Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion - Page 99

SpongeG · #**1961** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 12:24 AM**

lol at the last sentance - most of the skytrain system is being moved underground - lol

SpongeG · #**1962** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 12:40 AM**

more australian interest:

Train on elevated track speeds off with doors wide open

January 05, 2009 02:20pm

PASSENGERS had a wild ride when their train left a station on an elevated railway 10m above a busy road with its doors still open.

Alarmed passengers huddled away from three sets of open doors, through which cars could be seen about 10m below the Vancouver SkyTrain sped to the next station.
One passenger posted a camera phone video on YouTube and others described the incident as "crazy" and "horrifying", reports Vancouver's Burnaby News Leader.

TransLink officials say security video shows one set of doors were forced open by a passenger at the platform. That would normally have triggered an alarm and prevented the train from leaving.

But spokesman Ken Hardie said technicians were also working on doors at the far end of the four-car train and had disabled the alarm. Neither they nor the operator who was manually driving the train realized there were open doors when it pulled away.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24874645-5013016,00.html

this story has the video on its page

mr.x · #**1963** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 12:44 AM**

Quote:

Most of the SkyTrain network is being moved underground ahead of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as part of a transport strategy to minimise problems if similar weather strikes during the Games.

They make it sound like that's the sole reason why it's [mainly] underground.

SpongeG · #**1964** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 2:25 AM**

yeah but they also make it sound like we are moving the existing skytrain underground

they need a fact checker

maybe someone can educate them about the huge error

its a completely new system not the existing and its not really skytrain

DKaz · #**1965** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 4:15 AM**

Correct the stations are 180m long.. each car is about 26m long so the stations are capable of 7-cars. Two of the train uses 9-cars with doors roped off for emergency exit only on one pair of doors on the inbound side and three pairs on the outbound side. It's the two 9-car trips that are the busiest so I don't see how they can add anymore cars to those trips. The most logical thing would be for them to add an additional trip but probably unlikely. I wonder what they're going to do.

nname · #**1966** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 5:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKaz

Correct the stations are 180m long.. each car is about 26m long so the stations are capable of 7-cars. Two of the train uses 9-cars with doors roped off for emergency exit only on one pair of doors on the inbound side and three pairs on the outbound side. It's the two 9-car trips that are the busiest so I don't see how they can add anymore cars to those trips. The most logical thing would be for them to add an additional trip but probably unlikely. I wonder what they're going to do.

Reschedule to run the 2 busiest train 20 min apart and run the other trains hourly? Or add the 6th train using the spare locomotive (and load another spare from somewhere else).

DKaz · #**1967** Posted **Jan 6, 2009, 5:28 PM**

Perhaps.

Inbound leaving Mission Station
Current:
5:27(4-car), 5:57(6 or 7), 6:27(9), 6:57(9), 7:27(6 or 7)
New:
5:27(5), 5:57(7), 6:17(9), 6:37(7), 6:57(7), 7:27(7)
Or:
5:27(6), 5:57(8), 6:27(10), 6:57(10), 7:27(8)

Outbound leaving Waterfront Station
Current:
3:50 (6), 4:20(7), 4:50(9), 5:30(9), 6:20(4)
New:
3:50(7), 4:20(7), 4:50(9), 5:15 or 5:20(7), 5:40(7), 6:20(5)
Or:
3:50(8), 4:20(8), 4:50(10), 5:30(10), 6:20(6)

The outbound schedule is tricky as the current times usually coincide with work schedules. You see mostly contractors on the first train inbound and outbound because they typically work 7-3 or 7-3:30. I work 8-5 which means I catch the 6:27 and 5:30 though if I decide to work a little late, the 6:20 works great. Bumping the 5:30 up 10 minutes would really work for me because I find myself rushing from work to catch that train most of the time.

What I'd really like to see is two counter-rush-hour Trainbus trips in the AM and PM. Leave Waterfront 6AM and 7AM, and leave Mission Station 4:30PM and 5:30PM.

On a side note, train #3 was nearly half an hour late into Waterfront Station because apparently one of the engineers activated the air brakes and no one knew how to turn it off.

officedweller · #**1968** Posted **Jan 8, 2009, 8:22 PM**

Probably the WCE cars?

