Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[deasine]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

Why weren't the trains able to be driven manually and single track it until the communication lines could be fixed?

They need to add signs on the buses for "Skybus Expo Line." Translink has buses in storage. 30-40+ should be at ready status so if the Skytrain goes down, they can be deployed as a bus bridge within 15-60 minutes (pulling drivers from the spare board). Yes this would cost some money, but it is critical when Skytrain goes down.

Well they needed to fix the communication wires before they can get trains running... or else it would've had to be driven manually the entire day!

As for signs on buses, agree. I had one past me that was not in service, but it said "BC Rail." Coast Mountain has buses that are ready, but they don't have enough staff, especially since it was an unexpected disruption. You can't have that many drivers on standby.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by madmigs

I could use some help - some dude going by chemical engineer(but never in the name field) is trying to claim it would be better if the people that took diesel buses would drive instead(at least with respect to toxins and GHG)

Point him at the graphic on page 12 of the 2009 Translink Annual Report. It shows that a passenger commuting by diesel bus emits only about 1/3 the GHG of commuting via a single-passenger car, and about 1/5 that of an SUV.

[usog]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Point him at the graphic on page 12 of the 2009 Translink Annual Report. It shows that a passenger commuting by diesel bus emits only about 1/3 the GHG of commuting via a single-passenger car, and about 1/5 that of an SUV.

Waste of breath, he'll just say that since its a *Translink* report that it's obviously just a lie/covering up the truth, the truth which he is trying to expose in his righteous quest

These kind of people are predictable, just ignore the trolls imo.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by usog

Waste of breath, he'll just say that since its a *Translink* report that it's obviously just a lie/covering up the truth, the truth which he is trying to expose in his righteous quest

Of course he will. Migsy can't convince him, but he can point the other people reading the thread to the published information, and Migsy can also make the point [to those other readers] that Translink is in a much better position to be able to estimate these things than the troll is.

And that would be a good time for Migsy to say that now he's provided a published reference there's no point in arguing any further and bow out.

[madmigs]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Of course he will. Migsy can't convince him, but he can point the other people reading the thread to the published information, and Migsy can also make the point [to those other readers] that Translink is in a much better position to be able to estimate these things than the troll is.

And that would be a good time for Migsy to say that now he's provided a published reference there's no point in arguing any further and bow out.

Thanks It's just so aggravating... grrr... But it has at least caused me to dig deeper into the issue and now have a pretty solid argument should I encounter other people.

[madmigs]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Point him at the graphic on page 12 of the 2009 Translink Annual Report. It shows that a passenger commuting by diesel bus emits only about 1/3 the GHG of commuting via a single-passenger car, and about 1/5 that of an SUV.

Yes but that is not the entire picture. As buses aren't always at capacity etc, so I did a bunch of calculations based on total service hours, capacity, etc... Now i know for sure

But his big HUGE issue is that he is one of the creme de la creme of Broadway that hates the B-Line in general due to its noise and dragging poor students and other "transit dependent" people into his neighborhood and past his place.

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by madmigs

Yes but that is not the entire picture. As buses aren't always at capacity etc, so I did a bunch of calculations based on total service hours, capacity, etc... Now i know for sure

But his big HUGE issue is that he is one of the creme de la creme of Broadway that hates the B-Line in general due to its noise and dragging poor students and other "transit dependent" people into his neighborhood and past his place.

Mad migs this comment isn't pointed at you but the idiot you are referring.

Ahh poor baby having to deal with people going past his home to get to where they want to go. If he doesn't like it. Why doesn't he move to fracking Antarctica.

[Mac Write]

Just found a VHS tape of the 2 part special on VTV in 1998 on Vancouvers Transit System and the Future.

I am throwing out all my VHS tapes.

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

Just found a VHS tape of the 2 part special on VTV in 1998 on Vancouvers Transit System and the Future.

I am throwing out all my VHS tapes.

They made TV shows about Vancouver's transit!?
Must... seee.... naow

[Mac Write]

Just a 2 part paid advertisement. Shows LRT on Broadway, and more. The old streetcar, etc.

[SpongeG]

did u transfer all your videos to digital? those little things you can buy work pretty good - i was surprised at the end result

[Millennium2002]

(post removed)

[Mac Write]

No I didn't transfer the stuff as it was recorded movies from TV. The one tape I needed to save I accidently through out, as I got the tape numbers mixed up.

[DKaz]

So I was in the West Coast Express train yard and they made some changes to the new car configurations... Train #1 AM and #2 AM remain at 4-cars and 7-cars respectively now. Train #3 and #4 (which is also #3 and #4 in the PM respectively) have been lengthened from 9-cars to 11-cars, with a 1.5 car overhang on the inbound side and 2.5 car overhang on the outbound side. All the platforms still have a 7-car capacity.



Train #5 AM has been lengthened from 7 to 8 cars.

