Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

The Skytrain Bridge is 616 meters long, and has a clearance of 45 meters. Back in 1990, it cost $28 million.

Using this as a guide, the Burrard bridge would be 6 times the length, so likely about 6 times the cost. That would still put it under $200 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skybridge_(TransLink)

really, you think 200 million is a realistic cost? *Bridge* inflation costs need to be calculated. the Alex Fraser Bridge is longer AND taller than the Port Mann Bridge

AFB Cost = 58 million (1986)
PMB Cost = 820 million (2012)

The bridge was constructed for the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and was designed by a joint venture of Klohn Crippen Berger and Buckland & Taylor. Its total cost was $58 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Fraser_Bridge

The estimated construction cost was $2.46 billion, including the cost of the Highway 1 upgrade, a total of 37 kilometres (23 mi). Of this, the bridge itself comprised roughly a third ($820 million)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge


200 million???? no no no no no. no chance in hell. you would be looking closer to 3-4 billion I'm sure.


with regards to the Brockton Point Crossing;

http://evelazarus.com/aborted-plans-a-third-crossing-for-the-north-shore/

if you look on the left side of this image, you can see the checkered line of a tunnel to connect with the Brockton Point Crossing. this photo is of a 1969 plan, taken by me.

[AMTDGT]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

.......
with regards to the Brockton Point Crossing;

http://evelazarus.com/aborted-plans-a-third-crossing-for-the-north-shore/

if you look on the left side of this image, you can see the checkered line of a tunnel to connect with the Brockton Point Crossing. this photo is of a 1969 plan, taken by me.

I remember the bro hah hah when the 3rd crossing tunnel was proposed. It would be nothing compared today if they tried it. They maybe able to get away with a rail transit tunnel, but not with fill like 1969 and maybe a bit east under the bar in the harbour.

I hope i'm around when they try to replace the Lion's gate. The bridge has in the past recquired some ships to drop radio masts, so if the bridge is rebuilt, despite protests, it would probably be higher. Despite a higher bridge, the first narrows depth and width will exclude some ships.

[Kokkei Mizu]

Not as great as my first two playlists (in terms of quality), but here's the Canada Line. I'm hoping to get back out to Vancouver to film the Evergreen Line this fall.

Here's a link to the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkL0xkcZrNxA10IfgiUoQbxSRNtnhzMgO

And the first video:

• Video Link

[officedweller]

MKIII Test Run in New Westminster July 8th, 2016 by Andrew Rose.

• Video Link

At King George by Daryl de la Cruz July 8th, 2016.

• Video Link

At Main Street by Elfren Ordanza July 10th, 2016:

• Video Link

At Granville Station by Ian Fisher:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_yvr/27586642523/

By Xanduth:


https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpottheMarkIII?src=hash

[officedweller]

Buzzer Blog post on the MKIIIs:

What’s different about the Mark IIIs?

Let me tell you!
•The cars are all connected – meaning you can walk from one end to the other and move about freely within the train.
•These cars also have more room for standing passengers, wheelchairs, bikes, strollers and riders with luggage.
•Seats are an inch lower, which helps people like me whose feet dangle on the Mark IIs!
•They’re as quiet as a soft, summer’s breeze. OK, I’m taking some poetic license here but they are much quieter due to improved door seals.
•These trains are green. No, not the colour. They are more energy efficient! They have improved LED lighting and longer lasting battery system – lasting 25 years compared to the 10 year life span in our existing fleet.

http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/


With a MKII
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/


View from the front
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/


Robert
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/


Chris Morris, Director, Engineering Assets at BCRTC showing off the Mark IIIs unique molton salt battery.
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/


Underneath the train
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/


Onboard computer
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/07/spot-the-mark-iii-testing-continues-this-weekend/

[Mac Write]

only just noticed the inside destination sign, I wish it was longer so people could see it easier (especially those with vision issues).

[MIPS]

It's not like we already have dynamic maps and audio announcements in the train already. I doubt the size of a dynamic display inside the train is going to be causing any kind of uproar by the disabled.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

why do the new trains have a scrolling name on the front of them? it seems weird to me when it could be long enough to have the entire name without the scrolling being necessary if they made the font a tad smaller.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

why do the new trains have a scrolling name on the front of them? it seems weird to me when it could be long enough to have the entire name without the scrolling being necessary if they made the font a tad smaller.

They made the font larger and scrolled it so the people who complained about the font being too small can now complain about how the signs scroll...

[Millennium2002]

The destination signs should be the same as the buses, frankly. But now that they've constrained themselves to the size set by the Canada Line / Mark IIb cars before them...

[Sheba]

Coast Mountain Bus reaches labour contract with Unifor drivers, mechanics

TransLink and the union that represents its bus drivers reached a tentative labour deal Friday dodging the potential for a strike by 4,700 operators, mechanics, maintenance workers and SeaBus employees.

Details of the tentative three-year contract were not released, but Steve Sutherland, president of Unifor Local 111, which represents bus drivers, said the union and Coast Mountain Bus Co., the subsidiary that operates bus service and the SeaBus for TransLink, struck a deal that did not include concessions.

“If accepted, this contract will provide us with stability and allow us to focus on working with riders, the community and all three levels of government to improve transit services,” Sutherland said.

Joe Elworthy, president of Unifor Local 2200, which represents mechanics, maintenance and SeaBus workers, said the deal encourages the retention and training of skilled trades.