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/todays-paper/announce+transit+vehicles/1153859/story.html

Quote:

Day to announce new transit vehicles
Statement will include a look at future additions

By Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun
January 8, 2009

Federal Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day will be in Metro Vancouver today to announce funding for a variety of new transit vehicles, including buses and SkyTrain cars, and to re-announce the addition of a third SeaBus vessel.

Federal money for the vehicles comes in part from the Gas Tax Fund, which is administered by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

On Wednesday, TransLink spokesman Drew Snider said some of the vehicles, such as a new $25-million SeaBus and some of the new buses, have already been announced or delivered.

For example, he said, 44 new buses that were paid for as part of the federal fund were recently allocated to North Vancouver routes.

Many of the buses provide increased accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities.

"It's a chance to give some acknowledgement to the fact that the federal government and the UBCM have been very instrumental in bringing these together," Snider said of today's event, which will take place at the SeaBus maintenance facility in North Vancouver.

Snider added that Day, who is also the minister responsible for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, will make additional new announcements discussing vehicles that will be added to the TransLink fleet in the coming few years as a result of new commitments from the federal fund.

Snider would not go into specifics about the new vehicles, but said the dollar figure for the entire announcement will be "big."

British Columbia can access $483 million through the Gas Tax Fund between 2007 and 2010, a federal government website says, and an additional $1 billion from 2010 to 2014.

This does not include money the province can access through the federal Building Canada Fund, which comprises $1 billion in funding for infrastructure projects in B.C.

[email protected]

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

DKaz · #**1969** Posted **Jan 8, 2009, 9:12 PM**

No mention at all but I guess West Coast Express already earmarked that money anyway.

I took Train #1 yesterday morning and it was pretty busy. Quite a few standees.

Hey look, more articulated trolleys! =D

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.translink.bc.ca

January 08, 2009
TransLink expands fleet, service, thanks to federal investment

Federal funding will allow TransLink to purchase almost 200 new buses to replace and expand the fleet serving Metro Vancouver as well as continue with the SkyTrain expansion.

Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, Stockwell Day, B.C. Minister of Community Development Blair Lekstrom and Union of BC Municipalities Executive Member Malcolm Brodie joined TransLink CEO Thomas Prendergast today to make the announcement.

“The Government of Canada is committed to projects that encourage increased ridership on public transit,” said Minister Day, on behalf of John Baird, Canada’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister. “The Government’s investment in these new, easier-access hybrid buses demonstrates that we are delivering results that are good for our environment, create jobs, and give a boost to our economy.”

Federal Gas Tax funding of $186.4 million over the next two years will allow further expansion and replacement of TransLink’s various fleets. The new funding will support the purchase of:

146 conventional buses

34 articulated trolley buses

23 Community Shuttles

55 HandyDART buses

38 SkyTrain Mark II cars

Thanks to funding from the federal Gas Tax, a third SeaBus will go into service in less than a year.

“Improving the quality and accessibility of public transportation is a huge priority for growing urban centres like Metro Vancouver,” said B.C. Minister Lekstrom. “These Gas Tax Funds will allow the region to enhance vital transportation infrastructure, which will have a direct impact on the day-to-day lives of residents.”

“We’re grateful to have the support of the federal government as we expand and improve our Metro Vancouver’s transit network,” added Mr. Prendergast. “We also want to acknowledge the partnership between TransLink, the Union of BC Municipalities and the provincial government, through which this funding has been earmarked for our improvement projects. As Metro Vancouver continues to expand, so does the demand on the transit system, and it’s clear that we could not move as quickly or with as many improvements without this kind of support.”

“These new investments in TransLink’s system will provide transit services that are efficient, sustainable and focused on the needs of commuters,” said Mayor Brodie.

In 2009, the Gas Tax Fund will also provide $10 million for the $54 million SkyTrain Operations and Maintenance Centre expansion, and in 2010, the new Maintenance and Transportation Training Centre (MTTC) in Maple Ridge will receive $50 million of the nearly $165 million cost.

Today’s event also acknowledged that 44 new low-floor accessible buses are now in service in North Vancouver. The purchase of the new buses was made possible through previous Gas Tax funding announced in September of 2007.

Gordon · #**1970** Posted **Jan 8, 2009, 10:00 PM**

Maybe some of these new Articulated trlleys will be used on The #8 Fraser Route which is supposed to become an articulated route early this year.