At the moment, Train #1 AM runs Train #5 PM and formerly Train #2 AM ran Train #2 PM and Train #5 AM ran Train #1 PM. I was on Train #3 this morning with the 11-car configuration and it was extremely busy, standing room only past Port Moody. Since this train and #5 AM just got extended to 11-cars for today's run (#4 AM was extended last week), it'll take a little while for people to adjust towards the inbound sleeper side, but the normally busy outbound sleeper side just basically got a 40% boost in capacity from a 1.5 car overhang to 2.5 car overhang.

Another note (I should've taken photos), Car 401 and 402 on Train #4 AM are nice, but the new cars use LED lighting which has a cool colour compared to the older cars. Weird that when fluorescent lighting first came around there were the same complaints and I'm not sure if they improved the lighting to give it a warm incandescent look or if we're just used to it now. I'll have to take Train #4 tomorrow to see how it is.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by DKaz

So I was in the West Coast Express train yard and they made some changes to the new car configurations...

Very interesting - thanks for posting! Looks like they're putting the new cars with walk-through doors to good use.

Is there room at all the stations to lengthen the platforms? You'd think they'd do this since the overhanging cars probably won't ever be as full as the ones directly accessible from the platform. And it doesn't seem like it would be all that expensive compared to the purchase of the cars themselves.

[DKaz]

The ends do get filled. It's basically overload capacity at the ends used by people getting on at Port Moody and Coquitlam Central as there is a better chance at getting a seat (although sometimes some are SOL) and at Waterfront in the PM by last minute arrivals.

I would rather they add a 6th train than lengthen the platforms. Yes it is straightforward at almost all stations except for Coquitlam Central. They do have three years to decide because all the stations will be changed from their current open concept stated to a secured zone when the fare gates come.

[jsbertram]

Reminds me of the commute in Chicago.

Most of the station platforms were only long enough for 2 or 3 cars when they were built decades ago, and only the platforms at the downtown terminal were extended for the full length of the train, so every car had a sign indicating which stations the car would stop at.

For a ten car train, cars 8, 9 & 10 were used for the first few station stops in the afternoon commute. Then cars 7, 8, and 9 were used for the next few stations; then cars 6 through 8, 5 through 7 &tc until the last station stops were for cars 1 through 3.

During the afternoon commute the train would empty from the back cars to the front cars, so when a car was empty the car doors were locked (after the crew made sure nobody was still in the car) and left unused for the rest of the trip.

What the smart AM commuters started to do was get on the train and then move to the next empty car so they could get a good seat. Staff figured this out quickly & kept the between-the-cars doors locked until a car had already taken on some passengers. Since all the good seats had been taken, there was no reason to move from your stuffed car to another not-quite-so-stuffed car.

[DKaz]

SHHHHH! I hope no one working for the West Coast Express is getting any ideas.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Reminds me of the commute in Chicago.

Most of the station platforms were only long enough for 2 or 3 cars when they were built decades ago, and only the platforms at the downtown terminal were extended for the full length of the train, so every car had a sign indicating which stations the car would stop at.

For a ten car train, cars 8, 9 & 10 were used for the first few station stops in the afternoon commute. Then cars 7, 8, and 9 were used for the next few stations; then cars 6 through 8, 5 through 7 &tc until the last station stops were for cars 1 through 3.

During the afternoon commute the train would empty from the back cars to the front cars, so when a car was empty the car doors were locked (after the crew made sure nobody was still in the car) and left unused for the rest of the trip.

What the smart AM commuters started to do was get on the train and then move to the next empty car so they could get a good seat. Staff figured this out quickly & kept the between-the-cars doors locked until a car had already taken on some passengers. Since all the good seats had been taken, there was no reason to move from your stuffed car to another not-quite-so-stuffed car.

That seems kind of ridiculous. Why should people getting on a train at a busy station at the end of the line (in the AM) be forced to stand the entire way into downtown, while people getting on closer to downtown get guaranteed seats. Seems evil.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

That seems kind of ridiculous. Why should people getting on a train at a busy station at the end of the line (in the AM) be forced to stand the entire way into downtown, while people getting on closer to downtown get guaranteed seats. Seems evil.

I think you're missing the concept:

1st station in the AM has 3 empty cars waiting at the platform (the last 3 cars -8 9 & 10) for commuters to jump on & grab their preferred seats. A few more stations fills up those cars, so the last car (now full) doesn't platform at anymore stations until reaching the downtown terminal.

Meanwhile, at (say) the 4th station along the trip with the 10th car now full, cars 7, 8 & 9 are platformed. Car 7 is empty for those lucky commuters, but savvy ones may prefer car 8 which isn't too full & still has some good seats.

We know that some stations will have more commuters waiting than others, so one station may fill all 3 cars that are platformed, or it may take a half-dozen station stops to fill 3 cars that are platformed.

The train trundles onwards to downtown, and at each station a set of 3 cars is platformed, and sometimes the front-most car of that set of three is empty for those lucky commuters. By the time the train reaches the last station before the downtown terminus, the first 3 cars are used for boarding passengers. The front-most car is probably kept empty until these last two stations, since they may have the highest volume of commuters heading downtown.

Meanwhile the commuters with the longest commute (ensconced in the cars at the back of the train) are undisturbed during their commute by people shuffling on & off their car at every stop.