the strong majority desire ALRT and not LRT). It would slow everything down because that is the nature of politics "oh, this party decided to do this? Forget that, lets see what the people against these projects want" and then we end up with nothing....again! Just a bunch more studies. Hence we should keep the liberals around one more term to squeeze out the good road and rail projects and then get the NDP back for upgrading education and health care.

[ravman]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

I would hate to see how dangerously thin the lanes would be on the Port Mann if an extra lane was squeezed in, not to mention the structure would probably not be safe with the added extra traffic. I have a feeling that if the NDP got in they would try and play to the sympathy of the "LRT over ALRT" crowd (in order to get votes) and we would see a reversal yet again on the evergreen line, pushing it back a few more studies. The same goes for the UBC extension (which on this forum the strong majority desire ALRT and not LRT). It would slow everything down because that is the nature of politics "oh, this party decided to do this? Forget that, lets see what the people against these projects want" and then we end up with nothing....again! Just a bunch more studies. Hence we should keep the liberals around one more term to squeeze out the good road and rail projects and then get the NDP back for upgrading education and health care.

well actually, i believe that the NDP has a policy that they are supportive of ALRT to coquitlam and to UBC. They built a Mline that is a foundation for an extension to UBC, though it may be opened in parts, like the Mline ( Braid and Sapperton opened before the rest) and there are switches and a third platform there READY to build this. Studies have been done... i see the NDP starting construction within a year of being elected and the UBC line would follow soon thereafter... i would hope they build it in chunks like to Coquitlam centre and then to like Cambie and then to UBC....

[Gordon]

I wonder if there is any way that Translink can run even a couple of 6 car Mark 1 trains during normal peak service levels even if it means using some of their spares?

I think the new cars start arriving early in 09, hopefully the 1st arrivals will be put into service quickly.

[Dave2]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

Red? Blue???



I guess we'll have to repaint our transit vehicle livery every single time we have a new party running government. Anyone remember the orange SeaBus livery?

That skyline has changed somewhat in the past 30 years, and you can see Pier B-C on the right.

[Dave2]

Originally Posted by ravman

well i am sure an NDP govt will build the Evergreen line and the UBC line without stalling for over 8 years... they have already built the foundation and then they will finish the project off.

Gateway... its already under construction... and didnt Gordo cancel the WB HOV lane on the Port Mann

No... You think they could squeeze SIX lanes on there? I'll give you this though, once Clark decided to go with SkyTrain in '98, it went ahead with the shovels in the ground pretty quickly.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by ravman

and didnt Gordo cancel the WB HOV lane on the Port Mann

No - there's only space for one lane between the arch supports of the bridge. The extra lane was dedicated as a eastbound lane because the biggest backup in the area was due to slow moving trucks exiting Pacific Reach Business Park and entering Hwy 1 very slowly up the cloverleaf and relatively steep eastbound on-ramp.

The Skytrain colours are TransLink colours - I would be surprised if the livery was changed for political reasons.

Could it be an advertising wrap on a MKII?

[SpongeG]

apaprently the trolley busses are not runnign today

becasue a transit worker misread a memo and did not de-ice the wires last night

[SpongeG]

Update: Expect fewer trolley buses in afternoon commute
Trolley wires not de-iced this morning

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Only a fraction of Vancouver's trolley buses are running so far today, and buses will be in short supply this afternoon, because trolley wires were not de-iced overnight like they should have been. Human error is at the root of the problem, as TransLink says the manager responsible for sending out the de-icing truck apparently misread a memo.




TransLink's Drew Snider says the de-icing procedure is underway, "But in minus-10 degree weather and somewhat humid, the wires are freezing up again almost as quickly as they're de-iced. Coaches are parked in many areas of the city, and diesels are being used as available. That means there's going to be slower than usual service."

Suburban buses (those coming in from Burnaby, south of the Fraser and the North Shore) are doing local pickups and dropoffs, but it still means that TransLink will be extremely short of vehicles for the afternoon commute.


SkyTrain: Running longer trains at longer intervals to maximize capacity. All trains are attended by SkyTrain Attendants. On the combined Expo-Millennium section (between Columbia and Waterfront stations), you'll see a gap of 5-7 minutes between trains.


HandyDart: Normal Service for Vancouver and Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
"Essential Plus (dialysis, medical and work at the discretion of the driver depending on road conditions): Burnaby-New West-TriCities, Delta, Surrey, White Rock-Langley
Essential Only: Richmond and North Shore

Albion Ferry: Still closed due to ice on the Fraser River

http://www.news1130.com/more.jsp?content=20081223_101204_21676


Trolley buses parked this morning on 41st Ave, west of Fraser (Photo courtesy Alvinder Gill)


To make you feel better...Vancouver winter skyline (News1130 Photo)

[ravman]

Originally Posted by Dave2

No... You think they could squeeze SIX lanes on there? I'll give you this though, once Clark decided to go with SkyTrain in '98, it went ahead with the shovels in the ground pretty quickly.

well i know they fixed the interchange leading to coq and highway 1 and added HOV lanes from Grandview to 152nd but i recall the HOV did not get added WB because it was underconstruction when the Gordo took office

[quobobo]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

To make you feel better...Vancouver winter skyline (News1130 Photo)

I can't understand for the life of me why most online news sites still use such tiny, tiny photos. That would be amazing in a decent size.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by ravman

well i know they fixed the interchange leading to coq and highway 1 and added HOV lanes from Grandview to 152nd but i recall the HOV did not get added WB because it was underconstruction when the Gordo took office

Nah, I think it comes down to where you would put it. You'd have expand the bridge deck in quite a massive to plop another lane on there. At that point it makes a whole lot more sense just to go with saving the money for a new bridge.

[fever]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

Anyone remember the orange SeaBus livery?

Ha. Looks like ravman's done up in NDP orange too

[deasine]

No personal attacks.

[DKaz]

I was up on the roof of the Royal Columbian Hospital the other day. 6-car train goodness.