Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[NetMapel]

I feel like Translink should really do something about connecting Burnaby with Richmond. The bus from Metrotown to Bridgeport (I seemed to recall there used to be a bus that goes from Metrotown to Richmond Centre) is too infrequent and takes forever. My friends today at Metrotown wants to go to the Richmond night market and they opted to take the skytrain all the way back to downtown to switch to Canada Line because the trip planner tells them they'll only be saving 3 minutes with the bus from Metrotown. Makes me feel like there should be some kind of express bus between Metrotown and Richmond Centre.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

There's a Hastings B-Line, possibly going all the way to SFU. Not sure if it's upgrading the 135.

It'll be an upgrade of the 135 - but it's not in the plan for what's going to happen in the next few months or so.

Originally Posted by NetMapel

I feel like Translink should really do something about connecting Burnaby with Richmond. The bus from Metrotown to Bridgeport (I seemed to recall there used to be a bus that goes from Metrotown to Richmond Centre) is too infrequent and takes forever. My friends today at Metrotown wants to go to the Richmond night market and they opted to take the skytrain all the way back to downtown to switch to Canada Line because the trip planner tells them they'll only be saving 3 minutes with the bus from Metrotown. Makes me feel like there should be some kind of express bus between Metrotown and Richmond Centre.

Outside of CoV, transit is lacking in a lot of areas. Hopefully when they extend Millennium to Canada Line it'll make the trip a little easier (whenever that happens... ).

[logicbomb]

I wouldn't get too excited. I think 25% of these upgrades will get the go-ahead and the rest will get pushed on the backburner as Translink runs out of money again (due to rising cost of inflation and underestimation of the costs associated with the added service).

[nname]

Originally Posted by Sheba

It'll be an upgrade of the 135 - but it's not in the plan for what's going to happen in the next few months or so.

Hastings B-Line starts Dec 19th.

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by NetMapel

I feel like Translink should really do something about connecting Burnaby with Richmond. The bus from Metrotown to Bridgeport (I seemed to recall there used to be a bus that goes from Metrotown to Richmond Centre) is too infrequent and takes forever. My friends today at Metrotown wants to go to the Richmond night market and they opted to take the skytrain all the way back to downtown to switch to Canada Line because the trip planner tells them they'll only be saving 3 minutes with the bus from Metrotown. Makes me feel like there should be some kind of express bus between Metrotown and Richmond Centre.

There already is an express bus between Richmond Centre and Metrotown, the 430. It is fastest way because there's no transfer. You can take the 49 and transfer to Canada Line but the 49 is slow. Taking the skytrain to downtown is not ideal because you have get off at Granville, walk up to street level, and cross Georgia to reach VanCityCentre Stn.

The problem with the 430 is that knight street is a bottleneck and the bus stops running after 9pm with 30min frequency off peak. Because knight street bridge is a constant traffic jam, it takes about 50-55 min from end to end during the day. That being said, it's still faster than taking the 49.

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Are the B-Line along 41st to U>B.C. & the conversion 06 the 135 SFU \Downtown to a B line included in the service upgrades?

the 41st Ave B-Line was mentioned in the plan, but the Hastings B-Line was not

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

the 41st Ave B-Line was mentioned in the plan, but the Hastings B-Line was not

Check the plan again - the Hastings Line is on Page 4.

[nname]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

the 41st Ave B-Line was mentioned in the plan, but the Hastings B-Line was not

Hasting B-Line is not part of the plan. It will be going ahead with or without it. As I said before, it will start on December 19th.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by NetMapel

I feel like Translink should really do something about connecting Burnaby with Richmond. The bus from Metrotown to Bridgeport (I seemed to recall there used to be a bus that goes from Metrotown to Richmond Centre) is too infrequent and takes forever. My friends today at Metrotown wants to go to the Richmond night market and they opted to take the skytrain all the way back to downtown to switch to Canada Line because the trip planner tells them they'll only be saving 3 minutes with the bus from Metrotown. Makes me feel like there should be some kind of express bus between Metrotown and Richmond Centre.

