Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

OK. And how much does it cost for a multi-zone pass?

I'd probably only use it a few times, but, I am not waiting in those ticket machine lines.

1 Zone - $73
2 Zone - $99
3 Zone - $136

They are going up in April though add $7 to each I believe.

And you don't have to validate them. Just show them when you need to. Example if you are walking through a station and see an attendant checking fares. Just pull it out as you walk by show it. No need to really stop.

They are worth it if you take transit all the time, but if you don't then it really isn't worth it.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by deasine

Not to make fun of the TTC, but they are just implementing their trip planner service.

Hopefully they are just giving their schedule info to google. They certainly did a much better job than Translink's in-house system.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

OK. And how much does it cost for a multi-zone pass?

I'd probably only use it a few times, but, I am not waiting in those ticket machine lines.

Don't get a pass if you are only going to use it a few times.

There are 2 different kinds of machines at the stations. Ticket Vending Machines and Faresaver Validators.

The ticket vending machine lines are for people buying tickets with cash monies. IE: they have to stand there, pick which ticket they want (or multiples if they are buying for others too) then pay, usually with Interac or CC which needs to be validated. The process takes time, which is why there are lines.

Faresavers are prepaid tickets, made out of paper exactly like a transfer pass you get if you pay with cash, but at a significant discount because you buy books of 10. For 1 zone tickets it's a 60 cents saving per ticket.

With Faresavers, you use the Validator Machines. They are completely different machines, and there is never a line for them. The validators are short and and only have a slot to put in a faresaver, no other interface or touch screen. Just an LCD screen that says, thanks.

You walk up, put in a faresaver, it sucks it in, activates it, prints the expire time on it, and spits it out, you take it as your Proof of Payment and walk away. The whole process takes about 3 seconds. In my whole history of using them I've never been behind a line of more than 2 people, which takes a total of about 10 seconds to go by.

These long lines are for the slow vending machines. If you already have a faresaver ticket, the validator machines are usually empty and waiting for you.

Faresavers also work on all buses and are much easer to use than paying with change (and cheaper).

We really need smart cards, but until then, Faresavers are actually a very impressive and well implemented system (better than token based ones in other cities).

EDIT:
Here is a picture of the machines at Broadway Station. The Vending machines for using cash are the big ones on the right, the Validator machines are the short ones on the left.


Source: Buzzer Blog

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

How about a smart card system? Refillable online? Translink needs to catch up to 2002.

vancouver will probably get em in 10 years

in 1992 i moved to a small town in ontario and the busses there used fare boxes that vancouver didn't get until sometime after 2000

[deasine]

Buzzer Blog posted a hilarious comic that represents many of us, especially me, on transit... though I generally don't hold the doors.


Comic by Angela Melick on the Buzzer Blog

[SpongeG]

haha

re pickpockets - i was on granville street the other day amongst the lanetern thing where they have teh cut outs people pose in and some family was near one but left their baby buggy unattended - the woman's purse was right there in a spot that could easily be grabbed and they were a good distance away from where they left it I was amazed it was sitting their ungrabbed

[jsbertram]

I see it's now "EAST Broadway" (not to be confused with "Broadway - City Hall" on the C-Line), and isn't labeled "Broadway - Commercial", even though that's what the 99B calls it. Doncha wish Translink and Skytrain would just pick one name & use it all the time?

"I'll meet you at the VCC station."
"Which one? VCC - Vancouver City Centre on the C-Line, or VCC - Vancouver Community College on the M-Line?"

[red-paladin]

I have a question. Can Burrard station's platforms be extended? Granville's platforms and tunnel area are straight, but Burrard has curves on each end.

[thegryseone]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I have a question. Can Burrard station's platforms be extended? Granville's platforms and tunnel area are straight, but Burrard has curves on each end.

I think they could be extended. It's possible.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

I see it's now "EAST Broadway" (not to be confused with "Broadway - City Hall" on the C-Line), and isn't labeled "Broadway - Commercial", even though that's what the 99B calls it. Doncha wish Translink and Skytrain would just pick one name & use it all the time?

"I'll meet you at the VCC station."
"Which one? VCC - Vancouver City Centre on the C-Line, or VCC - Vancouver Community College on the M-Line?"

