Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

On the flip side, Vancouver voters almost approved the tax levy. The city also has the kind of leverage to come up with a lot of funding on their own if they want. Many other cities are also on board with extending the line as it benefits their residents who live in their cities but work in Vancouver (so it would probably be an easier pass through the Translink board than Surrey, for almost the same kind of money).

So Broadway subway might actually happen.
>Sheesh!! Hope so !!!

The parties could also be saving these bigger promises for closer to the voting day. You know, leave a good impression going into the voting booth. We are not used to these long elections and maybe the parties are trying to pace themselves.

I would actually like it if the Liberals (who are promising a lot of infrastructure and transit spending to stimulate the economy) came out and said the Broadway subway was a priority for Canada, and funded at least 50% of it.
>Wow!! Really!! That'd be amazing.

Making the Broadway subway a a priority for Canada would be unreal. I never dreamed of even anything close to that.

[st7860]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Making the Broadway subway a a priority for Canada would be unreal. I never dreamed of even anything close to that.

The busiest bus route in North America. Translink is sitting on lots of gas tax funds that could buy more buses for Broadway but the headway is already so short putting on more buses would just decease efficiency by causing buses to leapfrog each other

[MIPS]

In History
October 1985

The trains have been washed. The floors have been swept. The paint has dried. The lights are on.
After three and a half years of construction Greater Vancouver's dream of rail transit is ready for the world. On time and under budget.


Screengrabs courtesy of Gem/Yaletown Productions

Screengrabs courtesy of Gem/Yaletown Productions

Screengrabs courtesy of Gem/Yaletown Productions

Screengrabs courtesy of Gem/Yaletown Productions

Screengrabs courtesy of Gem/Yaletown Productions

The GVRT has now also made its place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the Longest Driverless Transit System. A record that would remain in BC for a long, long, long time.
At this point the final scenes to Gem Production's big videography filmed alongside the construction of the system, Going to Town are shot in and around the trains and newly completed stations. While we are still a good two months away from Opening day, there's still a few fine details that also need to be touched up, notably the addition of landscaping, paving and publicity photos. One thing in particular keeps coming up however.

Do we really want to call it the GVRT? What about the BCRT? It's gotta sound high-tech. There has to be something we can call this that is a little more....unique.

[GeeCee]

Ugh, I think I watch those Gem Productions videos each time they get posted.

[MIPS]

They're addictive. That or we long for the 80's again.

[WarrenC12]

http://www.news1130.com/2015/10/02/changes-to-translink-executive-compensation/

Well, this is sure to bring better service and tons more operating money for transit. Not to mention attracting top tier talent.

/s

[casper]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

http://www.news1130.com/2015/10/02/changes-to-translink-executive-compensation/

Well, this is sure to bring better service and tons more operating money for transit. Not to mention attracting top tier talent.

/s

Positive move. It bring the salary in line with other transit systems of a similar size.

For an organisation like this you want a CEO that once to take on the challenge of running translink address the public and governance issues and turn the organisation around. He/she should be well paid, however it needs to reasonable with what other government officials are paid with similar responsibilities. These changes bring it back in line.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

http://www.news1130.com/2015/10/02/changes-to-translink-executive-compensation/

Well, this is sure to bring better service and tons more operating money for transit. Not to mention attracting top tier talent.

/s

I think negative public perception over salaries holds back Translink more than a $400K CEO (vs $500K) would.

And really, in a heavily bureaucratic public organization, with panels and committees and boards, what does a CEO even really do day to day other than be the public whipping post for the media? And Ian Jarvis was horrible at being the public face of Translink. They really should just hire some personable actor as CEO to be on camera and give good speeches.

[nname]

The proposed near-term transit changes are posted in the board meetings report. Here are the list of changes from the graphs:

Expo Line - to run from Waterfront to King George or Production
Millennium Line - to run from VCC to Lafarge

