Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[Bdawe]

The contemporary problem with the trolleybus is that they're a tiny niche that's significantly different from the internal combustion diesel product that the vast, vast majority of the US/Canada bus market desires. So they're expensive to buy from few manufacturers.

I still hold out a hunch that the proliferation of battery electric buses (ie buses requiring all electric parts) could make the trolley bus much less a bespoke product and much more of a variant of a standard product, one where you substitute the battery for trolley equipment much as bus manufacturers offer diesel buses with cng variants.

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

I still hold out a hunch that the proliferation of battery electric buses (ie buses requiring all electric parts) could make the trolley bus much less a bespoke product and much more of a variant of a standard product, one where you substitute the battery for trolley equipment much as bus manufacturers offer diesel buses with cng variants.

That's not what most BE defenders see. They point out only the negatives of the trolleys and the positives of BE buses without the pros and cons of both, and they said that BE needs to replace them as soon as possible. The user I quoted is somewhat NIMBYist because of the wires. He's basically like what transit agencies in North America did when they got rid of their trolleys, only it's battery-electric instead of diesel.

[ilikeredheads]

Sept changes officially announced
https://www.translink.ca/Schedules-and-Maps/Transit-Service-Changes.aspx

I still can't believe 406 lost its "railway" callsign. Why change it???

As for the trolleys system going away, I just don't see that happening. We have invested considerably into the system. Unless there's suddenly a huge amount of money coming from somewhere AND the cost of electric buses start to come close to a conventional diesel bus, our trolley buses are here to stay.

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

Sept changes officially announced
https://www.translink.ca/Schedules-and-Maps/Transit-Service-Changes.aspx

I still can't believe 406 lost its "railway" callsign. Why change it???

As for the trolleys system going away, I just don't see that happening. We have invested considerably into the system. Unless there's suddenly a huge amount of money coming from somewhere AND the cost of electric buses start to come close to a conventional diesel bus, our trolley buses are here to stay.

We're increasing service on the 555 on weekdays and midday on Saturdays to reduce wait times.

Weekdays:

Every 20 minutes between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (increase from every 30 minutes)

Saturdays:

Every 20 minutes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (increase from every 30 minutes)

They’re finally getting rid of half-hourly midday and Saturday service. Hopefully soon they’ll make it an FTN route.

You can make a BE-trolley hybrid to make it work, but using BE buses as substitutes for trolleys is yet to happen. You need to have a legitimate reason to replace trolleys (operating costs, longevity, convenience of the route) other than following the BE bandwagon.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

Unless ... the cost of electric buses start to come close to a conventional diesel bus, our trolley buses are here to stay.

They just have to come close to the cost of a conventional trolley bus. Trolleys are already a fair bit more expensive than diesel buses. Of course it's the total lifetime cost that's key, not just the purchase cost - that's why we have the trolleys even though they're more expensive to purchase initially.

[officedweller]

There's an article in Today's Star newspaper, on platform screen doors, with a quote from TransLink (saying they've examined it and it's feasible for $140M using wider door openings to fit the different vehicle door spacing), but I can't find it on line.

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by officedweller

There's an article in Today's Star newspaper, on platform screen doors, with a quote from TransLink (saying they've examined it and it's feasible for $140M using wider door openings to fit the different vehicle door spacing), but I can't find it on line.

you mean this?
https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/0...barriers-to-stop-train-track-deaths.html

I highly doubt wider doors is feasible at all. The difference from the Mark Is to the rest of the rolling stock is too drastic. The spacing between doors is hugely different. I don't think it's worth discussing about platform doors until the Mark Is are phased out.

[Dengler Avenue]

I just saw the service changes.
(1) Translink’s simply restoring the previous frequency of 402 and 403;
(2) 408 Garden City finally gets higher frequency on sundays! I’ve been waiting for this for countless years;
(3) 104 finally serves Port Royal on evenings and weekends now;
(4) Translink got the destination of 418 wrong.

(Ps: As one can tell, I used to live in Richmond because my observations are so Richmond-oriented.)

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

platform doors - the crappy solution to a problem that doesn't exist. not to mention, people still die with platform doors.

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

platform doors - the crappy solution to a problem that doesn't exist. not to mention, people still die with platform doors.

You basically just run straight through the glass for that to happen, unless said doors and walls are make of 4" thick steel, but it would feel like you're in a prison than a train station.

At least it's not an at-grade train where the train runs into a vehicle with parents and their children in it.

[Mac Write]

I know one system (Paris?) has stone walls and then the doors look like elevator doors. This was at Gatwick satellite terminal from late 80's to late 90's. I only got to use it twice. "Press to call car"

[Firebrand]

This must be the most boring summer for transit judging by how inactive this thread has been lately.

[Mac Write]

And how boring the future is for transit in the Lower Mainland.

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

And how boring the future is for transit in the Lower Mainland.

Transit news and discussions. After five or six posts from an event (like the typical September route updates), it's complete silence for over three days. Why hasn't someone here mentioned or question HTC's takeover of the 555 when the double-deckers arrive? It's pointless reading at five-day old posts.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Firebrand

Transit news and discussions. After five or six posts from an event (like the typical September route updates), it's complete silence for over three days. Why hasn't someone here mentioned or question HTC's takeover of the 555 when the double-deckers arrive? It's pointless reading at five-day old posts.

you can post updates to you know, right? haha. sometimes there are just times where people don't post.

[nname]

Originally Posted by Firebrand

Transit news and discussions. After five or six posts from an event (like the typical September route updates), it's complete silence for over three days. Why hasn't someone here mentioned or question HTC's takeover of the 555 when the double-deckers arrive? It's pointless reading at five-day old posts.

I found most people here are interested in rapid transit developments (which already got their own threads and are quite active) and less interested in bus vehicle and especially bus routes... This is why I stopped posting bus route information here unless someone asked.

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

And how boring the future is for transit in the Lower Mainland.

It will get more exciting next year when the new B-Lines launch.

[GlassCity]

Yeah I don't really know how you can complain about boredom when the past year has been one of the most exciting that I remember in Vancouver transit:
- Funding for the Millennium Line Extension
- A study into a UBC extension
- SFU gondola back on the table
- 10 year vision improving service on dozens of bus routes
- Improved SeaBus frequency
- 10 total planned B-Lines, with the 95 now in service

Transit really can't be the kinda thing with exciting news every week! What could possibly change that often?

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Yeah I don't really know how you can complain about boredom when the past year has been one of the most exciting that I remember in Vancouver transit:
- Funding for the Millennium Line Extension
- A study into a UBC extension
- SFU gondola back on the table
- 10 year vision improving service on dozens of bus routes
- Improved SeaBus frequency
- 10 total planned B-Lines, with the 95 now in service

Transit really can't be the kinda thing with exciting news every week! What could possibly change that often?

All of this happened months ago. I'm talking about the past few weeks. I know the four new B-Lines will be in service, but that's a year away. Save for the September route changes, there hasn't been any eye-catching transit news. It will catch up speed when municipal elections arrive.

[dpogue]

The first of the next Mark IIIs should be arriving in January, but I would expect the T&C on it to take several months at least. SkyTrain staff are still getting used to the existing Mark IIIs and their particular idiosyncrasies.