Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[mr.x]

I could understand the optics of having a $30 flat rate for the U-Pass within Translink jurisdiction, but the rest of the province too?

The $30 rate might work for Translink (albeit the transit system is already quite strained and more or less at capacity during rush hour), but does it really work for BC Transit as well?

[DKaz]

An adult monthly pass for ValleyMAX (Abbotsford-Mission) is $45 so $30 is only $15 less a month. lol. It's actually going to be more expensive because college students here can have the option to pay for a semester transit pass (4 months) for $105.

[paradigm4]

Originally Posted by mr.x

I could understand the optics of having a $30 flat rate for the U-Pass within Translink jurisdiction, but the rest of the province too?

The $30 rate might work for Translink (albeit the transit system is already quite strained and more or less at capacity during rush hour), but does it really work for BC Transit as well?

From the provincial news release:

Once implemented, U-Pass BC will be the most comprehensive student transit program in Canada, providing significant savings for students. In Metro Vancouver, post-secondary students will pay $30 per month for a system-wide U-Pass, compared to $81 they would pay for a monthly pass. Students will have the opportunity to vote in referenda on whether to join the new U-Pass BC Program.

The Province will invest over $20 million through April 2013 to support implementation of the U-Pass BC Program in Metro Vancouver. In all other regions, the Province will provide funding as required to ensure the U-Pass rate remains below $30 per month or to enable new institutions to join the U-Pass BC program at existing rates.

[twoNeurons]

I think you'll find places like UFV in Abby and Chwk will vote not to join. Transit in those places isn't that good and already quite inexpensive.

[WarrenC12]

It will be interesting to see what the usage patterns of students are like when the automated fare gates come in.

The U-Pass system is still mandatory right? Like every student has to pay the $30 whether or not they use it?

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It will be interesting to see what the usage patterns of students are like when the automated fare gates come in.

The U-Pass system is still mandatory right? Like every student has to pay the $30 whether or not they use it?

Every full-time student.
There are also certain exceptions to students, but they're done on a case by case basis.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It will be interesting to see what the usage patterns of students are like when the automated fare gates come in.

The U-Pass system is still mandatory right? Like every student has to pay the $30 whether or not they use it?

Yep, that's why contrary to popular belief, the U-Pass program in Translink actually comes close to breaking even. It might be different now, but a few years ago the program was +/- just a million or two of being revenue neutral. When around 60% of the students with a u-pass never use it, that's a lot of money that comes in from people that don't use the service.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It will be interesting to see what the usage patterns of students are like when the automated fare gates come in.

The U-Pass system is still mandatory right? Like every student has to pay the $30 whether or not they use it?

It would be every student at a school that voted to accept it has to pay.

So for example if the students of VCC vote for it. Then those that don't use will have to pay anyways.

While if the students of BCIT vote against. Then nobody has to pay for it there. But also nobody gets the the option of even having it. It is an all for one and one for all situation.

Unless of course the rules are suddenly being changed and this whole post is no meaning less :0

[SpongeG]

its sort of like the passes/discounts you get at work in an office - x amount of the employees must sign up to get the deal and if they don't get enough no one can get it - so stupid why advertise and offer it than

[GeeCee]

I asked BCIT on if they intend to join the U-Pass program beginning this fall when they stated they would be holding a student referendum on the subject in the fall..

"Our apologies BCIT is unable to join U-Pass for Fall 2010 as student consultation, a student referendum and discussions with Translink are required before we can proceed.

With students gone for the summer, we will be looking for their input in the fall and then building timelines based on feedback and decisions that follow. It is too early to know when BCIT could be formally involved in the UPASS program at this time."

Welp.

[paradigm4]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

I asked BCIT on if they intend to join the U-Pass program beginning this fall when they stated they would be holding a student referendum on the subject in the fall..

Welp.

AFAIK, all the student unions will have to vote and approve the program. The $30 U-Pass is only an offer on the table. I know that BCIT student reps were very adamant about getting a U-Pass as there's already significant transit commuters at the school. Kwantlen on the other hand, which has been in discussions with TransLink for years, wants to hold out so that students who feel transit service is not accessible to them can opt-out; an unlikely proposition. I'm not sure if this means the current schools with have to re-vote on the U-Pass, though I suspect the rate increase at SFU and UBC will demand one.

Not out of the woods on this yet.

[jsbertram]

My understanding is that the U-Pass agreements that are already in place stay in effect at their current rates until the term with that university expires; Before it expires a new agreement would be negotiated (likely at the $30 rate), and the students at that university will vote again yay or nay to accept the U-Pass agreement. If it passes the student vote, the U-Pass fee is included in every student's monthly charges (even if they voted against it).

