Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by nobutoshi

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwNkUvNHjI4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkI made a fantasy map to share. Go to my Instagram @nashbills Go straight from Waterfront to Lonsdale costs too much!

Yeah save money on the crossing route so you can build some stations that no one will use. That makes sense.

[Dengler Avenue]

Is it just my experience, or is the 9 trolley bus generally faster than the 99 B-Line on Sundays? I find it ironic.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Is it just my experience, or is the 9 trolley bus generally faster than the 99 B-Line on Sundays? I find it ironic.

So it's not just me. Yeah, B-Line frequency gets massive cuts on weekends.

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Yeah save money on the crossing route so you can build some stations that no one will use. That makes sense.

It's an interesting idea... and by interesting, I mean that the prospect of any rapid transit through Stanley Park not already on a road would get bogged down and protested by NIMBYs for decades and therefore never happen.

Also I'm sure that roundabout alternative route to Lonsdale would end up taking about the same amount of time as the SeaBus.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

there is a transit fantasy thread for a reason people!

[Express691]

Back on topic:

The extension of the coquitlam yard is well underway. It looks as if some new tracks are being built to the west of the current facility. A ripped-out section of track and an orange mesh fence should be key indicators.

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

there is a transit fantasy thread for a reason people!

TBF, he was new, and the fantasy thread has been buried pretty deep...

Originally Posted by Express691

Back on topic:

The extension of the coquitlam yard is well underway. It looks as if some new tracks are being built to the west of the current facility. A ripped-out section of track and an orange mesh fence should be key indicators.

Wait, what? Source? Is this on the existing track reserve? (basically filling in new tracks on some of the empty space in the existing track space?)

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by fredinno

TBF, he was new, and the fantasy thread has been buried pretty deep...


Wait, what? Source? Is this on the existing track reserve? (basically filling in new tracks on some of the empty space in the existing track space?)

This is an extension of the vehicle storage facility out towards the west, behind the storage and U-Haul facilities. I wasn't able to see how many lanes they were adding, but I'm guessing space restricts them to only two.

Diagram of the existing VSF and the expansion area I made:


I don't see how this isn't going to be incredibly inconvenient to them, particularly during construction because they normally move trains from Lafarge in to VS6 and then reverse them into VS1 for cleaning. VS6 is closed right now due to the expansion work.

[nname]

Originally Posted by dpogue

This is an extension of the vehicle storage facility out towards the west, behind the storage and U-Haul facilities. I wasn't able to see how many lanes they were adding, but I'm guessing space restricts them to only two.

Same question I have. Seems like there could be 2 lanes beside VS6 based on the placement of the base for the lights. And there should be only a modest extension of VS6, if at all, due to the difference in elevation between the new storage tracks and the mainline rail...

And seems like VS6 will be the only connection between existing facility and the new storage area.

Satellite image from Google Map seems to be pretty up to date... The extent of construction area can be clearly seen.

[Migrant_Coconut]

No B-Line past Park Royal for now. Disappointing, BUT not entirely:

West Van says no to B-Line past Park Royal

When the North Shore B-Line begins service next year, Park Royal will be the end of the line.

District of West Vancouver council voted unanimously Monday to reaffirm earlier plans to nix express bus service to Ambleside and Dundarave after months of controversy.

But West Van will leave the door open to a potential “B-Line Light,” as Mayor Mary-Ann Booth termed it, sometime later than 2020, as long as it steers clear of any of the main points of contention raised by residents and business owners.

Any future bus service would be subject to a number of constraints council put in place at its March 11 meeting: that it not pass by any schools and not be given any bus priority lanes through the Ambleside business district, that it minimize the loss of street parking and that it minimize the impacts on residential neighbourhoods.

“That’s a pretty tight sieve when you consider all those criteria with respect to considering options that would go beyond Park Royal,” said Ray Fung, director of engineering and transportation for the municipality. “I have to say TransLink has indicated with the present level of data, that there are still speed and reliability concerns.”

Fung added, TransLink has also indicated the B-Line’s launch will likely be delayed from the fall of 2019 to early 2020, which would give staff time to do more of the research necessary for any possible expansion.

