Metro Vancouver Transportation & Transit Plebiscite - Page 80

Klazu · #**1581** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 4:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Your entire argument is "transit isn't good enough, and because of that I don't want to pay to improve it." Think about how illogical that is. That's like saying that your town's school system isn't very good, so you should stop funding it. Nothing is going to get better without the money to make it possible.

Spot on. People also don't seem to understand that investment to transit no matter where in Metro it happens, is going to help everyone with less cars on roads and smoother traffic flow. For example when the Broadway Skytrain will finally be built, I am sure it will take hundreds of cars off every arterial road into Vancouver. So eventhough it wouldn't directly help one's commute, it will likely indirectly do so.

Remember also that Translink maintains lots of road infrastructure so more money in their budget will equal better roads. It's not just transit!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinion

I'm requesting vacation for the first time ever and they have no idea how to fill my position, despite hundreds of employees scattered throughout town. And the only reason I work there is so I wouldn't have to cross the inlet every day. Commute times are suffocating my area.

What kind of vacation are you requesting if your position has to be backfilled for that time? Sounds also pretty horrible for not having taken any vacation ever (unless you started in your job this year, which I don't think you did). Just curious about this bit of your comment.

Pinion · #**1582** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 6:00 PM**

Klazu, just a standard two weeks. I'm a regional supervisor so it's difficult to get volunteers even if they're just asked to be warm bodies and I'm still running the show if anything terrible happens. I work super long hours for 3.5 days and get 3.5 days off so I usually just cram my holidays in there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

How big is the presence there? To my knowledge their big HQ is in Richmond.

This article says 100 staff and they serve the whole province. Don't know any more than that personally

http://www.nsnews.com/news/worksafebc-to-close-north-vancouver-claims-centre-1.1975237

BCPhil · #**1583** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 8:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kisai

The point I'm making is that "If your complaint is with the commute, then the problem is either where you live or where you work."

The two most illogical things people do in Metro Vancouver must be either paying more than 25% of your income into housing, and spending more than a half hour in commuting. If anyone is doing either, they need to reconsider their priorities if that job, or where they choose to live is worth the hassle and expense.

The perception is that people are being pushed out of Vancouver's housing market by whatever (Chinese "investors", condo developers, etc) and then being forced to move to Surrey because people want to own a patch of grass rather than live in a glass and concrete box.

I live in a condo in Surrey (not anywhere within walking distance of Skytrain) and have always worked North of Fraser. PLEASE EXPLAIN MY POOR LIFE CHOICES.

Pinion · #**1584** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 10:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCPhil

I live in a condo in Surrey (not anywhere within walking distance of Skytrain) and have always worked North of Fraser. PLEASE EXPLAIN MY POOR LIFE CHOICES.

1. You live in Surrey
2. You have a miserable commute that, if you shortened, you could use the savings towards maybe not living in Surrey

Sheba · #**1585** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 10:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinion

1. You live in Surrey
2. You have a miserable commute that, if you shortened, you could use the savings towards maybe not living in Surrey

1. Maybe he *gasp* likes living in Surrey
2. Maybe he doesn't consider his commute to be "miserable"

Not everyone who lives outside of Vancouver hates where they are and dreams about moving there...

DKaz · #**1586** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 11:34 PM**

I enjoy living in Surrey but I think my commute is miserable.

Pinion · #**1587** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 3:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba

1. Maybe he *gasp* likes living in Surrey
2. Maybe he doesn't consider his commute to be "miserable"

Not everyone who lives outside of Vancouver hates where they are and dreams about moving there...

I can understand not wanting to live in Vancouver proper. I don't want to either. The not wanting to leave Surrey if you have a choice thing is a little more perplexing, unless you're near White Rock.

Sheba · #**1588** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 4:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinion

The not wanting to leave Surrey if you have a choice thing is a little more perplexing, unless you're near White Rock.

I could wonder the same thing about people living in North and West Van - you're far more physically separated from the rest of the metro area than anyone in Surrey is.

ozonemania · #**1589** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 4:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba

I could wonder the same thing about people living in North and West Van - you're far more physically separated from the rest of the metro area than anyone in Surrey is.

That's conditional on bridge traffic. I'm on the North Shore for example. If the traffic is good I am in downtown Vancouver in 15 minutes.

memememe76 · #**1590** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 4:30 AM**

Downtown Vancouver is not the be all and end all of the Metro region (besides, the direct Skytrain route makes going to Downtown pretty easy for people in Surrey). I like that living in Surrey means a pretty reasonable drive to virtually anything of interest in the Lower Mainland (barring traffic, of course). Fort Langley, Steveston and the Grouse Grind are basically equivalent drives for a person in Surrey. And as a frequent US traveler, I like knowing I'm gonna home soon after crossing the border.

hankthetank · #**1591** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 4:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by memememe76

Downtown Vancouver is not the be all and end all of the Metro region (besides, the direct Skytrain route makes going to Downtown pretty easy for people in Surrey). I like that living in Surrey means a pretty reasonable drive to virtually anything of interest in the Lower Mainland (barring traffic, of course). Fort Langley, Steveston and the Grouse Grind are basically equivalent drives for a person in Surrey. And as a frequent US traveler, I like knowing I'm gonna home soon after crossing the border.

It's difficult to find a place you like that's affordable, close to work and close to friends/family. In fact, it's damn near impossible - especially once you are married and start a family. Many families have both partners working. A lot of people have one person working in Burnaby for example and the other working in Abbotsford or something. Then what? I guess at the end of the day it would be great to have more options. Nice walkable, compact neighbourhood in the 'burbs that are affordable and are more than 2 bedrooms. One can dream...