The 430 IS an express bus. It only has 14 stops between Metrotown and Bridgeport. And it only takes 30 minutes. Driving that route takes at least 20. That's an insanely fast bus.

Taking Skytrain through downtown does take an extra 10 minutes, but that's actually pretty good. It is more reliable and more frequent, where as the bus travels through city streets and across a congested bridge.

Why should translink spend so much much money to improve a bus that's already pretty good, when Skytrain perfectly fills in the gaps for lacking frequency.

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

The 430 IS an express bus. It only has 14 stops between Metrotown and Bridgeport. And it only takes 30 minutes. Driving that route takes at least 20. That's an insanely fast bus.

Taking Skytrain through downtown does take an extra 10 minutes, but that's actually pretty good. It is more reliable and more frequent, where as the bus travels through city streets and across a congested bridge.

Why should translink spend so much much money to improve a bus that's already pretty good, when Skytrain perfectly fills in the gaps for lacking frequency.

End to end usually isn't the full story, and how much of it is people around 49th using it as a connection to their destinations, or people trying to get to the industrial areas in northern Richmond?

[dpogue]

The SkyTrain Changes webpage is live now, and I'm actually really impressed with the maps that pretty clearly show the changes:
http://www.translink.ca/skytrainchanges

Maybe this won't be a total disaster for everyone involved...

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by dpogue

The SkyTrain Changes webpage is live now, and I'm actually really impressed with the maps that pretty clearly show the changes:
http://www.translink.ca/skytrainchanges

Maybe this won't be a total disaster for everyone involved...

oh it will, most of the people are idiots/ignorant/follow what is popular to do (hate on TransLink). i am sure there will be some new stories about how horrible it is with some "wah wah" stories about not knowing about it ahead of time.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

oh it will, most of the people are idiots/ignorant/follow what is popular to do (hate on TransLink). i am sure there will be some new stories about how horrible it is with some "wah wah" stories about not knowing about it ahead of time.

Sadly true.

[Express691]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Sadly true.

And especially with media outlets (calling out CTV for this) commenting on the age of the system whenow it has nothing to do with certain types of delays

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

oh it will, most of the people are idiots/ignorant/follow what is popular to do (hate on TransLink). i am sure there will be some new stories about how horrible it is with some "wah wah" stories about not knowing about it ahead of time.

You know CTV or Global will do a story of commuters complaining about the skytrain changes, claiming they are completely caught off guard just to spread that Translink hate. Just imagine the headline: "New Skytrain changes causing confusion and longer commute times!!"

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

You know CTV or Global will do a story of commuters complaining about the skytrain changes, claiming they are completely caught off guard just to spread that Translink hate. Just imagine the headline: "New Skytrain changes causing confusion and longer commute times!!"

Which, of course, ignores the fact that we wouldn't even need to have an "Evergreen Extension" if The Powers That Be in the Tri-Cities didn't need their egos stroked.

[GlassCity]

The argument that "we are getting caught off guard" is just hilarious. Information has to be new at some point! This is over a month's notice. I agree, just anger for the sake of being angry at TransLink.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

The argument that "we are getting caught off guard" is just hilarious. Information has to be new at some point! This is over a month's notice. I agree, just anger for the sake of being angry at TransLink.

It's human nature to need a scapegoat in one form or another, be it an individual, an industry, a race of people, a political party, or transportation organization.

[Sheba]

Hopefully TransLink does a media push to tv, radio and newspapers about it. They seem to have a tendency to post it online and not much else. Sure the younger and more tech savvy people will hear about it, but older and / or NIMBY types may not until the last minute.

[GlassCity]

They have links to the webpage posted all over SkyTrain stations and trains, so if you're already taking transit, you'll probably be exposed to it. I just saw it on CBC News too, and it's been on News 1130. So I think they're doing just about all they can.