Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by Express691

-They are replacing articulated buses at BTC (and presumably STC) with a new order of 21 New Flyer Hybrid A/C buses coming this fall.

Oooh, I hope we can get them at STC. Once people in Surrey start realizing that we can have modern, comfy buses doing the 96 B-Line runs, I think there'll be more of a warming up towards BRT and then we'll get that concern about LRT we've been looking for.

[Mac Write]

We need to increase the articlulated buses we have as much as possible so "over-crowding" can be handled by bigger buses, since we aren't getting any more funding anytime soon for bus expansion.

[Millennium2002]

Those Cummins ISB engines on those hybrid NovaBuses... it's a shame they are basically worthless once their warranties run out. I think there were a few news articles back when the issue first came to light.

As for bus replacement, TransLink chose not to use next year's options for new forty-foot buses. I'm not sure what's up with that. It might signal an indication to buy longer buses, or it might just indicate that we have too many spares sitting around for the purchase to be a priority...

[Waders]

Metrotown skytrain station was packed at 6pm Saturday. Staffs were enforcing crowd control, blocking passengers from going up the escalator.
The reduced platform size and narrow platform just couldn't handle the traffic.
I think the Skytrain system is overloaded today due to the reduced service to allow rail replacement.
Everyone tried to jam into the 1st full train that came. Very few knew the 2nd train would arrive in the next minute.
I waited for the 2nd train and got a seat.

My advice is to avoid skytrain on Sunday and Monday.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Waders

Everyone tried to jam into the 1st full train that came. Very few knew the 2nd train would arrive in the next minute.
I waited for the 2nd train and got a seat.

A lot of people also get to the top of the escalator and stop, and then try to jam into the first car - and this was before they started working on the station. I learned a long time ago which car (depending if it was a Mark 1 or 2) to aim for that would be closest to the exit at my station.

[MIPS]

I still think a total closure with a shuttle to Patterson would of been nice but NOOOOOOOOOO~ You wanted your added convenience.
Mark my words, Metrotown will take forever to renovate in comparison to Main Street.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I still think a total closure with a shuttle to Patterson would of been nice but NOOOOOOOOOO~ You wanted your added convenience.
Mark my words, Metrotown will take forever to renovate in comparison to Main Street.

There already is a Patterson shuttle, for people who need an elevator - and the amount of bitching and complaining about that has been possibly record breaking. Having a bus run every 5 mins for everyone 'cause the station is closed...

[red-paladin]

^

[ninjakafi_81]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

Oooh, I hope we can get them at STC. Once people in Surrey start realizing that we can have modern, comfy buses doing the 96 B-Line runs, I think there'll be more of a warming up towards BRT and then we'll get that concern about LRT we've been looking for.

I'm actually not looking forward for the arrival of the XDE60's :/ Yea, having something modern out of one of the oldest garages would be nice and all, but it just doesn't seem right to be honest. Maybe its the fact that I'm so used to STC being the hand me down yard, so seeing something brand new would be really weird. For me personally I would rather have 15001 - 15013 out of RTC so they can be with the other XDE60's and 15014 - 15021 out of BTC to retire off the remaining 1998's from there. 8053, 8056 - 8068 would transfer over to STC to replace 8001 - 8011, plus we'll get the 2000 D60LF's with the nice comfy seats originally for the 98 B-Line

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

Those Cummins ISB engines on those hybrid NovaBuses... it's a shame they are basically worthless once their warranties run out. I think there were a few news articles back when the issue first came to light.

As for bus replacement, TransLink chose not to use next year's options for new forty-foot buses. I'm not sure what's up with that. It might signal an indication to buy longer buses, or it might just indicate that we have too many spares sitting around for the purchase to be a priority...

Here's a couple of pictures I took of the article you're talking about.





Also with the 2015 40ft order being a no go, I wonder how the bus placement would be with the upcoming HTC opening up early next year. Would we see some buses from OTC being reactivated to serve out of HTC ? One thing I would really want to see is the D40LF's out of HTC and getting to see D40LF's return to the hills of New West and Burnaby

[trofirhen]

Regarding learning from other cities, this is about the development of the GO train from being a sort of am/pm shuttle for suburban workers and city workers too,
but is now becoming more frequent, and running all day. Vancouver does not yet have the size to require this, but it just might have dense enough corridors one day.
What Toronto has here is the development of something almost Tokyoesque ... minus the vastly elaborate subway and commuter rail system. This, nenertheless,
is a good start, and deserves to be looked at the North American, and one day possibly Vancouver, context.

http://www.planetizen.com/node/70546

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2014/...il-can-be-as-effective-as-rapid-transit/

[Bdawe]

GO can do that with existing service for a few reasons - for one throughfreight bypasses downtown via the CP line and the CN line built in the 1960s. That left ever dwindling numbers of local freight shippers, which can fit between solid passenger service easily. A great many rights of way in Toronto are unconstrained geographically. They're not squeezed between cliffs and the sea, and extra tracks can be added accordingly. And more of those tracks exist going more places directly.

I suspect that if they could run a sufficiently reliable and frequent service that an all-day WCE would see significant use. The problem is that, while CP can reasonably clear one of their tracks for six hours a day for reliable one-directional passenger service, they operate out of a huge port complex and reliable two way service is going to require more tracks, more tracks that are simply very expensive and difficult to fit in many locations, like Burnaby Mountain or along the Vancouver waterfront. Perhaps you could implement a Mission-Coquitlam shuttle that would only run downtown during peak hours, since tracks are easier to add east of Port Moody.