Does anyone have any information on how the Canadaline bus integration will effect on routes in Vancouver besides the #17 route terminating at the Broadway City Hall Station?

DKaz · #**1971** Posted **Jan 9, 2009, 12:15 AM**

No, Translink will release their final plans in a few months. Everything else is just speculation.

With terminating the 17 at Broadway-City Hall, it doesn't really make much sense. What about the UBC portion of the route? Are they just going to rely on the 9 bus? That's going to be hugely inconvenient for the UBC students living on campus trying to get to downtown to get drunk. I doubt that will happen, just like they started running the 3 downtown again. Some people just don't like taking the train (my ex-roomie was and still is scared to death of the Skytrain), and some people like a no-transfer trip.

Gordon · #**1972** Posted **Jan 9, 2009, 1:23 AM**

the initial plan was to terminate the Oak portion of the 17 route @ Broadway City Hall Station & have the Downtown /UBC section be attached to the Hastings section of the #8 Granville Route, I'm not sure what would the Granville route would end up looking like.

Mac Write · #**1973** Posted **Jan 9, 2009, 1:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKaz

No, Translink will release their final plans in a few months. Everything else is just speculation.

With terminating the 17 at Broadway-City Hall, it doesn't really make much sense. What about the UBC portion of the route? Are they just going to rely on the 9 bus? That's going to be hugely inconvenient for the UBC students living on campus trying to get to downtown to get drunk. I doubt that will happen, just like they started running the 3 downtown again. Some people just don't like taking the train (my ex-roomie was and still is scared to death of the Skytrain), and some people like a no-transfer trip.

The #10 will return as the UBC route and the #17 just won't go downtown and switch to the #15. I assume the #15 will still go downtown.

Are these the 37 articulated trolley buses that will be arriving in the next few months or an additional 34 articulated trolley buses? Same with the 38 Mark II Skytrain cars. Is that just saying part of the 48 already on order, or 38+48, which would put the OTC well over capacity.

deasine · #**1974** Posted **Jan 10, 2009, 1:42 AM**

Quote:

January 09, 2009
Public asked to help choose public art on Main Street bus

The public is invited to choose the artwork which will be featured on the side of a #3 Main Street articulated trolley bus as part of an innovative public art program.
88 BLOCKS • Art on Main is a three-year public art program focussing on public transit and public space along Main Street in Vancouver, BC. The program will feature five planned exhibitions on three articulated trolleys servicing the #3 Main route as well as artworks installed at various locations along the Main Street corridor.

The first exhibition is A Bright Future by Instant Coffee, an internationally recognized artist collective based in Vancouver and Toronto. Blanket Bus, an articulated trolley that is completely wrapped in cosy afghan blanket patterns has been on the route since late December. Inside a second trolley, sixteen panels of artwork have been installed where advertisements are usually found. People are invited to vote for their favourite artwork and the piece which receives the most votes will then be enlarged and displayed as a panel on the outside of a third trolley.

The winning artwork will be announced at the opening launch event for 88 BLOCKS • Art on Main on Saturday, 17 January 2009.

Come visit Main Street and see the new artworks on the buses and vote for your favourite up to January 17th via free text messaging at 604-779-0008 or online at www.instantcoffee.org .

This public art program is just one element in a broad package of transit and neighbourhood street improvements for Main Street, sponsored through the Urban Transportation Showcase Program that started in 2004.

Under the program, urban design, new transit technology, and a fleet of new articulated trolley buses will all contribute to the transit system’s major goals: moving more people while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Main Street, recognized for its unique combination of small businesses, artists’ work spaces and restaurants will be even more welcoming to pedestrians and transit riders with the addition of the public art, new street furniture and sidewalk revitalization projects.

Source: TransLink

WBC · #**1975** Posted **Jan 10, 2009, 6:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Write

Are these the 37 articulated trolley buses that will be arriving in the next few months or an additional 34 articulated trolley buses? Same with the 38 Mark II Skytrain cars. Is that just saying part of the 48 already on order, or 38+48, which would put the OTC well over capacity.

It's just feds paying for the old order of 38 cars as per Buzzer Blog (http://tinyurl.com/98hqyj) - see comments