4 - east of downtown discontinued (replace by 16)
5 - extend to Pender and Cambie
6 - extend to Yaletown, Cambie
7 - route to Hastings instead of Powell
16 - route to Mcgill and Powell instead of Hastings
26 - Chaplain Heights loop added
43 - stop reduction to pre-B-Line
44 - downtown stop consolidation
49 - Chaplain Heights loop removed, access to Metrotown Station via Imperial -> Willingdon -> Central -> Imperial
97 - discontinued
106 - Kingsway segment separated into another route (K)
116 - access to Metrotown Station via Imperial -> Willingdon -> Central -> Imperial
129 - Permanently terminate at Patterson
130 - access to Metrotown Station via Willingdon -> Central -> Imperial -> Willingdon
135 - convert to B-Line
143 - discontinue, see D
144 - two-way service on Campus, University W; University E segment discontinued; access to Metrotown Station via Nelson -> Kingsway -> Mckay -> Central -> Bonson -> Nelson
145 - two-way service on Gaglardi, University E; Campus and University W segment discontinued
151 - extend to Port Coquitlam via Lougheed; remain on Como Lake entire way; terminate at Burquitlam
153 - extend to Inlet and Port Moody via Linton -> Thermal -> Ioco -> Murray
157 - extend to replace Foster and Cottonwood portion of 151 to Burquitlam; add Burquitlam loop
159 - Meridian Industrial trips removed; service route back to Lougheed (as pre-service optimization)
160 - all trips via Guildford; terminate at Brentwood instead of Downtown
169 - all trips go via Riverview
178 - discontinued
190 - discontinued
242 - route to Lynn Valley Centre
254 - form two-way service with 256; downtown portion removed
256 - form two-way service with 254
257 - Horseshoe Bay loop removed
258 - discontinued
320 - route on 60th instead of 64th
341 - Langley to Newton portion discontinued and becomes X
351 - 16th Ave to Crescent Beach discontinued and becomes M; extend to 160th via 16th
352 - route to Crescent Beach and Langley Centre
354 - discontinued (*optA), or extend into Morgan Crossing (*optB)
394 - pre-B-Line service; removal of 32nd diversion
430 - access to Metrotown Station via Imperial -> Willingdon -> Central -> Imperial
480 - service change to match 43
501 - use HOV exit on Hwy 1
502 - Brookwood service discontinued
509 - route to Lougheed instead of Surrey Central
531 - route via Langley Centre to Willowbrook
590 - discontinued
595 - route from 200th to 208th and Willoughby
620 - become express route, only stopping at Steveston, Ladner Exchange, and Tsawwassen Drive
601 - reroute via Tsawwassen Mills
609 - reroute via Tsawwassen Mills
701 - limited trip extend to Mission via Lougheed
C3 - discontinued, merge into C9, H, I
C4 - discontinued, merge into H
C8 - discontinued, merge into I
C9 - route into Cumberland to replace part of C3
C18 - route to Lower Mall instead of West Mall
C19 - segment west of Spanish Bank discontinued
C20 - route to Lower Mall instead of Marine
C21 - extend to Main Street
C23 - discontinued
C26 - all trip via Ravine
C27 - discontinued, merge into A, B
C28 - discontinued, merge into A, B, C
C30 - route onto Pipeline instead of Westwood
C37 - expand to Dominion and Freemont; service to/from Coquitlam Station; Oxford Connector service removed; service on Coast Meridian removed; add loop to increase coverage on Shaughnessey
C38 - service to Coquitlam station removed; added service to Oxford Connector, Coquitlam Ave, and Coast Meridian
C40 - replace C38 service to Coquitlam Station, service route from Kingsway to Mclean, all-day service
C50 - discontinued, see Q, R
C51 - discontinued, see P, Q
C53 - extend into Morgan Crossing
C63 - limited service on 200th discontinued
N6 - discontinued
N8 - extend to Marine and Cambie
N16 - discontinued
N20 - extend to Marine and Cambie
N22 - section south of Broadway discontinued
N24 - routing change in Downtown

New Routes:
A - Port Moody -> St John -> Ioco -> Heritage Mtn -> David -> .. -> Panorama -> Robson -> Pinetree -> Coquitlam
B - Port Moody -> Barnet -> Falcon -> Landsdowne -> Barnet -> Coquitlam
C - Coquitlam -> Pinetree -> David -> Pipeline -> Robson -> Pinetree to Plateau
D - Burquitlam -> SFU
E - revival of United Blvd portion of C35/177
F - Coquitlam -> Pinetree -> Guildford -> Murray -> Port Moody
H - New West station to uptown, replace C4 and part of C3
I - Quayside to Victoria Hill via New West Station, replace C8 and part of C3
K - Kingsway portion of 106
P - White Rock -> 20th -> Ocean Park
Q - White Rock -> Marine -> Ocean Park (*optA)
R - White Rock -> Buena Vista -> 160th -> Marine -> White Rock
X - Langley -> Hwy 10 -> 152nd -> original 341 routing to Newton


I kind of regret trying to type all these out...

[Waders]

Originally Posted by nname

The proposed near-term transit changes are posted in the board meetings report.

Thanks for the link to the report.
Section 3.5 "Fare Policy Development" provides some interesting reading.
Some points I got from a quick browse:
- fare gate will be closed between 2016 Q1 & Q2.
- fare policy review work will last 18 months.
- zone based fare structure would remain for the next ~2 years.
- 12 months Compass data will be used as input to the fare structure review
- "loyalty pass" fare product might be considered
- A final fare policy will be developed by 2017 Q1 for Board and Mayor's Council consideration.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by nname

The proposed near-term transit changes are posted in the board meetings report. Here are the list of changes from the graphs

I'll have to read it in more detail later but it looks like they made some of the changes I suggested - the most obvious being ending the 129 at Patterson instead of Metrotown. While I doubt I have superhero powers that influenced them, it's funny to see them tracing the routes out in different colours so any changes made are obvious - exactly the way I did to make my point to them.

[Express691]

RE:

106 - There was a route numbered 107 that matches the description for the replacement. It was eliminated May of 1986 and assimilated into the 106 we know now.

