Canada Line | Completed

[The_Henry_Man]

Originally Posted by nname

Anyone interested in Canada Line's schedule.. its called "Route 980"

Northbound
Southbound

How were you able to get the C-Line (aka "bus 980") schedule on Translink website trip planner? I tried to do the same thing but it doesn't work.

[SpongeG]

its not like people get there the exact second a train leaves so most won't have to wait the full time between

[duener]

Originally Posted by Waders

I can confirm that from my experience. For 5 days in the past week, I found myself arrived at Metrotown station platform at 7:43am. The same 4 car M-II would arrive. What amazed me was the same girl would sit in the same spot, and she recognized me too! (Too bad I didn't have the courage to say hi) I almost felt like event repeat itself according to some plan.

That sounds like the movie Ground Hog day....

...maybe instead of saying hi to the girl, next time ask her why she's stalking you everyday. Joke about how your relationship together doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Then offer to discuss her "skytrain issues" sometime - of course you'll need her number for that.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by tGill

even the offpeak of the millennium line seems terrible compared to the expo line

I hear you!

Does anybody know the net effect of all of the new trains coming online? Will there be a frequency bump for both lines, or just longer train combinations?

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

its not like people get there the exact second a train leaves so most won't have to wait the full time between

But at 20 minutes, you'll find people who will use a schedule instead of just going to the station.

You know... if we had that frequency all day, we could've just single tracked both the Richmond and Airport legs.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I hear you!

Does anybody know the net effect of all of the new trains coming online? Will there be a frequency bump for both lines, or just longer train combinations?

Longer trains and higher frequencies...4-car Mark II and 6-car Mark I.

[DKaz]

Late night frequency in Edmonton: 15 minutes.
Late night frequency in Richmond (except Bridgeport): 20 minutes.

You would think that we would do better than Edmonton. Richmond is full of things to do at night.

Do you have access to the Saturday/Sunday schedule as well??

[BCPhil]

http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Canada-Line/YVR-AddFare.aspx

YVR Add Fare – Free Trial Until 2010.

The Canada Line YVR AddFare applies to travel between Bridgeport Station and any of the three stations on Sea Island (Templeton, Sea Island Centre and YVR-Airport). A $2.50 AddFare is required in each direction and must be purchased in addition to the standard fare for the number of zones that you travel in. The Canada Line YVR AddFare is valid for travel in both directions for a period of 90 minutes from the time of purchase. For example, if you are travelling between YVR-Airport Station and the city of Vancouver on a weekday before 6:30 p.m., you must purchase a two-zone ticket or pass plus the Canada Line YVR AddFare.

In the initial months of operation, a trial period will be in effect and travel on the Canada Line to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) will be exempt from the YVR AddFare. The AddFare is expected to take effect in 2010 and further details will be posted here when available.

I think/hope it means that you can use 1 add fare for 90 minutes, so if your trip to the airport is an hour you don't need 2 add fares?

They also have a new "info" page up for the Canada Line.
http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Canada-Line.aspx

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by mr.x

Longer trains and higher frequencies...4-car Mark II and 6-car Mark I.

Can you provide any more details?

[CLC]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Late night frequency in Edmonton: 15 minutes.
Late night frequency in Richmond (except Bridgeport): 20 minutes.

You would think that we would do better than Edmonton. Richmond is full of things to do at night.

latenight frequency of Canada Line (south of Bridgeport) is also down from current 98 service (15 minutes)

overall, Richmond residents (unless boarding at Bridgeport) does not enjoy significant frequency improvement over 98. When our last rapid-line built, the M-Line, it shortened the daytime frequency of 15-30 minutes between Lougheed & broadway (99-B) to 6 minutes.

Fortunately I only need to use the Vancouver stretch of the Canada Line, don't have to worry about memorize a schedule in my brain.

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Can you provide any more details?

We'll have all 4-car MKIIs and a handful of 6-car MKIs but the majority of MKIs will still be in 4-car configurations accodring to my calculations. We won't know for sure until next year when all the new MKIIs come online.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

I think/hope it means that you can use 1 add fare for 90 minutes, so if your trip to the airport is an hour you don't need 2 add fares?

That's the way I would interpret the statement - i.e. if you are going to meet a friend flying into town you could travel both ways on the same add-fare.

[sacrifice333]

Seems silly that rapid transit to the airport would have zero trains running from around 1am through 5am to downtown.

You'd think they could at least run one train every 30 minutes during that time of day.

[Pinion]

Heh, all this about unbearable 15 minute wait times. I'm thrilled when the seabus runs every 15 minutes instead of 30.

[CLC]

don't know if this long article has been posted in any other thread, but surprised that Translink spokesman does not sound optimistic about Canada Line ridership for the first few years

Subsidizing projects draining TransLink's funds

After taking on 'ridership risk' for Canada Line and Golden Ears Bridge, company says they won't break even for at least four years

By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun
July 18, 2009


TransLink expects to have to subsidize its two largest transportation projects -- the Canada Line and the Golden Ears Bridge -- for at least four years before ridership is high enough to reach a break-even point.

Those costs are a large part of the reason for the financial crunch that has TransLink looking for as much as $450 million a year in additional funding to operate Metro Vancouver's transit system and its major roads.