I think you misunderstood. East Broadway is just the name of the four exits within the station. And correction, it's "Commercial-Broadway" not "Broadway-Commercial")

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I have a question. Can Burrard station's platforms be extended? Granville's platforms and tunnel area are straight, but Burrard has curves on each end.

I had that same question earlier. I think the curves South East of the platforms aren't significant enough to create a huge gap between the train and the platform.

[red-paladin]

Thanks. I hope it's true.
I did notice that the east end of the eastbound platform at commercial station has the yellow safety tiles shaved off on a curve, so that's what I was thinking.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Thanks. I hope it's true.
I did notice that the east end of the eastbound platform at commercial station has the yellow safety tiles shaved off on a curve, so that's what I was thinking.

If it is needed, "gap fillers" can shorten the distance between the train and the platform.

Here are a few examples used in many Int'l Metros:


MTR System. Photography by Baycrest of Wikipedia.

Oddly enough, there has still been many major injuries on the MTR despite the use of gap fillers, which already shorten the gap.


Korean PS Link Metro. Photography from PS Link Korea.


Paris Metro. Photography from Fersil-Railway.


San Francisco MUNI LRT. Photography from Globalride.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

vancouver will probably get em in 10 years

in 1992 i moved to a small town in ontario and the busses there used fare boxes that vancouver didn't get until sometime after 2000

Honolulu still uses the paper transfer tickets. Toronto's bus system was still using the paper transfer tickets after Vancouver switched as well.

[The_Henry_Man]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

I see it's now "EAST Broadway" (not to be confused with "Broadway - City Hall" on the C-Line), and isn't labeled "Broadway - Commercial", even though that's what the 99B calls it. Doncha wish Translink and Skytrain would just pick one name & use it all the time?

"I'll meet you at the VCC station."
"Which one? VCC - Vancouver City Centre on the C-Line, or VCC - Vancouver Community College on the M-Line?"

"Vancouver City Centre" is the lamest of all the names of stations in the entire Skytrain network. It incites confusion and it has to go. I wish Translink can just change the name of that station to Georgia or Robson or something. Sigh.....(don't know if you can change that later on but hopefully)

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by The_Henry_Man

"Vancouver City Centre" is the lamest of all the names of stations in the entire Skytrain network. It incites confusion and it has to go. I wish Translink can just change the name of that station to Georgia or Robson or something. Sigh.....(don't know if you can change that later on but hopefully)

I couldn't agree more. I always though "Georgia" station would eloquently say it all. Apparently not.

[red-paladin]

I'm sure they chose it as they thought it was more marketable. Maximize return on investment right?

[deasine]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I'm sure they chose it as they thought it was more marketable. Maximize return on investment right?

It's good for tourists. You often see "YVR-Airport to Vancouver City Centre in 25 min" advertisements at the Airport as opposed to "YVR-Airport to Waterfront" for that reason.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

vancouver will probably get em in 10 years

in 1992 i moved to a small town in ontario and the busses there used fare boxes that vancouver didn't get until sometime after 2000

I dont know what you are talking about... TTC still uses the paper transfers Translink got rid of a decade ago. The TTC infrastructure is about 20 years behind translink, their token machines (yes they still use tokens) dont even take debit or credit... neither do their manned kiosks. In fact there is only one place in the entire system that takes debit or credit which is Union station.

Dont even get me started on the piss poor TTC infrastrucutre, I could go on for hours. You guys dont know how good you have it with translink.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by deasine

I think you misunderstood. East Broadway is just the name of the four exits within the station. And correction, it's "Commercial-Broadway" not "Broadway-Commercial")



I had that same question earlier. I think the curves South East of the platforms aren't significant enough to create a huge gap between the train and the platform.

Gotta love Skytrain standardization, when Broadway (arguably the busier major street) appears first in one station name (Broadway - City Hall), and last in another (Commercial-Broadway). geeeeeez....

[deasine]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Gotta love Skytrain standardization, when Broadway (arguably the busier major street) appears first in one station name, and last in another. geeeeeez....

Not necessarily here. Commercial-Broadway was chosen so that passengers can become used to calling it Commercial rather than Broadway, which is now used for Broadway-City Hall. If you want to talk about standardization, then make Oakridge-41st Avenue should become 41st Avenue-Oakridge, or Joyce-Collingwood should become Collingwood-Joyce, etc.