Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[DKaz]

I don't think LRT from Newton to Whalley to Guildford is a bad idea, but as Metro-One said, as long as Langley gets an Expo Line extension.

[urbancanadian]

The day after a Transportation Minister is named, I suggest you all email him/her about your concerns WRT grade separation. I will certainly do the same.

It would send a stong message if on the first day on the job the new minister received a couple dozen emails on the topic.

[AForce]

Originally Posted by DKaz

I don't think LRT from Newton to Whalley to Guildford is a bad idea, but as Metro-One said, as long as Langley gets an Expo Line extension.

It looks like we are going to be stuck with LRT even though BRT would be perfectly fine. I can live with the LRT if langley gets the skytrain.

[cganuelas1995]

I was thinking about the recently revealed SWATP and was thinking about how beneficial it would be to have the "New A" as two routes. Awest would be the one laid out in the SWATP while Aeast would go from Brighouse station via No. 3 road, Granville Avenue, Garden City road, then east along Blundell, Sidaway Road, Steveston Highway, terminating at Riverport Recreation Centre or going all the way to No. 6 Road and then terminating at Riverport.

If anyone wants to tell me why that's a bad idea, be rough

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I was thinking about the recently revealed SWATP and was thinking about how beneficial it would be to have the "New A" as two routes. Awest would be the one laid out in the SWATP while Aeast would go from Brighouse station via No. 3 road, Granville Avenue, Garden City road, then east along Blundell, Sidaway Road, Steveston Highway, terminating at Riverport Recreation Centre or going all the way to No. 6 Road and then terminating at Riverport.

If anyone wants to tell me why that's a bad idea, be rough

Seems to me that such a route would struggle mightily with ridership. I was very pleasantly surprised that a new east-west route was proposed at all, given the cutbacks to the C93 in the past few years. If the New A was simply extended to 5 road somehow, that would be plenty, but there's really no natural terminus for it there. The way it is proposed now seems to be the most logical.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Seems to me that such a route would struggle mightily with ridership. I was very pleasantly surprised that a new east-west route was proposed at all, given the cutbacks to the C93 in the past few years. If the New A was simply extended to 5 road somehow, that would be plenty, but there's really no natural terminus for it there. The way it is proposed now seems to be the most logical.

Yeah, well, to be honest, I kinda pulled it out of my ass because it would benefit me so I would have another option of bus to the station. It would also benefit those living in the townhouses along Blundell.

[Alpine]

I'm looking for historical BC Transit system maps, preferably from the early 1980s up until the period before the Millennium Line opened. I'm interested to see how Burnaby routes looked like before the Millennium Line began service. I'm not so young that I don't remember when Burnaby/Coquitlam suburban services go up/down Hastings all the way into downtown Vancouver. Or when there was a bus service to the old PNE Park-and-Ride (which I think is now that empty lot near Windermere, between Hastings Community Centre and the E-Comm head office). Could anyone help me locate system maps from the 70s/80s/90s? I heard the UBC Library has hard copies of old system maps, but that's too much of a trek for me.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Alpine

I'm looking for historical BC Transit system maps, preferably from the early 1980s up until the period before the Millennium Line opened. I'm interested to see how Burnaby routes looked like before the Millennium Line began service. I'm not so young that I don't remember when Burnaby/Coquitlam suburban services go up/down Hastings all the way into downtown Vancouver. Or when there was a bus service to the old PNE Park-and-Ride (which I think is now that empty lot near Windermere, between Hastings Community Centre and the E-Comm head office). Could anyone help me locate system maps from the 70s/80s/90s? I heard the UBC Library has hard copies of old system maps, but that's too much of a trek for me.

Going to UBC might be the way to go. I did a search online and only came up with these City of Vancouver Archives pages (didn't look too much in detail so I don't know how much help they'll be)

http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/infor...subjects=333199&sort=alphabetic&topLod=0

http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/infor...lection=1637576&topLod=0&sort=alphabetic

http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/transportation-4?page=5&limit=50&sort=alphabetic&listLimit=50


Also this Fleet Summary

https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Va...t_System&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile

[Sheba]

Also a few key dates from Wiki and BC Transit - Our History

1980 - Operation of Victoria and Vancouver transit systems transferred from BC Hydro to what would eventually become BC Transit
1985 - Expo Line opens (bus service changes would have happened either in Dec 1985 or in the spring of 1986)
1999 - Operation of Metro Vancouver Transit services passes to the newly formed Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink, now the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority)
2002 - Millennium Line opens to Braid Station in January and to Commercial - Broadway in August (with full integration with the bus network occurring on September 3, 2002)

[AverageJoe]

Originally Posted by Alpine

I'm looking for historical BC Transit system maps, preferably from the early 1980s up until the period before the Millennium Line opened. I'm interested to see how Burnaby routes looked like before the Millennium Line began service. I'm not so young that I don't remember when Burnaby/Coquitlam suburban services go up/down Hastings all the way into downtown Vancouver. Or when there was a bus service to the old PNE Park-and-Ride (which I think is now that empty lot near Windermere, between Hastings Community Centre and the E-Comm head office). Could anyone help me locate system maps from the 70s/80s/90s? I heard the UBC Library has hard copies of old system maps, but that's too much of a trek for me.