Both the rapid transit line and the new bridge were built as public-private partnerships, and in agreements with its partners, TransLink took on most of the "ridership risk" for both projects.

That means TransLink will have to subsidize both of them until ridership hits forecast levels, which the regional transportation authority acknowledges will take years.

The Canada Line, to open in August, isn't expected to see its projected 100,000 riders a day until 2013; the Golden Ears Bridge is expected to break even in about five years.

"It's very rare for any transit system to make money, let alone break even," TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said.

"By accepting the [ridership] risk we control the fares or the tolls. It's always been in the financial model that we would go a couple of years paying a higher subsidy."

TransLink's financial cash crunch will arrive by 2011 as it runs out of reserve funds. It says it needs $450 million a year to expand and operate transit services. If it fails to raise the money, it many have to reduce services, or postpone projects such as the long-awaited Evergreen rapid transit line to Metro's northeast quadrant.

...

Hardie wouldn't provide dollar figures for the Canada Line, but said TransLink must provide operator InTransitBC with operating costs and some capital, as well as debt-service costs of $38 to $39 million over the life of the agreement.

TransLink will collect the fares, so the closer the Canada Line comes to ridership targets, the better financial position TransLink will be in.

"The ridership will catch up over time," he said. "By 2013 we'll get some idea of what fare revenue is coming in and how much we would have to subsidize that line.

"We'll probably not have as high a subsidy [as is needed for bus service]. ... Rapid transit in this region comes closer to covering its costs than buses."

Hardie said the Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines already cover their costs, so TransLink is not providing a net subsidy. But he said transit in general normally runs at a loss because of high operating costs. On all modes of service, TransLink recovers only about 45 per cent of its operating costs at the fare box.

Roads are also money losers. For example, motorists on Kingsway pay no user fees, but TransLink pays Burnaby $13,000 per lane-kilometre to maintain the road.

"The fact is, our previous boards have committed us to a very aggressive expansion and our current board has maintained that," Hardie said. "It was done with the full knowledge that our operating costs would overtake us."

TransLink's cash crunch explains why it is scrambling to boost ridership on the Canada Line, using its buses to funnel riders to the new rapid transit line.

Travel time between downtown Vancouver and Vancouver International Airport will be 26 minutes.

Hardie said TransLink expects a "slow ramping up" of riders on the line. Among other things it will expand its Employer Pass Program, in which employers along the route are offered annual discounted fares if they sign up 25 people or more employees to ride transit.

The same strategy was used to build growth along the Millennium Line. Ten years ago, there were only 1,500 people signed up to the program; now it has 20,000 subscribers.

"The more people we can get on transit and using it, the more our fare revenue," Hardie said. "Every time you put in a new transit route it's heavily subsidized. What we want to do with Canada Line is shorten that lag as soon as possible."

Hardie said despite complaints from commuters, such as those using the No. 351 bus from White Rock, TransLink has decided to terminate such routes at the Canada Line's Bridgeport station.

He said the decision will free up some of the long-haul buses for more service between south Surrey and Richmond.

"One reason we're building rapid transit is because the surface transit is more clogged up," he said. "Your rapid transit becomes the backbone and your bus service becomes your ribs. It's going to attract a lot of new riders because it's going to provide travel time reliability."

[email protected]

[mr.x]

^ as I had predicted years ago, though Translink's timeline is a little longer. I said it would take 3-years to reach to 100,000 as it takes time for the public to get accustomed to the new service.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Late night frequency in Edmonton: 15 minutes.
Late night frequency in Richmond (except Bridgeport): 20 minutes.

You would think that we would do better than Edmonton. Richmond is full of things to do at night.

Do you have access to the Saturday/Sunday schedule as well??

full of things to do at night? like what? its pretty boring unless you like to eat

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by officedweller

That's the way I would interpret the statement - i.e. if you are going to meet a friend flying into town you could travel both ways on the same add-fare.

why would somone do that though when its quicker and cheaper driving, except for the peak of rush hour traffic which only lasts a little while.
sure the wear and tear on the vehicle probably makes it about the same and paying $3.50 for parking if you dont use the drop off zone or dont rip the parking machines off will probably make it about equal but its more convenient(plus unless you live next to the station there is absolutely no way it can compete time wise).

Im all for the buiding rapid transit but that $2.50 probably will tip the price to the point where I will never use the line. Thats $6 out of Vancouver assuming you make your trip in 90min (50min will be spent on the train not including waiting for it right of the bat if you leave waterfront, not including transfers to buses). Not to mention I can make it by car outside of rush hour traffic much faster to the airport.


oh and obviously your friend would also have to pay the fare...assuming you pay twice and he pays once thats $18...could almost catch a cab.
/rant

[SpongeG]

there are competitive options getting downtown, the hostels all have their own shuttle services, the hotels have shuttles, the airport shuttle isn't that much and taxis are pretty cheap when split - most tourists pay for the transfers when they book their hotels

backpackers and employees will use it i guess - adding $2.50 to $3.75 fair isn't that bad really - won't people with passes be exempt from the upcharge anyway?

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

full of things to do at night? like what? its pretty boring unless you like to eat

There are a few non-anorexic good looking people in Vancouver.