While council has made its decision not to accept the B-Line past Park Royal in the short term, the district may pursue some of the traffic flow improvements TransLink included in the original plan - restricting left turns at several intersections of Marine Drive and adding left-turn lanes at others. The district hired its own traffic consultant to independently research what upgrades should be made. Other suggestions include signal upgrades and painting vehicle stalls on the road now to make parallel parking more orderly and less likely to stop traffic on Marine.

Staff are expected to report back on those options in 2020, with some potential funding sources for the approximately $1.2-mililon cost.

Council’s vote followed a briefing by staff tabulating the thousands of pieces of input received via email, a phone survey, direct mail-outs and stakeholder meetings, since public consultations began. While consultations found a clear majority were opposed to the B-Line, largely because of concerns the new bus lanes would worsen congestion on Marine Drive, there was less opposition than council was led to believe, Coun. Nora Gambioli said. Gambioli called council’s March 11 motion premature and warned council they could delay for only so long making tough decisions about transportation trade-offs.

“At the end of the day, this council will have to decide between supporting buses or supporting single-occupancy vehicles. You cannot do both. It’s not possible. That is the decision we all need to come to when the report comes back, and I know what side of the fence I fall on,” she said. “We’re kicking the B-Line down the road. Let’s face it. But I think this motion puts us in a much better place than a month ago.”

Coun. Bill Soprovich said it was good to “have a little bit of a break on it for a few months,” and that he hoped the delay would give the district enough time to come to a “sensible solution.”

“We talk about the B-Line like it’s some kind of magical creature. It’s a bus. And it goes from A to B. And in West Vancouver it only stops twice. Our buses go every day,” he said. “We’re well served.”

Coun. Craig Cameron noted the irony of West Vancouver demanding better transit for years and then shelving the first significant improvement on offer.

“I’m concerned about the message that sends to our neighbours – both people who come here and work in our businesses and those who rely on visitors,” he said. “West Vancouver is a welcoming and caring community and we’ve come across as somewhat parochial and not the way I think we truly are. We are inextricably part of the region. We can’t divorce ourselves from the region. We can’t see ourselves as an island.”

Booth said both the district and TransLink could have done a better job rolling out the B-Line consultation, but, she added, the municipality landed at the best possible outcome.

“This is the compromise. This is the common ground and this is what I was elected to pursue,” she said. “I always say better late than never and we ended up in a good place. That’s the most important thing.”

Meanwhile, TransLink is set to boost service on six North Shore bus routes, including the 250A, which runs from Horseshoe Bay along Marine Drive to Downtown Vancouver. Starting May 26, Monday to Friday Service will run every seven to 10 minutes from 7 to 8 a.m. and six to 12 minutes from 5 to 6 p.m. The improvements are part of the TransLink mayors council vision, which included 285,000 more bus service hours per year. Other North Shore routes getting more frequent service include the 229, 236, 250, 257 and 258.

[SpongeG]

TransLink announces more than 8,000 new service hours on these routes

Staff Reporter / Burnaby Now
APRIL 16, 2019 11:14 AM

Beginning April 22, several routes on TransLink’s bus network will be running earlier, later and more often.

Since 2017, a total of 285,000 bus service hours have been added to try and improve reliability and reduce overcrowding as part of the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision commitments. This spring, 17 routes will benefit from permanent increases and 12 routes will have seasonal changes as 8,000 services hours are added.

...

https://www.burnabynow.com/news/translin...service-hours-on-these-routes-1.23792964

[jollyburger]

Buzzer Blog on the Skytrain Mark II car history:

https://buzzer.translink.ca/2019/04/translink-20-the-secret-mark-ii-skytrain-cars/

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

No B-Line past Park Royal for now. Disappointing, BUT not entirely:

Forget B Line lite, just leave WV to their own and terminate the B line at Park Royal.

I'm definitely never listening to any westvanner complain about traffic at Marine and Taylor Way again, it's their problem now.

They made their bed now they can sleep in it.

[lokyin]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Forget B Line lite, just leave WV to their own and terminate the B line at Park Royal.

I'm definitely never listening to any westvanner complain about traffic at Marine and Taylor Way again, it's their problem now.

They made their bed now they can sleep in it.