These U-Pass agreements are between Translink and each University, so it is possible that SFU and UBC would vote in favour of the new U-Pass agreements before the current ones expire. A university that doesn't already have a U-Pass program may not bother to negotiate a U-Pass agreement to present to the students to vote on, or they may negotiate an agreement that ends up losing in the student vote.

[CLC]

Seattle light rail line average weekday ridership above 20000

Sound Transit's light-rail ridership steadily grows.

By Mike Lindblom
Seattle Times transportation reporter
Sound Transit's light-rail system has broken the 20,000 mark for weekday ridership, the agency reported Friday.

In April, the new rail line attracted 20,129 average weekday boardings, an increase of about 2,000 riders from the month before.

Since January, ridership numbers have steadily increased by roughly a thousand riders per month.

The trend is a positive sign for the agency, which had predicted more than 26,000 average weekday boardings by the end of the year.

The start of the Mariners baseball season may have helped boost April's ridership, and other people may simply be getting used to the new system, said spokesman Bruce Gray.

The line opened from Westlake Center to Tukwila last summer, and the SeaTac/Airport Station opened in December.

Taxpayers spent $2.6 billion on the 16-mile line.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012090220_trainriders12m.html

[invisibleairwaves]

Meanwhile, our new $2 billion, 12-mile line is getting close to 100,000 boardings a day. But hey, light rail is the way of the future, right?

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

I asked BCIT on if they intend to join the U-Pass program beginning this fall when they stated they would be holding a student referendum on the subject in the fall..

Welp.

Well I already have my fasttrax. But it sure would be fricking nice to get a 3 zone pass for $30 /mth.

Hopefully they don't have to wait until Sept 2011 to fully implement it at BCIT. Assuming the students vote for it.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by invisibleairwaves

Meanwhile, our new $2 billion, 12-mile line is getting close to 100,000 boardings a day. But hey, light rail is the way of the future, right?

Could you imagine if our new line was only getting an average ridership of 26,000 on weekdays.

The public outcry about why we wasted so much money on the project would of been very loud.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by cabotp

Could you imagine if our new line was only getting an average ridership of 26,000 on weekdays.

The public outcry about why we wasted so much money on the project would of been very loud.

Sounds reminiscent of Seattle. I wonder how the public reacts there? Hey, that bus tunnel alone cost $1 bn when it was built years back....

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by CLC

Seattle light rail line average weekday ridership above 20000

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012090220_trainriders12m.html

lets see ...

They spent $2.6 billion on 16 miles of LRT including fixing up a downtown tunnel that was designed to accommodate some sort of rail transit when it was built 20 years ago.

whip out my trusty digi-calc ... comes to $ 162.5 Million per mile
converting to KMs .... I get $ 100.9 Million per KM

geepers zwei.
Why are the Americans spending so much more on their LRT than you say they have to? Using your $10 Million / Mile figure, they should have been able to build LRT from Bellingham to Olympia with enough spare change to build a parallel line east of Lake Washington.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

lets see ...

They spent $2.6 billion on 16 miles of LRT including fixing up a downtown tunnel that was designed to accommodate some sort of rail transit when it was built 20 years ago.

whip out my trusty digi-calc ... comes to $ 162.5 Million per mile
converting to KMs .... I get $ 100.9 Million per KM

geepers zwei.
Why are the Americans spending so much more on their LRT than you say they have to? Using your $10 Million / Mile figure, they should have been able to build LRT from Bellingham to Olympia with enough spare change to build a parallel line east of Lake Washington.

I've saw something posted somewhere. Just can't remember where though.

That even though they have this new line. They are still running parallel bus routes to downtown from the suburban areas. It would be like the Canada Line being built but then still running the 98 B-Line and all the buses from SoF and Richmond are still going to Downtown.

Sure it gives that one seat ride, but it is poor usage of resources

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by cabotp

I've saw something posted somewhere. Just can't remember where though.

That even though they have this new line. They are still running parallel bus routes to downtown from the suburban areas. It would be like the Canada Line being built but then still running the 98 B-Line and all the buses from SoF and Richmond are still going to Downtown.

Sure it gives that one seat ride, but it is poor usage of resources

I think its because in Seattle they have so many county, city and regional bus services that don't even try to coordinate schedules with each other. I read somewhere there are 33 different transit agencies providing services in the greater seattle area. Don't bother looking for a 'Seattle Area Transit' website to get route diagrams or timetables, or to figure out how to get from A to B using different services, because it doesn't exist. You can spend more time on the phone tracking down transit info from the different services than the time it takes to do the actual trip.