Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

I think the thinking with the gap is even though it's a long walk north or south to the closest east/west route, it's usually not a far walk east or west for the closest north/south route.

True, but it seems the existing East/West routes are maxing out at rush hour with the Canada Line now open. Even a community shuttle will help.

Maybe it will have to wait till whenever the George Pearson rehab centre is ever redeveloped. That land is way too valuable for such a sprawling 1 story facility.

[deasine]

If you look through this thread, you'll find a lot other members proposing a route along 54th Avenue & 57th Avenue right until at least Langara. But until we can a lot more funding, there won't be a new bus route.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

Bus service returns to Granville Mall

Bus service will begin a gradual return to Granville Mall next month. Beginning Monday, December 14, the #50 False Creek South, which had been routed away from Granville during construction of Granville Mall and the Canada Line, will resume service on Granville Street northbound as far as Robson Street and southbound beginning at Nelson.

The northbound bus will turn right on Robson and then left on Seymour; the southbound bus will come up Howe Street from Cordova to Nelson, then turn left to Granville.

The re-route will stay in place until February 1, when all traffic will come off Granville Street for the month to create a pedestrian mall during the Olympics: the #50 will go back to using Seymour northbound and Howe southbound and then return to the December routing in March.

Also in March, work will begin on installing trolley overhead wires along Granville Street, so that trolley buses, which had been removed from Granville in April 2006, may resume service by the fall of 2010.

http://www.translink.ca/en/About-TransLi...s-service-returns-to-Granville-Mall.aspx

It will be so nice in March to be able to walk out a station and get on a bus right there on Granville instead of walking over to Howe.

So when the overhead wires go back up, will there be no more bus service on Howe or Seymour at all?

Before Canada Line construction Howe and Seymour were home to the 98 bline and suburban routes. Now that those no longer exist, will there be a need for the dedicated transit lanes? Maybe the city could return off peak parking onto those streets to generate some extra revenue.

[CLC]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Would it be possible for Translink to add an East/West route along 57th/59th? There's quite a gap between 49th and Marine.

No offense, but I think adding such route now is a waste of resource. Ridership of new bus route needs quite a long time to build up. For instance, #33 ridership is not even one-fifth of that of #49 in non-rush hours.

Simply add more buses for #49 will benefit hundreds of people delayed by pass-ups everyday.

[nname]

Originally Posted by CLC

Simply add more buses for #49 will benefit hundreds of people delayed by pass-ups everyday.

The biggest service improvement in December is actually the #49.. but they didn't mention it

[deasine]

Originally Posted by nname

The biggest service improvement in December is actually the #49.. but they didn't mention it

What are the improvements?

[nname]

Originally Posted by deasine

What are the improvements?

I think there are like 2 full-length trips and 8 or so short-turned trips (from Cambie to Metrotown) added.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by nname

I think there are like 2 full-length trips and 8 or so short-turned trips (from Cambie to Metrotown) added.

I just hope the Langara students do take it instead of taking the UBC bus behind it, which happens quite often.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

It will be so nice in March to be able to walk out a station and get on a bus right there on Granville instead of walking over to Howe.
...

You're gonna have a long wait unless you want the 50.

"... in March, work will begin on installing trolley overhead wires along Granville Street, so that trolley buses ... may resume service by the fall of 2010."

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Spork

I was once driving through Granville @ Broadway heading southbound, and a LIVE trolley wire came down and put a massive dent in the side of my friend's car. If it was a foot higher, it would have gone through the window, and likely killed my friend.

Just to be clear, the trolly wires are LIVE 24 hours a day / 7 days a week / 52 weeks a year. Unless they are specifically powered off for maintenance, or have been disconnected because they are not in regular use. Even when you see a Translink or Hydro crew working on a wire, it is still usually powered up, which is why one of their first steps is to cover the wires in their work area with insulation.

When dealing with electricity I expect that all wires are LIVE unless I know for sure otherwise.

If a trolly wire actually does fall & hits a car, not much will happen even if the car becomes electrically charged, because the rubber tires of the car are a good insulator preventing the power from passing through the car to the ground.