I suspect that if we ever have regional rail levels of service on the WCE, it will be because the Port has left the Burrard south shore, like the Caltrain in San Francisco

[Express691]

In regards to this WCX Discussion, I wonder if the evergreen extension will alter the demand for the WCX. There will be almost a duplicate in service from Waterfront to Coquitlam Central.

Anyhow, here's my review of the track replacement work this weekend.
-There are too many shuttles being run. I rode on B8127 on the shuttle today and I was the only one for the entire ride.
-The EB Direction could not handle the loads even with running trains in groups of 2. People were told to wait at broadway for the next train behind it and even that was full.
-As far as the shuttles are concerned, it looks like more of a shortcut than something that actually helps. People are too lazy to transfer and only prefer to transfer once. I also see it as inconsistent with regards to its location. It doesnt make sense to have 2 close-by Expo-Millenium connections. If they moved it to Broadway then maybe there would be a different story.
-At the most possible case, they should have encouraged people to take the 99 B-line instead. People prefer to take the skytrain because it looks more appealing, marketingwise. Probably explains why I still saw a load of people disembark at Broadway EB.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

GO can do that with existing service for a few reasons - for one throughfreight bypasses downtown via the CP line and the CN line built in the 1960s. That left ever dwindling numbers of local freight shippers, which can fit between solid passenger service easily. A great many rights of way in Toronto are unconstrained geographically. They're not squeezed between cliffs and the sea, and extra tracks can be added accordingly. And more of those tracks exist going more places directly.

I suspect that if they could run a sufficiently reliable and frequent service that an all-day WCE would see significant use. The problem is that, while CP can reasonably clear one of their tracks for six hours a day for reliable one-directional passenger service, they operate out of a huge port complex and reliable two way service is going to require more tracks, more tracks that are simply very expensive and difficult to fit in many locations, like Burnaby Mountain or along the Vancouver waterfront. Perhaps you could implement a Mission-Coquitlam shuttle that would only run downtown during peak hours, since tracks are easier to add east of Port Moody.

I suspect that if we ever have regional rail levels of service on the WCE, it will be because the Port has left the Burrard south shore, like the Caltrain in San Francisco

Anywhere you can think of putting the industrial port? Roberts Bank? I'm just thinking of freeing up rail, as you indicated.

[Gordon]

i thought he remaining fleet of original 40ft lf new flyrers needed to be replaced because they were at the end of their service lives

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Anywhere you can think of putting the industrial port? Roberts Bank? I'm just thinking of freeing up rail, as you indicated.

I'm not thinking of moving the port, and I don't really conceive of that happening soon. Perhaps changes in trading patterns, or technology could cause the south side of Burrard to become unnecessary for heavy port operations. As ships have gotten bigger, perhaps more traffic will be routed to the expanding Delta Port, or other similar operations freeing up the CP mainline.

With respect to demand post evergreen line, Translink expects it to grow. I find this quite plausible

For one, it will still be the fastest means of getting from shared stations to Downtown without transfer. It has a better connection to the Canada Line. It's more comfortable, has a coffee shop, more likely to get a seat, tables, and is marginally more reliable.

Furthermore, the Evergreen and the WCE support eachother in some ways. The Evergreen Line increases the effective transitshed of WCE stations. You can take the skytrain from Lafarge Lake, Ioco, or Burquitlam or so forth. It also increases the utility of the WCE for Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission riders who can access more employment centers like Metrotown conveniently by transferring at Port Moody to the Skytrain

[st7860]

This was advertised on Facebook today

http://www.translink.ca/onezone?utm_sour...ontent=Remarketing&utm_campaign=BuyRight

"Starting October 5, bus across all zones with a 1-zone fare
Whether you pay by cash, FareSavers or use a Monthly Pass, starting October 5, there's no need to buy a 2 or 3-zone fare for bus-only travel. Buses and HandyDART will be 1 zone, all day, every day.

If you transfer from bus to SkyTrain or SeaBus, you still need to purchase the right fare for the number of zones you're travelling in. Zones for SkyTrain and SeaBus remain the same. Fares remain the same for all modes, including West Coast Express."

[204]

Originally Posted by Express691

In regards to this WCX Discussion, I wonder if the evergreen extension will alter the demand for the WCX. There will be almost a duplicate in service from Waterfront to Coquitlam Central.

As far as I know the Evergreen Line trains will run directly to Broadway/Commercial Drive and then a change of trains will be required to get to Waterfront.

I don't think many WCE commuters would go for that option.

As it is now it takes 30 min from Lougheed Station to Waterfront on Skytrain. Whereas Coquitlam Station to Waterfront is 30 min on WCE (without changing trains). Anyone know how long it would take to get from Coq. Station to Lougheed Station? 20 min?

So you're looking at a 50 min ride with a change of trains versus a 30 min ride directly to Waterfront. Plus, big comfy seats and a relatively quiet (almost no students of any age!) ride!

[WarrenC12]

WCE tickets are significantly more expensive than Skytrain tickets. On the order of double ... It should be a better/faster service for that kind of difference.

[204]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

WCE tickets are significantly more expensive than Skytrain tickets. On the order of double ... It should be a better/faster service for that kind of difference.

Very true. But still a better ride than multiple Skytrain transfers. This is a mostly business crowd who are often subsidized for transit by their employers though, so I'm not sure the money is a big factor.

[st7860]

So if Trudeau wins, I wonder if he really will fund the broadway line out to UBC... hmm