In a statement, Coast Mountain Bus spokeswoman Anne Drennan said company officials “are pleased to have come to an agreement without a disruption in service,” but declined to offer any other comment until after the deal is ratified.

Unionized employees, in April voted 98 per cent in favour of striking to back their demands, threatening the first strike at TransLink since the four-month work stoppage in the spring and summer of 2001.

A ratification vote has been scheduled for July 21.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

well its official, we are getting closer to self-driving buses.

Mercedes bus of the future

Mercedes just revealed the bus of the future — and it looks awesome

Mercedes-Benz just passed a major milestone in autonomous public transportation.

The company's semi-autonomous bus, called the Future Bus, drove a little more than 12 miles from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to Haarlem, a city just outside Amsterdam. The bus's journey was especially impressive because the route included traffic lights, tunnels, and required the bus to navigate around people.

Source




Source


Source

the video link to the post isn't working for whatever reason,
Mercedes Benz Future Bus
that video. haha.

[Metro-One]

I think that having all buses / trucks replaced with automatic units will never, ever happen.

You just have to look at urban train systems around the world.

The Expo Line (fully automatic) opened over 30 years ago, yet today only a small sliver of urban rail systems are automatic. A few more are being proposed now, but it has been a very slow uphill battle (and this involves trains with 100% grade separation).

Seeing how metro-Vancouver has already embraced automatic transportation far more than the average city, I could see a few select bus routes in Vancouver becoming automatic. I think the prime candidates for this would be the 555 (along the #1) and the proposed rapid bus / buses along the improved highway 99 corridor. Outside of that, not going to happen, at least for a very long long time.

[officedweller]

The wheel-well humps are brutal on that prototype.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Seeing how metro-Vancouver has already embraced automatic transportation far more than the average city, I could see a few select bus routes in Vancouver becoming automatic. I think the prime candidates for this would be the 555 (along the #1) and the proposed rapid bus / buses along the improved highway 99 corridor. Outside of that, not going to happen, at least for a very long long time.

I beg to differ. Driver-less technology will be expedited. Can you imagine agencies not having to deal with unions? Will it be safer? My guess is that there will probably be a fair number of accidents and lives will be lost as we make the transition towards this mode.

Frankly I think we should preserve whatever jobs are out there since we will be losing about 42% to automation over the next few decades. Society doesn't seem to concerned about this though, so whatever....

[WarrenC12]

Tesla is on the same trajectory:

https://www.tesla.com/blog/master-plan-part-deux

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

I beg to differ. Driver-less technology will be expedited. Can you imagine agencies not having to deal with unions? Will it be safer? My guess is that there will probably be a fair number of accidents and lives will be lost as we make the transition towards this mode.

Frankly I think we should preserve whatever jobs are out there since we will be losing about 42% to automation over the next few decades. Society doesn't seem to concerned about this though, so whatever....

I am sure someone said the same thing in the late 70s / early 80s when automatic trains first came on line, yet here we are.

Outside of a few rapid bus lines that essentially act like trains, drivers will remain.

Outside of driving there are some decisions that help build transit community that only a driver can do, such as waiting for an obvious passenger running towards the bus.

Now, how this transit can be super beneficial (implemented well) is that now bus drivers can be stewards on the bus instead of drivers. Of course this would require very different training, but many people wont feel comfortable taking buses without some form of authority. I actually believe that skytrain should have many more attendants on trains / at stations helping customers / keeping a presence. Some night trains are uncomfortable without anyone present.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Tesla is on the same trajectory:

https://www.tesla.com/blog/master-plan-part-deux

From the Tesla blog:

With the advent of autonomy, it will probably make sense to shrink the size of buses and transition the role of bus driver to that of fleet manager. Traffic congestion would improve due to increased passenger areal density by eliminating the center aisle and putting seats where there are currently entryways, and matching acceleration and braking to other vehicles, thus avoiding the inertial impedance to smooth traffic flow of traditional heavy buses. It would also take people all the way to their destination. Fixed summon buttons at existing bus stops would serve those who don't have a phone. Design accommodates wheelchairs, strollers and bikes.

...

I should add a note here to explain why Tesla is deploying partial autonomy now, rather than waiting until some point in the future. The most important reason is that, when used correctly, it is already significantly safer than a person driving by themselves and it would therefore be morally reprehensible to delay release simply for fear of bad press or some mercantile calculation of legal liability.

According to the recently released 2015 NHTSA report, automotive fatalities increased by 8% to one death every 89 million miles. Autopilot miles will soon exceed twice that number and the system gets better every day. It would no more make sense to disable Tesla's Autopilot, as some have called for, than it would to disable autopilot in aircraft, after which our system is named.

[Kisai]

More or less, what I expect to see is largely dependent on how everyone decides to standardize on the same data.

Relying on GPS is not possible under tunnels, bridges and various high rise areas because GPS is line-of-sight, and differential GPS doesn't have high enough accuracy to be used for automated driving. You need to have 30cm of precision (1 foot) in order to navigate things like bridges and streets that have cars parked on both sides of it.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

The Expo Line (fully automatic) opened over 30 years ago, yet today only a small sliver of urban rail systems are automatic.

The biggest single reason for that is because it's almost impossible to convert an existing transit line to automatic operation without shutting it down for a long time and re-purchasing the entire fleet of vehicles for it. That's just too much of a barrier to entry.

Rather than looking at the percentage of all rail systems that have automatic operation a more revealing statistic would be the percentage of new driverless rail systems.