555 - Why not just combine all 555 trips to have peak hour extension to Grove?

[Tfreder]

Thanks for posting the board report, nname! It's definitely an interesting report.

Originally Posted by nname

The proposed near-term transit changes are posted in the board meetings report. Here are the list of changes from the graphs:

Expo Line - to run from Waterfront to King George or Production
Millennium Line - to run from VCC to Lafarge

A smart choice, running it until Production, as I know a few SFU students/SOF residents weren't happy about the additional transfer. Also, is the Evergreen Line now officially being called the Millennium Line? They didn't refer to it as the Evergreen Line in the report, but as the Evergreen Line extension of the Millennium Line.

And what a surprise to see the Hastings B-line, after decades of anticipation.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by Tfreder

A smart choice, running it until Production, as I know a few SFU students/SOF residents weren't happy about the additional transfer. Also, is the Evergreen Line now officially being called the Millennium Line? They didn't refer to it as the Evergreen Line in the report, but as the Evergreen Line extension of the Millennium Line.

Except the switches don't make it convenient to run to Production Way, since trains would have to run half-way to Lake City before being able to turn around. There's no pocket track there to hold trains without delaying other Millennium Line trains. Lougheed was designed with several switches to allow for short-turning trains.

It sounds great from a convenience standpoint, but I imagine it's going to be a massive inconvenience in terms of operations. I'm not sure why SkyTrain control would ever agree to it

[Millennium2002]

26 - Chaplain Heights loop added
49 - Chaplain Heights loop removed, access to Metrotown Station via Imperial -> Willingdon -> Central -> Imperial

• Route 26 is becoming way too convoluted. It needs more of an overhaul vs a detour to cover the section that the 49th won't cover.

43 - stop reduction to pre-B-Line
480 - service change to match 43

• Why not B-Line right away? The 41/49 corridor is bursting at the seams...
• On a side note, I really hope Vancouver widens 41st and 49th Avenue and adds more turn lanes to both corridors... the streets are just overflowing with traffic and the buses are falling way behind schedule as as result, which causes massive numbers of people to line up from dawn till dusk. It's killing me that they haven't taken action yet and instead have focused on the also very silly idea of viaducts removal. If this keeps up we'll likely succeed in strangling our own city to death via traffic congestion.

135 - convert to B-Line

• Good! I've been waiting for this for a long time!

601 - reroute via Tsawwassen Mills
609 - reroute via Tsawwassen Mills

• I don't think Delta-Tsawwassen people will like this detour on the commuter route 601 to a mall that not all of them support in the first place... It makes more sense imo to boost 609 service and also extend it to Ladner/Steveston/Brighouse.

Other things that I think were forgotten from the base plan:

• Decouple local North Shore routes from the cross-bridge routes, and make the cross-bridge routes B-Lines. In other words, terminate all local North Shore routes at either Phibbs or Park Royal, and create two new B-Lines: [Dundarave - Park Royal - Downtown] and [Cap U - Phibbs - (Kootenay Loop) - Downtown].
• Extend 402 service to service Richmond's Olympic Oval area and have it terminate at Lansdowne. Likewise remove Olympic Oval shuttle to save costs.
• Shuttle buses in Cloverdale, Clayton Heights, Langley, and White Rock should be optimized to follow the local grids vs weaving all over the place.

[Gordon]

route changes

the #4 will only operate between downtown & & UBC?

Are the eastern terminus' being of the 7&16 being changed from Nanaimo & 20th ave stations or re they lengthening the routes?

[bardak]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

• Route 26 is becoming way too convoluted. It needs more of an overhaul vs a detour to cover the section that the 49th won't cover.

Agreed but if that routing allows them to remove the detour from the 49 I am all for it. The 26 can be fixed later.

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

• Why not B-Line right away? The 41/49 corridor is bursting at the seams...
  

I would like to see them just cancel the 480 and put the funds towards implementing the B-line on 41st. the only people that save any time from using the 480 are prople coming to Bridgeport from the 351/601. Even then it only saves a few minutes if there happens to be one loading when they get dropped off.

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

[*]On a side note, I really hope Vancouver widens 41st and 49th Avenue and adds more turn lanes to both corridors... the streets are just overflowing with traffic and the buses are falling way behind schedule as as result, which causes massive numbers of people to line up from dawn till dusk. It's killing me that they haven't taken action yet and instead have focused on the also very silly idea of viaducts removal. If this keeps up we'll likely succeed in strangling our own city to death via traffic congestion.

The CoV could improve the 49 immensely by replacing parking on 49th with a curb side bus lane. Robertson like to talk a lot about sustainability transportation and this would probably be of the quickest and cheapest way to achieve that.

[Sheba]

Woo they want to make changes exactly or very similar to what I suggested for about a dozen bus routes.

[Gordon]

The changes to the 4\7& 16 make sense, although it does remove single bus service from that part of north East Vancouver to U.B.C.

When are the changes going to happen?


Was there not talk of combining the 2 & the 22

[Bdawe]

Do they have the wires to run the 16 through to McGill?