Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Where does it say that a BRT right of way in Surrey would be shared? Though a proposal for it doesn't exist, anybody advocating for it is advocating for exclusive bus lanes in the median. The diagram I quoted from xd_1771 earlier showed share bus lanes, but that was referring only to the section within Green Timbers Park.

Yeah I was talking about xd_1771's diagram.

Also, they should really look into running biarticulated buses on the BRT ROW.

[Express691]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Exciting stuff. Especially the highway coaches—they're the primary type of bus I take and it would be great to get a few with wider seats and maybe more on-board amenities.

Does anybody here know how long the process usually takes between an RFP and receiving the buses? Like a year or two?

In this RFP the first production order should be arriving no later than March 2018. When this RFP closes at the end of next month, it'll usually take several months before deciding on a manufacturer (In this case, New Flyer or Novabus).

The rest of the units arrive by August 2018.

[Express691]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

Yeah I was talking about xd_1771's diagram.

Also, they should really look into running biarticulated buses on the BRT ROW.

I don't know if there is a bylaw preventing road-passenger vehicles longer than 60 feet being manufactured anywhere in North America. The longest bus I know of in any North American city is Los Angeles' BRT unit #9495 - a one of a kind 65 foot artic bus.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

Yeah I was talking about xd_1771's diagram.

Also, they should really look into running biarticulated buses on the BRT ROW.

At this point, BRT is probably not happening so it's purely a thought exercise. But even if it was, the types of buses they would run on it would be a very late decision. The structure of the line, the station locations and the like are the important design considerations. What kind of bus to run on would really be an afterthought.

Originally Posted by Express691

In this RFP the first production order should be arriving no later than March 2018. When this RFP closes at the end of next month, it'll usually take several months before deciding on a manufacturer (In this case, New Flyer or Novabus).

The rest of the units arrive by August 2018.

Thank you!

[Waders]

SkyTrain riders' fare errors provide revenue boost for TransLink

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by Waders

SkyTrain riders' fare errors provide revenue boost for TransLink

hahaha yeah sure, "errors"
I like how they are trying to paint the Translink as the bad guy again even though it's the passenger's responsibility to have correct fare. That being said though, I think there should be a machine inside the fare zone that allows you to upgrade your ticket.

[Express691]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

That being said though, I think there should be a machine inside the fare zone that allows you to upgrade your ticket.

There are - theyre called exit ticket machines, which are essentially compass machines inside the fare zone before the faregates. (but ive seen most people would just piggyback instead of paying the difference on those machines)

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Waders

SkyTrain riders' fare errors provide revenue boost for TransLink

way to be misleading. of course its TransLink's fault that people arent buying a 3-zone when coming from Abbotsford and then going "wahhh i had to pay more because i was dumb not to read the map"

if people would pay the proper fare, there would be no need to purchase exit tickets.

[WarrenC12]

I have definitely caught/seen a few people trying to follow me or others through the gates. Mostly the typical homeless/grubby types you'd expect. A good trick is to scan your card then pause there for a second or two before going through. The gate will stay open and then close right behind you.

[Kisai]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I have definitely caught/seen a few people trying to follow me or others through the gates. Mostly the typical homeless/grubby types you'd expect. A good trick is to scan your card then pause there for a second or two before going through. The gate will stay open and then close right behind you.

I've never had to deal with this honestly. But I'm mindful when I see people who look lost in the station and ask them if they know where they are going.

That said, the story is technically wrong. The station with the lowest exit fares would be Metrotown station, at zero because there was never an exit fare machine.

Metrotown station is likely where most people enter or exit without tapping, and Waterfront is likely where most end up having to buy the exit ticket since people may hang around and get lunch without realizing they're still on the ticket's clock.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Kisai

Metrotown station is likely where most people enter or exit without tapping, and Waterfront is likely where most end up having to buy the exit ticket since people may hang around and get lunch without realizing they're still on the ticket's clock.

Where do you get lunch at Waterfront without going through the faregates?

[tlo]

Originally Posted by Express691

There are - theyre called exit ticket machines, which are essentially compass machines inside the fare zone before the faregates. (but ive seen most people would just piggyback instead of paying the difference on those machines)

Question: Has anyone here traveling on a ticket tried buying an AddFare at an Exit TVM after arriving in the destination zone and not being able to tap out? I haven't tested that but I found that I was not able to buy an AddFare after tapping in at the start of a trip; however, I was able to buy an AddFare for my ticket before tapping in.

I'm wondering why the article reports people are buying an Exit Ticket. Can't they buy an AddFare instead?

[Kisai]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Where do you get lunch at Waterfront without going through the faregates?

You misread what I was saying.