However, do not try to exit the car because as soon as your foot hits the ground YOU become the best way for 600 Volts to get from the wire, though the car to the ground. Stay in the car (the best Faraday cage you can have) until the Police Dept, the Fire Dept, the Ambulance crew, and Translink get the power turned off & you are escorted (one at a time) from the car.

You'll have a dent to fix & a story for the grandkids about the olde-tyme electric buses before the anti-gravity personal travel pods were developed.

[Millennium2002]

Is it also possible to get out by hopping out of your car with both feet simultaneously?

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

Is it also possible to get out by hopping out of your car with both feet simultaneously?

Yes, but only if you are in immediate danger... meaning the risk of you dying in the car is greater than the 9/10 risk of you dying while you try to successfully hop out. You can't be touching the car when you touch the ground, and you can't let your feet separate as you hop... And as you hop away from the car, if you fall, you die.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

Is it also possible to get out by hopping out of your car with both feet simultaneously?

Possibly, but most people 'wobble' while hopping, so they will instinctively want to prop themselves up after the first hop - touching the car ---ZZZZZZAP---

I suspect that hopping on one foot is better, but you'd need better balance too.

Hasn't this been figured out already on Mythbusters?

[jlousa]

The hopping method does not work well because most people miss the most important step, the idea is keeping you feet together so there is no differential between you legs for power to run up one leg and down the other (same concept can sit on a live wire). You are only ever supposed to get out of the car if it's on fire or if in immediate danger. The problem stems from the first hop as you exit the car even if you keep your feet together you are in contact with the car which is a large enough mass to provide some ground and you will get zapped. Ideally you would find a way to hop out of the car so that when you touch the ground you are no longer in contact with the car, not the easiest thing to do in most cars, especially under stress.

Back on topic, Looks like the waterfront hub vision is on the back burner, Translink issued an rfp for engineering on the seabuses terminals for possible updates.

[CLC]

Originally Posted by nname

I think there are like 2 full-length trips and 8 or so short-turned trips (from Cambie to Metrotown) added.

more short-turned trips would help, but I wonder if it needs to be go all the way to Metrotown? I think a shorter trip from Champlain Mall to Cambie station would be more effective.

[deasine]

I came across a rather surprising info sheet from the Bus Riders Union...

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO STOP THESE UNJUST FINES?
The Bus Riders Union has a campaign Justice for Riders: We won’t ride with Fear! No guns, No racial profiling! We’re calling on TransLink to stop enforcing fares. We believe that everyone has a right to public transit, regardless of their ability to pay. TransLink is using $173 fines to privatize public transit – it will become a service for the privileged few, rather than a right for all. For bus riders, these fines are unaffordable, create big money problems and prevent some people from using public transit.

(Bus Riders Union, 2007)

More info here:
http://bru.vcn.bc.ca/uploads/images/61/Justice_Info_sheet.pdf

[WarrenC12]

^^^^^^

$173 fines to privatize public transit? I don't even know where to start with that one.

I'm calling on the police to stop enforcing speed limits, drug laws, and public drunkeness. So far it's not going so well...

[Zassk]

^ If users don't pay, then who will pay the drivers' wages? Or is it also a right for them to be a bus driver, regardless of Translink's ability to pay them?

[twoNeurons]

Considering the fact that Translink doesn't get any of the revenue (it all goes to the province) it's a pretty weak argument that fines are helping to privatize transit. Not to mention the fact that Translink doesn't enforce fares, the province does, by not allowing you to renew provincial driver's licenses. Of course, since those that can't pay for transit likely can't afford a car either, linking unpaid fines to license renewal doesn't really do much, does it?

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by deasine

I came across a rather surprising info sheet from the Bus Riders Union...


(Bus Riders Union, 2007)

More info here:
http://bru.vcn.bc.ca/uploads/images/61/Justice_Info_sheet.pdf

If they cant afford the $173 fine maybe they could try paying the rather affordable fare then?