Same here... I never want to hear anybody from West Van complaining about their traffic, or their lack of ability to attract business via public transportation, or how Translink doesn't provide them added services.

In fact, I think we should divert the resources originally dedicated to the B-Line west of Park Royal to either:

1. After Park Royal, extending that end by turn south (witha slight U) onto Lions Gate Bridge to go downtown running on Georgia; or
2. Extending from the Phibbs Exchange end either up north towards Lynn Valley or down south on Second Narrows towards Hastings to meet the 95/99.

This will effectively serve what is progressive and forward thinking on the north shore: The District of North Vancouver has been very dedicated and to the Lower Lynn / Phibbs Exchange densification, and also the Lions Gate Village (Marine & Capilano Road) densification. Numerous tall residential towers are already going up or approved in those 2 emerging nodes / town centers.

[Dengler Avenue]

B-Line between W Georgia Street and Kootney Loop via Park Royal, Lonsdale Quay, and Phibbs Exchange? It sounds nice but it involves 2 chokepoints...

[nname]

Originally Posted by lokyin

1. After Park Royal, extending that end by turn south (witha slight U) onto Lions Gate Bridge to go downtown running on Georgia; or
2. Extending from the Phibbs Exchange end either up north towards Lynn Valley or down south on Second Narrows towards Hastings to meet the 95/99.

There are other B-Lines planned:

1. Lynn Valley - Lonsdale - Lions Gate Bridge - Downtown
2. Dundarave - Lions Gate Bridge - Downtown
3. Capilano Univ - Kootenay - Wellingdon - Metrotown

Although #2 will most likely not happen after the West Van decision that rendered the second B-Line there pretty much useless.

[Millennium2002]

I'm not sure how I feel about all three RapidBuses. There are certain aspects of each that stick out as sore thumbs:

1. Lynn Valley - Lonsdale - Lions Gate Bridge - Downtown
Personally I'd try to funnel transit riders away from the Lions Gate Bridge and towards the SeaBus due to all the delays stemming from the massive volume of bridge traffic. The benefit of having an alternate route to the SeaBus is far outweighed by the danger of weakening the RapidBus brand as a result of a slow and unreliable service.

3. Capilano Univ - Kootenay - Wellingdon - Metrotown
The problem here is with the congested Second Narrows bridge; any delays on or before the bridge will cause a domino effect and affect the speed and reliability of the entire route. Personally, I'd split the route in two at Kootenay Loop so that problems on one portion of the route are isolated from affecting the other.

[lokyin]

Yea I agree all 3 of those lines sound imperfect in some ways...

I guess the Lynn Valley B-Line is almost dual-purpose as a Lonsdale Ave B-Line in some way? Like a rapid transit btwn Queens Rd & Seabus? This may relieve pressure on Seabus for Lonsdale-to-Downtown considering if you don't catch the seabus at the right time, the bus via lions gate can be faster.

Agree that #2 (Dundarave-DT) won't happen.

As for Phibbs to Metrotown B-Line, not sure if this serves the purpose of Lower Lynn / Seylynn Village condo cluster (they likely traverse more to/from downtown), but if this line merges as with the future Richmond-Metrotown B-Line to become one long B-Line, it'd have added value.

Image from Daily Hive Vancouver (Mar 2018):

[BGMOne]

This is a bit off topic, but still relates to congestion on the North Shore. I was wondering whether anyone knows if Translink or any of the North Shore municipalities have proposed building another Seabus terminal elsewhere on the North Shore, in order to possibly relieve pressure on the two crossings and the current Seabus. I mean it seems to me like a cheaper and easier option to implement than say, another Skytrain line to the NS or another crossing. At least for the meantime until something like that could be built.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by BGMOne

This is a bit off topic, but still relates to congestion on the North Shore. I was wondering whether anyone knows if Translink or any of the North Shore municipalities have proposed building another Seabus terminal elsewhere on the North Shore, in order to possibly relieve pressure on the two crossings and the current Seabus. I mean it seems to me like a cheaper and easier option to implement than say, another Skytrain line to the NS or another crossing. At least for the meantime until something like that could be built.

Welcome to the forum. There was talk of a SeaBus to Ambleside, but that hasn't gone anywhere since.