I have a bunch of maps, route lists, and Buzzers from the 1970s and 80s. You could download them here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4vescw1nqau9o4a/AAAYWUk__xiybxA7sFfUzlgsa?dl=0

I'll leave the folder up for about a week or so.

[cganuelas1995]

I noticed the 404 gets detoured quite regularly during the afternoon rush hour. Perhaps they should make the detour a regular route and put a stop or 2 in the detoured portion.

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I noticed the 404 gets detoured quite regularly during the afternoon rush hour. Perhaps they should make the detour a regular route and put a stop or 2 in the detoured portion.

it also happens to the 403, because the majority of the traffic is heading to the hwy99. Both the interchange and tunnel form a nasty bottleneck so bad that the congestion can get go all the way to the buddhist temple on Steveston hwy. And yet, we have people who oppose the project. It just makes Brodie's statement against the project stupid and completely out of touch.

[Xrayal]

We (including myself) must have missed this update on phase one of the ten year transit plan. I just happen to come across it.
Link to Translink proposed update.

Update to Phase One 2017 Investment Plan – Accelerated SkyTrain Fleet Procurement

We’re working hard to deliver the Mayor’s 10-Year Vision to keep the region moving, so our customers have access to more and better transit options. Our Phase One 2017 Investment Plan, which is our plan for funding current operations and future expansion, includes 28 new Mark III SkyTrain cars, which will be delivered in 2018. However, with ridership growing faster than anticipated, we need even more SkyTrain cars to keep up with demand—otherwise customers will experience more pass-ups and overcrowding in peak periods.

In our Phase One 2017 Investment Plan, we’ve also allocated funds to purchase 72 additional Mark III SkyTrain cars to replace some of our aging Mark I fleet from 2022 to 2024. Given the increasing demand on the system, we’re proposing to accelerate acquisition of 28 of these 72 vehicles, which would mean they would be delivered in 2019 and could immediately be used to increase service levels.

This action, which would expand the SkyTrain fleet 2-3 years earlier than planned, requires an update to the Phase One Investment Plan as per the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (SCBCTA) Act. This accelerated purchase will increase peak capacity and relieve overcrowding with existing funding sources.

The upcoming Phase Two 2018 Investment Plan will contain additional SkyTrain vehicles to support service expansion. This will ensure the aging Mark I fleet can be retired on schedule.

If you have any feedback or questions, please email [email protected]

Sweet! More Skytrain cars sooner. Sounds good to me.

[Trainguy]

Originally Posted by Xrayal

We (including myself) must have missed this update on phase one of the ten year transit plan. I just happen to come across it.
Link to Translink proposed update.

Sweet! More Skytrain cars sooner. Sounds good to me.

This is how a carbon tax should be used. But again, this is BC where most things are done ass-backwards by governments.


( CALGARY, Alberta – Alberta plans to use $1.53 billion in carbon tax funds to expand the Calgary Transit Green Line light rail, the National Post reports.

The decision to use the tax money will result in the provincial government’s largest infrastructure investment to date. Project plans call for the expansion of service from north of downtown Calgary to suburbs in the southeast region of the city.

With an estimated service date of 2026, project leaders estimate the expansion would serve more than 60,000 passengers each day. City officials also estimate the Green Line would cut back greenhouse emissions by 30,000 tons annually.

Government leaders say the project would not have been possible without the carbon tax initiative.

“Every cent of it in terms of the provincial government’s contribution is coming from the climate leadership fund which is funded by the carbon levy and it absolutely would not have been possible without it,” says Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

The government’s financial contribution will be disbursed throughout a year of more than eight years.

The agency’s Green Line will add more than 28 miles and 28 light rail stations to the city’s existing portfolio of 36.6 light rail miles and 45 stations. )

[Mac Write]

2019!? Can't we up the current order from 28 > 56? Then maybe 28+ new cars per year as an ongoing basis

[Sheba]

Where Does Commuting Cost the Most?

What is good for the environment can still be expensive for commuters: public transport. Londoners have the highest costs by far, spending $174 on average per month on transportation. Dubliners spend around $130 for a transit pass, people traveling in and around Auckland will have to invest $123 each month. This is what Deutsche Bank found out by comparing costs of living in the world’s largest cities. Public transportation is more affordable in cities like Toronto, Melbourne or Zurich.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Where Does Commuting Cost the Most?What is good for the environment can still be expensive for commuters: public transport. Londoners have the highest costs by far, spending $174 on average per month on transportation...

$174/month (<$2100/year) is still dirt cheap compared to the annualized cost of buying, fueling, insuring, maintaining and parking a car.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

$174/month (<$2100/year) is still dirt cheap compared to the annualized cost of buying, fueling, insuring, maintaining and parking a car.

Plus you are using London's Tube, possibly the best rapid transit system in the world.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Plus you are using London's Tube, possibly the best rapid transit system in the world.

The Tube? Not even close.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

$174/month (<$2100/year) is still dirt cheap compared to the annualized cost of buying, fueling, insuring, maintaining and parking a car.

To travel around 'the city' here would be a one zone pass at $93 (two zone is $126 and 3 zone is $172). We're not even in the top 10 of most expensive, something that should be pointed out to the people who loudly complain every single time there's a fare increase.

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

The Tube? Not even close.

What would you pick as the best rapid transit system?