If say, you bought a ticket at YVR or Coquitlam to get to Waterfront, waited in line for coffee, Subway, A&W or something and then proceeded to go to the Seabus, switch lines (eg Canada Line to Expo Line) you would burn time on the transfer. This is something people actually do, especially when waiting for the Seabus.

For most situations, you're more likely to have to purchase a new fare at Bridgeport due to arriving to early to catch the 630, or having to buy a new fare because you came from Coquitlam and waited too long to get on the Canada Line to YVR and thus end up having to purchase the exit ticket because the ticket expired while you were on the train. Same thing goes for the WCE. It's really a question of not planning your trip.

I have never had to buy an Exit ticket because I happen to live in Burnaby, which means I can get to Waterfront, YVR, Bridgeport, Surrey or Coquitlam within the ticket time. That isn't true for those who start or end their trip primarily downtown Vancouver or in Surrey. All it takes is waiting too long in transfering to run down the time and then having to purchase an exit ticket because it expired while you were on the train.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by Kisai

You misread what I was saying.

If say, you bought a ticket at YVR or Coquitlam to get to Waterfront, waited in line for coffee, Subway, A&W or something and then proceeded to go to the Seabus, switch lines (eg Canada Line to Expo Line) you would burn time on the transfer. This is something people actually do, especially when waiting for the Seabus.

For most situations, you're more likely to have to purchase a new fare at Bridgeport due to arriving to early to catch the 630, or having to buy a new fare because you came from Coquitlam and waited too long to get on the Canada Line to YVR and thus end up having to purchase the exit ticket because the ticket expired while you were on the train. Same thing goes for the WCE. It's really a question of not planning your trip.

When you tap in again for the next leg of your trip (i.e., switching to the Canada Line at Waterfront) doesn't that extend the window for another 90 minutes?

[nname]

Ticket expires 120 minutes after tap in in all scenario. If your tap in within the 90min transfer window, it let you in. If your ticket already expired before you tap in, it won't let you in. Once you get in, you get 120min no matter when the ticket was first used.

I just cannot imagine someone would have to spend more than 120min in the system. If you tap out to grab subway or A&W, you get another 120min again when you tap in.


EDIT: The only scenario I can think of that someone would have an expired ticket without any service disruption is:

12:00am Tap in at Lonsdale Quay with 2:00 on the count down thinking you are able to catch the SeaBus
12:02am Walked too slow and see the SeaBus ran away
12:32am Get on the next SeaBus
12:44am Arrive at Waterfront
12:48am Insist of travelling the long way and skip the first train to Surrey
12:53am Get on the next train to Lougheed
1:32am Arrive at Lougheed
1:35am Waiting too long for the elevator for the transfer and miss the first train to Lafarge
1:43am Get on the second train
1:58am Arrive at Lafarge
2:01am Get off the train slowly, slowly waiting and going down on the elevator... and tap... 121min, ticket expired

The is the ONE and ONLY situation that people may have expired ticket under "normal" circumstance. One train earlier you can shave about 2-3min off for the worse-case Lougheed transfer... and one train later, you'd have to exit the system at Lougheed because no more train available.

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by Express691

There are - theyre called exit ticket machines, which are essentially compass machines inside the fare zone before the faregates. (but ive seen most people would just piggyback instead of paying the difference on those machines)

you can buy addfare on the exit machine?

[tlo]

Originally Posted by dpogue

When you tap in again for the next leg of your trip (i.e., switching to the Canada Line at Waterfront) doesn't that extend the window for another 90 minutes?

I believe the transfer time is reset to 90 minutes only when transferring from WCE. My own tests show no reset of the "minutes since first tapped" counter in the ticket when transferring from Expo to Canada Line; although, that was with a DayPass.

[tlo]

Originally Posted by nname

Ticket expires 120 minutes after tap in in all scenario. If your tap in within the 90min transfer window, it let you in. If your ticket already expired before you tap in, it won't let you in. Once you get in, you get 120min no matter when the ticket was first used.

As I understand it: The ability to transfer expires 90 minutes after first tap-in (except for transfers from WCE, and on Bowen Island), the in-system time expires 120 minutes after the last tap-in (except for WCE). Thus, the total travel time can be up to 210 minutes (except for WCE and Bowen Island) before a ticket is rejected as expired when presented for tap-out.

I hope I'm not wrong about any of that.

It's surprisingly easy to run out of the 90 minutes if one has multiple stops to make. One thing to factor in is the time between trains during off-peak hours.

[Express691]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

you can buy addfare on the exit machine?

Yeah. Tap and select the "upgrade fare" option.

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by Express691

Yeah. Tap and select the "upgrade fare" option.

The one time I tried helping tourists with that, it said "fare cannot be upgraded."

I had to grab an STA to help them, not sure how it ended.