GMasterAres · #**1592** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 6:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kisai

The point I'm making is that "If your complaint is with the commute, then the problem is either where you live or where you work."

The two most illogical things people do in Metro Vancouver must be either paying more than 25% of your income into housing, and spending more than a half hour in commuting. If anyone is doing either, they need to reconsider their priorities if that job, or where they choose to live is worth the hassle and expense.

The perception is that people are being pushed out of Vancouver's housing market by whatever (Chinese "investors", condo developers, etc) and then being forced to move to Surrey because people want to own a patch of grass rather than live in a glass and concrete box.

It's not that easy. If you work in lower income sectors then it is fairly easy to just switch jobs aka working at a Home Depot or as a clerk at a general office building. But when you move into higher end positions or want to move up in the corporate world, unfortunately sometimes you have no choice where you work and it isn't super easy to switch jobs.

So you're a consultant for a firm in downtown Vancouver and make pretty good middle class income, but you can't afford to buy in Vancouver because you have a wife and 2 kids, so you are forced to buy and move out to the suburbs and commute.

It's easy to say "Well that consultant should get a new job" but in the tech sector, most major consulting firms are in the downtown Vancouver area so you really again have no choice but to live in the burbs and commute downtown every day like it or not.

So please don't make it out to be a simple "Well if you hate the commute quit your job!" because that's just unfair imho.

That said, I do agree with the notion that anyone who complains about commuting or transit in Vancouver should have voted YES because the plan has nothing to do with Translink. That's unfortunately a lot of the misinformation that was floating around in the media and from the "NO" side that seemed to tie the 0.5% tax increase directly to Translink to be "mismanaged."

That's what happens unfortunately when people read just the headlines and nothing more.

Pinion · #**1593** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 7:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba

I could wonder the same thing about people living in North and West Van - you're far more physically separated from the rest of the metro area than anyone in Surrey is.

Not far from any of the good parts. And housing prices suggest not many people wonder the same thing.

Kisai · #**1594** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 1:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhausner

So you're a consultant for a firm in downtown Vancouver and make pretty good middle class income, but you can't afford to buy in Vancouver because you have a wife and 2 kids, so you are forced to buy and move out to the suburbs and commute.

It's easy to say "Well that consultant should get a new job" but in the tech sector, most major consulting firms are in the downtown Vancouver area so you really again have no choice but to live in the burbs and commute downtown every day like it or not.

So please don't make it out to be a simple "Well if you hate the commute quit your job!" because that's just unfair imho.

The point I'm making is that the real estate prices are forcing people who didn't buy-in 30+ years ago to have to buy more affordable places outside reasonable commute distances.

If real estate prices don't crash sometime soon, businesses will be unable to attract talent, and even minimum wage jobs will go unfilled, because none of them will actually afford to work downtown, regardless of where they live.

The Skytrain is the only thing that is enabling people to live in Surrey and work downtown. If someone really hates this commute then they should find another job that doesn't entail the commute. It will improve their quality of life.

If you work 37.5 hours a week but have to spend 2 hours commuting in each direction, you are actually working 41.5 hours. Average out your wage by your commute time and see if there aren't better jobs that pay equal or better.

The BC Minimum wage is 10.25$/hr, someone who commutes from Surrey to Downtown Vancouver only to work at a food court is really making 9.25$/hr before we add the transit costs. People who work part time, it's not even worth it. Yet people do this.

aberdeen5698 · #**1595** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kisai

If real estate prices don't crash sometime soon, businesses will be unable to attract talent...

Let us not forget that businesses have the option of moving, too. If a business finds that most of its talent lives in Surrey and doesn't want to commute, it can always move to Surrey. Decentralizing jobs to the regions is part of the livable region plan, which envisions people working close to where they live.

It's a two-way street, so to speak.

DKaz · #**1596** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 4:24 PM**

About that, I'm moving to Kelowna next week. It's a job transfer as I love my company but I hate my commute and I'm taking a stand against the ridiculousness of Metro Vancouver's housing market, so it's a win win. Almost. I will miss my friends and family, although I'm only a 3.5 hour drive away.

dharper · #**1597** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 5:15 PM**

They were announcing returned ballot totals on Wednesdays, and this is the last Wednesday of June. I kind of thought the results would be ready by today.
Well they said they would have the results from the plebiscite by the end of the month. Only a few days left.

csbvan · #**1598** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 5:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKaz

About that, I'm moving to Kelowna next week. It's a job transfer as I love my company but I hate my commute and I'm taking a stand against the ridiculousness of Metro Vancouver's housing market, so it's a win win. Almost. I will miss my friends and family, although I'm only a 3.5 hour drive away.

If you hate commutes, live close to work in Kelowna. For a metro of 200k traffic can be ludicrous.

Large Cat · #**1599** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dharper

They were announcing returned ballot totals on Wednesdays, and this is the last Wednesday of June. I kind of thought the results would be ready by today.
Well they said they would have the results from the plebiscite by the end of the month. Only a few days left.

I sure hope they're ready soon. The anticipation is killing me.

DKaz · #**1600** Posted **Jun 24, 2015, 7:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by csbvan

If you hate commutes, live close to work in Kelowna. For a metro of 200k traffic can be ludicrous.

I quickly found that out. But that will have to wait until we buy a place there. It was stressful trying to find a place to rent there and we had to settle for West Kelowna. It's a 20-25 minute drive or 30 minute ride on the 97 bus. Both work and home are a block away from a 97 bus stop.

Right now I'm about 45-60 minutes tolled, 60-90 minutes untolled, and 75 minutes on transit (when it works) so 20-30 minutes is a huge improvement.

What I'm planning to do is leave my (second) car at the office Monday to Friday to go to job sites and meetings, and take transit otherwise.